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Wine Description
The Story
Échezeaux is loyal to its appellation through the finesse of its attack on the palate and its overall balance. But it's also a wine with pronounced acidity, which gives it freshness and structure and bestows upon it a sometimes austere finish.
As its name - "les Rouges du Bas” - does not indicate, this vineyard plot of about 1 acre, is situated at the upper limit of the Échezeaux appellation. The altitude explains perhaps the aromatic freshness often found in this wine, even though its east/south-east orientation also influences its early maturity. The nature of the soil changes with the altitude: lighter and lighter as you get higher.
The original planting dates from the end of the 40's, but about one quarter of this was renewed a few years ago. The grapes are small, particularly at the top of the plot. They ripen quickly, and a high sugar level combined with excellent acidity can often be observed, and this produces wines of intensity. The only difficulty is that these are grapes which have to be "snapped up” at harvest time: you cannot wait, or they will spoil.
Vintage 2012
2012 was beset by unusual weather that didn’t spare the vines! A mild winter, spring-like March, cool spring with frosts, summer-like May, cooler, wetter June, a variable summer with heatwaves, hail and storms… Because of the cold damp spring, some of the vine flowers didn’t set and form fruit, there was millerandage (where the flowers aren’t fully fertilised and give small berries) and high pressure from mildew and odium. Temperatures went right up during the short periods, over-heating and scorching the berries. This weather caused a significant fall in yields, without, however, impacting on the quality of the grapes, as well spread out bunches with small berries guarantee concentration and intensity.
All in all, the grapes achieved good ripeness in aromas and good sugar to acidity balance. The white wines are characterised by their finesse and concentration. The reds set themselves apart with their lovely colours, ripe and silky tannins and their harmonious mouthfeel