Domaine Emmanuel Rouget   Echezeaux

2007 Echezeaux

By Domaine Emmanuel Rouget

2007 Echezeaux from Domaine Emmanuel Rouget, Vosne-Romanée, Burgundy, France

The noble vineyards of Vosne-Romanée have given us many a treasured vintage, and the 2007 Echezeaux from Domaine Emmanuel Rouget stands as a testament to the intricate dance between terroir and winemaker's art. This particular year in Burgundy was marked by a cool spring, leading to reduced yields and creating an atmosphere of concentrated anticipation amongst collectors and connoisseurs alike.

 

Unveiling The Singular Elegance of 2007

The character of the 2007 vintage is undoubtedly shaped by Burgundy's fickle climate, which, in that year, presented challenges that Domaine Emmanuel Rouget navigated with profound expertise. Captivating in its complexity, this Echezeaux reflects the colder vintage in its heightened aromatic precision and structured finish. One finds a delicate balance of ripe red fruits interwoven with a discreet earthiness—a hallmark of Domaine Emmanuel Rouget's deft handling of such climatic capriciousness.

 

An Investment-Worthy Burgundian Jewel

As the years have mellowed the initial youthful vibrancy of the 2007 Echezeaux, the time has arrived to reap its investment potential. Patience has rewarded those with foresight, as nuances have emerged: whispers of mushroom and truffle elegantly complementing the persistent fruit core. For fine wine investors drawn to excellence within the glass and fiscal prudence alike, this vintage speaks volumes, providing a robust case for inclusion in any discerning portfolio.

When considering investment in 2007 Burgundy wines, Domaine Emmanuel Rouget's mastery in overcoming a more challenging vintage illuminates the depth of quality that can be achieved by legendary domaines. Similarly intricate and fascinating as its provenance, this 2007 Echezeaux promises to be a conversation starter at tastings and a profound addition to collections that appreciate finesse wrought from adversity.

In summary, the 2007 Echezeaux from Domaine Emmanuel Rouget emerges as an embroidered tapestry rich with Burgundian tradition and climatic narrative. As it enters its next phase of life, it offers both palate pleasure and prudent investment opportunity—a wine that continues to evolve and surprise even the most experienced investor and collector.

Current market price

$31,810.00

12x75cl

Highest score

90

POP score

1906

Scores and tasting notes

90

Black raspberry and dark cherry confiture tinged with cocoa powder and coconut lend Rouget’s 2007 Echezeaux a flattering sweetness of aroma and complement its subtly creamy, soft, generous inner-mouth impression (even when initially tasted at cellar temperature). But enough sense of fresh fruit and of lift is retained here to convey some sense of elegance; and suggestions of beef marrow add something beyond a fruit dimension. I suspect this will keep well for at least 6-8 years, but confess I cannot see a reason to wait. (Comparing the 2006 alongside, I agree with Rouget that it seems to combine the best aspects of 2008 and 2007, and neither of us find evidence that the 2006s as a group are “shutting down.”) I tasted Emmanuel Rouget’s 2008s from barrel in April and he was planning to bottle them within a month. According to one of Rouget’s favorite descriptors, the vintage was “tres particulaire,” not to mention challenging. “I harvested at an average of 12%” potential alcohol, he reports, “and chaptalized less than a degree. That sufficed. It was more important to harvest while there was still good weather and besides, it was already cold. There was a lot of acidity, but that conveys a superb equilibrium and level of freshness. The wines really exhibit the plenitude of Pinot.” Rouget rejects what he acknowledges is a widespread comparison of 2008 with 1996, suggesting that the latter “was more marked by sunshine, and resulted in less-noticeable acidity.” (As noted in the introduction to this report, he compares 2008 with 1986.) Importer: Martine’s Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400

David Schildknecht - The Wine Advocate, 28 June 2010

Vintage performance