2016 Domaine Georges Noëllat Grands Échezeaux Grand Cru

Domaine Georges Noëllat is one of the most closely watched estates in Vosne-Romanée. Since taking control in 2010, Maxime Cheurlin has built a style around pure fruit, gentle extraction and the ability of old vines to carry substantial oak without losing the identity of the vineyard.

Grands Échezeaux is the more compact and architecturally powerful counterpart to Échezeaux. It lies immediately above Clos de Vougeot and is valued for its ability to combine the perfume associated with Vosne-Romanée with greater depth, tannic authority and a distinctly long, mineral finish.

Domaine Georges Noëllat works approximately 0.4 hectares here, principally in 'Les Cruots' and Vignes Blanches. The Pinot Noir vines average around 90 years of age and grow in poor, stony topsoil. Maxime Cheurlin treats this old-vine material with a restrained extraction regime, ambient yeast fermentation and an élevage capable of supporting the wine’s natural concentration.

The wine opens with black cherry, cassis and wild strawberry, followed by rose petal, dark chocolate, truffle, game and loamy earth. The palate is deep and multidimensional, with a dense core of fruit, vivid acidity and powerful, finely polished tannins. The finish is expansive rather than heavy, carrying dark fruit, mineral tension and savoury spice for exceptional length.

Compared with the domaine’s Échezeaux, Grands Échezeaux is broader, more structured and more complete. The fruit is darker, the tannins more commanding and the overall impression more architectural, though the wine retains the purity and finesse that define the producer.

Roast duck, beef fillet with or without sauces, mushroom risotto or pasta, truffle dishes, aged cheeses.

Serve: 16 °C
Drink: 2026–2040