(RP=94+) Matured in 300-liter barrels made from oak that Mongeard selects and seasons himself, the 2018 Echezeaux Grand Cru La Grande Complication wafts from the glass with lovely aromas of cherries, raspberries, orange rind, peonies, and warm spices. Full-bodied, layered, and elegantly muscular, it's deep and concentrated, with powdery tannins and a long, penetrating finish. This special cuvee derives from vines planted in 1945 with the family's massal selections, located in the lieu-dit of Les Treux.
(AM=90-93) Prominent aromas of toasty oak and menthol suffuse the pretty and ultra-floral aromas of spicy purple fruit. The wood shows up on the palate as well as the dense and powerful larger-scaled flavors that possess a refined mouth feel while delivering fine length on the mildly warm finish. This is fairly oaky at present but the concentration is such that it should be able to absorb most of it.
Note: from selected vines in a .36 ha parcel of Les Treux that was planted in 1945; the wine, which is intended to replace the prior Cuvee known as Echezeaux Vieilles Vignes, comes in a special 3-bottle case that looks very much like a briefcase with snaps containing a brochure that explains the selection. For readers' edification, in watchmaking, a complication is a function that is added to the hour, a minute or second hand of a watch. An ultra-complicated watch is one where the movement combines all three complications in one and it is from this usage that the name La Grande Complication derives; made with 100% whole clusters and 100% new wood the name La Grande Complication derives; made with 100% whole clusters and 100% new wood