2001 Méo-Camuzet Echezeaux
"Sexy and Sappy" - Burghound
A Rare Grand Cru Coming into Perfect Focus...Now
Is it too heavy handed, too dramatic, to bring up the formidable specter of Henri Jayer and his daunting influence at Méo-Camuzet?
Maybe it is.
After all, Jayer's business relationship with Méo-Camuzet ended in 1987, many years ago. Yet at the same time, a man like Henri Jayer is not soon forgotten, his commitments ran deep. Consider that Jayer's relationship with Méo-Camuzet, after all, began in 1945 as a scant 10-year contract...and ended 42 years later.
Jean-Nicolas Méo, the current winemaker at Méo-Camuzet, studied with Jayer, learned from Jayer. No, today's wine is not "Henri Jayer at 500% Off" - nothing of the sort - but it is a serious tribute to the lineage and bloodlines that make Burgundy what it is.
The truth is Jean-Nicolas Méo has shaped a very nice niche for himself amongst the elite of Burgundy and today we happily offer his 2001 Echezeaux at turn-back-the-clock pricing. (We're talking turn it back 1 or 2 years.)
While the 2001 Méo-Camuzet Echezeaux will hold and develop for many years to come, you'd be hard-pressed to find a Burgundy of this pedigree, at this price, in such compelling form.
Echezeaux is a complicated site; there are certainly some parcels that don't exactly live up to the "grand" moniker. However, the Echezeaux at chez Méo is the real deal - 50-year-old vines in the "Rouge du Bas"section of the Echezeaux, this is prime real estate at the top of the slope. Allen Meadows, aka the Burghound, describes the 2001 as "sexy and sappy" (full review below) which is so important given that lesser Echezeauxs can be light and, well, insubstantial. Absolutely none of that here. The 01 Méo-Camuzet Echezeaux is rich with fruit, saturating, with a great earthy background and plenty of grip.
2001 was a classic vintage at Méo-Camuzet, the wines show a beautiful combination of pure, very expressive fruit. While the Echezeaux especially may have been somewhat hard in its youth, it has just begun to enter its prime drinking window and is now hitting on all cylinders.
This is a small parcel that boasts an impeccable provenance; every bottle has been in temperature-controlled storage since the trek to America many years ago. This parcel is sure to sell out very quickly. To order, email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director of Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits
Allen Meadows, the Burghound says "This is now more expressive than it was from barrel with very ripe and spicy black fruit aromas that merge into sexy and sappy flavors that are round, sweet and extremely pure, culminating in a long and intense. The tannins are ripe and dusty and I particularly like the acid/fruit balance and while this could be approached now with the right food, it should be much better with additional time in bottle."
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