2010 Dominique Mugneret Echezeaux En Orveaux

Dominique Mugneret is a 19-acre estate based in Vosne-Romanee. It was founded in 1935 when Marcel Mugneret created Domaine Marcel Mugneret. As it was passed from father to son, the estate became Domaine Denis Mugneret and then, in the late 1990s when Dominique Mugneret took over, the estate’s name was changed to reflect the new generation at the helm. Today the estate makes wine from 13 Cote de Nuits appellations. It has a Grand Cru parcels in Echezeaux and Romanee-St.-Vivant, and Premier Crus in Nuits St. Georges. There are also village wines. Some 3,125 cases are produced annually.

Echezeaux is a 93-acre Grand Cru vineyard on the southern edge of the Cote de Nuits. It up the slope from Clos de Vougeot and Grands Echezeaux and is one of the largest grand crus in Burgundy. The vineyard varies in elevation from 250 to 300 meters, and the terroir includes significant clay as well as thin, rocky soil. The largest proprietors are Domaine de la Romanee Conti, with 11.68 acres; Mongeard-Mugneret with 6.25 acres, and Emmanuel-Rouget, with 3.58 acres. Echezeaux produces red wine.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.