Region: Burgundy, France

Vintage: 2017

Composition: 100% Pinot Noir

History: The Mongeard family arrived in Vosne-Romanée in the eighteenth century, with records showing a Mongeard working as vigneron for Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in 1786. In 1945, Jean Mongeard, whose mother was a Mugneret, found himself making wine at the age of 16 in the place of his father who had died years earlier. The entire 1945 crop was purchased by Baron le Roy, Marquis d’Angerville, and Henri Gouges. Gouges instructed the young Mongeard to personally bottle the wines, rather than sell in barrel. In 1975, Vincent Mongeard, Jean’s son, began working alongside his father and became responsible for viticulture and vinification of the domaine’s wines. He persuaded his father to return to the traditional method of bottling, without filtration, filtering only with certain vintages. Jean Mongeard retired in 1995, and Vincent assumed complete leadership of the domaine. Today, Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret covers a total area of more than 75 acres, split among 35 appellations. The varied range of climats in which the Mongeards own vineyards results, naturally, in wines of great diversity.

Tasting Notes:

Echezeaux wines are a clear garnet or ruby red, the exact hue often varying considerably. When young these wines have vanilla-scented, smoky, woody aromas or a hint of torre´faction, combined with suggestions of red fruits and spices. After a few years, the nose becomes vegetable or animal, with scents of mushrooms, truffles, or woodland undergrowth. The great complexity of the bouquet makes this a wine both rich and feminine; fat and mellow, with fine, delicate, and fairly supple tannins. In the mouth the attack is spirited, the balance pleasant, and there is a succulent fullness with aromas of red fruits.