Mongeard Mugneret-Echezeaux-La Grande Complication-Grand Cru 2018 (AM93)

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 cuvée known as Echézeaux 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, 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. Producer note: Vincent Mongeard succinctly commented that the 2018 growing season was especially hot and dry though other than some spring mildew pressure, it was relatively easy to manage. We had a very fast flowering and as such there were uniform maturities plus the fruit was so clean that it made for rapid picking as there was little to sort. Quantities were good but even so potential alcohols were high as nothing came in under 14% and quite a number were over 15%. I vinified softly and at very cool temperatures, which is to say that no cuvée exceeded 25° C as I didn’t want to make bad examples of Chateauneuf de Pape! The other reason that alcohols were high is because every cuvée had zero grams of residual sugar, which is incredibly rare because there is almost always a gram or so of unfermentable sugars. My enologist was so impressed that they sent a team out to try to isolate the yeast strain responsible. Despite having lower levels of acidity, the average pH came in around 3.65 so the wines are ripe but they’re not soft. I frankly expected ripe and heavy wines but as the élevage has progressed, I would now describe them as an unexpected surprise. Tasting note: 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 of the dense and powerful larger-scaled flavors that possess a refined mouthfeel 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.