Echezeaux
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Accessory grape varieties
Terroir
Natural factors
- The slope, with an elevation difference of around 150 metres, is formed by a series of Middle Jurassic limestones, including the Comblanchien limestone, which is particularly compact and forms the structural backbone of the relief.
- A layer of argillaceous calcareous marls from the Bajocian intercalates within the limestone series in the lower part of the slope, creating a slight topographic bench.
- The delimited parcels are located on the lower part of the slope and on the piedmont, at the mouth of a deeply incised combe, between 260 and 300 metres in altitude.
- The surface deposits combine scree, clays, and silts derived from the weathering of the subsoil and the overlying relief, arranged in an alluvial fan aligned with the combe.
- The soils are weakly developed, generally calcareous, shallow, and clay-rich, yet well-draining thanks to the limestone nature of the subsoil, and coloured red by a high concentration of iron oxides.
Human factors
- In the thirteenth century, the monks of the Abbey of Cîteaux farmed vineyard parcels in the area known as 'Echézeaux', attached to the large landed estate that included the adjacent Clos de Vougeot.
- A court ruling of 1925 defined the appellation d'origine 'Echézeaux' and established its geographical boundaries, drawing on established usage of the name, with the classified ensemble covering around ten lieux-dits.
- The vines are planted at high density in accordance with the practices of the Côte de Nuits, at more than 9,000 vines per hectare, and the wines undergo extended ageing.
Product characteristics
- The wines are generally distinguished by a fine ruby colour and often display a firm, fleshy texture combined with a beautiful velvety quality in the tannins, with aromas of red fruits and sometimes violet mingled with notes of spice or humus.
- The wines improve with keeping, and a few years of cellaring allow them to develop fully, with a drinking window of 5 to 15 years, or even longer for the greatest vintages.
Terroir / wine link
- The natural environment is fertile without excess, thanks to well-structured clays rich in iron oxides, with an optimal water balance achieved by a surface layer that retains moisture and a limestone subsoil that ensures effective drainage.
Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.
About this boundary
On the map, at overview zooms, this appellation is drawn as a silhouette of its vineyard generalised at 152 m from the INAO parcel delimitation; the parcels themselves appear as you zoom in.
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