Representing the purchase of a mere two barrels (50 cases), a Latour 2005 Grands Echezeaux smells of candied cherry, roasted meats and a resinous hint of new wood. In the mouth, this exhibits polish and elegance, with plenty of fresh cherry and raspberry fruit as well as marrowy meatiness in the finish. Louis-Fabrice Latour and oenologue Jean-Charles Thomas garner frequent praise for their white wines but have drawn some criticism for their Pinots, particularly directed at their practice of flash pasteurization. I have no problem with Latour’s avowed adherence to “the school of finesse,” but some of the reds from 2005 simply lacked the requisite clarity or concentration to be distinctive. That said, there are certainly a number of reds this year – wines Latour began bottling less than eleven months after harvest – that are well worth recommending. (A “D” after a listing indicates that the wine is from the Latour domaine.) Also recommended: 2005 Chassagne-Montrachet ($29.00; 85-87), 2005 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeots ($39.00; 86), 2005 Aloxe Corton D ($45.00;85), 2005 Santenay La Combe ($30.00;86), 2005 Beaune Les Perrieres ($55.00;86), 2005 Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes ($113.00;85-87), 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux St.-Jacques ($107.00;85), 2005 Vosne-Romanee Les Beaumonts ($131.00;86), 2005 Echezeaux ($225.00;86+?). Louis Latour has numerous importers throughout the U.S.

Copious quantities of red and black cherries make up the 2001 Grands-Echezeaux’s aromatic and flavor profiles. Lush, supple, and chewy-textured, this outstanding wine is plump, layered, and spicy. Highly expressive, it dominates the palate with its sweet candied fruit, enveloping its ripe tannin so that it is barely noticeable. It is the finest red I’ve tasted from this producer. Anticipated maturity: now-2012. Louis-Fabrice Latour, not one to mince words, really disliked the 2000 vintage for reds. “It exemplified what I do not care for in red Burgundies, so I opted to produce no grand crus in 2000,” which is no mean feat when one realizes that Latour owns close to 19 hectares (47 acres) of Pinot Noir in grand cru vineyards. “However, as much as I did not like the 2000 reds, I love the 2001s. They have both firmness and fruit, it is an original.” Jean-Pierre Jobard, this firm’s winemaker, chimed in to add that “we’ve rarely seen a vintage as firm as 2001 in Burgundy.” It is that firmness that prevented more of Latour’s 2001 reds from being recommended, as they were found to be hard and astringent. Maison Louis Latour has a different importer in each state.

Copious quantities of red and black cherries make up the 2001 Grands-Echezeaux’s aromatic and flavor profiles. Lush, supple, and chewy-textured, this outstanding wine is plump, layered, and spicy. Highly expressive, it dominates the palate with its sweet candied fruit, enveloping its ripe tannin so that it is barely noticeable. It is the finest red I’ve tasted from this producer. Anticipated maturity: now-2012.Louis-Fabrice Latour, not one to mince words, really disliked the 2000 vintage for reds. “It exemplified what I do not care for in red Burgundies, so I opted to produce no grand crus in 2000,” which is no mean feat when one realizes that Latour owns close to 19 hectares (47 acres) of Pinot Noir in grand cru vineyards. “However, as much as I did not like the 2000 reds, I love the 2001s. They have both firmness and fruit, it is an original.” Jean-Pierre Jobard, this firm’s winemaker, chimed in to add that “we’ve rarely seen a vintage as firm as 2001 in Burgundy.” It is that firmness that prevented more of Latour’s 2001 reds from being recommended, as they were found to be hard and astringent.Maison Louis Latour has a different importer in each state.