Domaine Nicole Lamarche ‘Echezeaux’ Grand Cru 2020

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

The Lamarche Echézeaux comes from three lieux-dits: Les Cruots ou Vignes Blanches, Clos-Saint-Denis, and Les Champs Traversins. Altogether these parcels make up about 1.3 hectares of vines with an average age of 30 years. Nicole Lamarche works with very low yields here, which, alongside the Domaine’s delicate extraction, results in a superb expression of this terroir. Of this cuvée, Jasper Morris has written, “… [it] has almost as much to offer as the Grands Echézeaux. True, the latter has greater weight and power, but the Echézeaux… is particularly elegant in its immaculate, lacy style.” Another very fairly priced grand cru.

About Domaine François Lamarche

Domaine François Lamarche are sole owners of La Grande Rue, one of the four grand cru monopoles of Vosne-Romanée (La Tâche, La Romanée and La Romanée Conti are the others)

In this day and age, great Burgundy Domaines such as this are a rare find – even more exceptional because the vineyard holdings here are almost entirely made up of Grand Cru and Premier Cru parcels in Vosne/Echézeaux

Under the current generation – Nicole and Nathalie Lamarche – quality at this Domaine has skyrocketed and this is now one of the very finest sources of fragrant, supple and richly-fruited Vosne.

In the three vintages between the publication of his opus, The Wines of Burgundy, and the quote above, Domaine François Lamarche has been promoted from a one star Domaine to Coates’ highest, 3-star rating, a rating they now share with a rare clique of the very best Burgundian growers.

The rapid, Lazarus-like rebirth of this Domaine seems to have caught some quarters of the French cognoscenti by complete surprise. In fact it has been the English speaking commentators like Allen Meadows, Jasper Morris, Jancis Robinson and Clive Coates that have been the first to pick up the scent. This is a tale of Domaine François Lamarche, an Estate that has, without doubt, one of the finest collections of vineyards in the entire Côte or, more specifically, Vosne Romanée/Echézeaux. After a long period of underperformance, the Domaine has managed to turn its fortunes around and is today producing wines that honour the lofty expectations of their holdings. To be specific about these holdings, Domaine François Lamarche are sole owners of La Grande Rue – one of the four, legendary Grand Cru monopoles of Vosne-Romanée – as well as holding choice parcels of Echézeaux, Grands Echézeaux, Clos de Vougeot, Suchots, Chaumes and Malconsorts! Terroir was never a problem here!

The upturn in quality has been the result of a gradual series of key changes, most significant of which has been the emergence and ensuing influence of the Domaine’s 6th generation, Nicole and Nathalie Lamarche, who now control every aspect of Domaine François Lamarche’s operations. Since 2007 Nicole Lamarche has been solely in charge of the vineyards and winemaking while her cousin, Nathalie Lamarche, has had the role of régisseur, or general manager. Since taking the reins of this jewel of an estate, these ladies have seriously reduced yields, converted the vineyards to organic viticulture (certified from 2010), implemented procedures to handle their grapes more gently and have stopped fining or filtering. The barrel suppliers have also been changed and there is less new wood used. In short they have pulled out all stops to produce the highest possible quality from their remarkable patrimony of vineyards. These changes, combined with a new, gravity-fed cuverie and a much needed upgrade of equipment and new cooling apparatus (that had already occurred in 2010), has resulted in a rapid improvement in quality that continues to improve each year.

2018 Vintage at Domaine Lamarche

2016 Vintage at Domaine Lamarche

Winemaking

Fruit is hand-picked and sorted. 80-100% of the fruit is destemmed depending on the vintage. Cold maceration & temperature controlled fermentation in open wood vats lasts around 15-18 days depending on the vintage.

Maturation in oak barrels lasts 16-20 months of which 30-50% are new.

The 2020 Vintage at Domaine Nicole Lamarche

The bombshell news affecting Domaine Lamarche is that Nicole Lamarche’s cousin, Nathalie Pacareau-Lamarche, along with one other family member, has chosen to claim her inheritance and in doing so, take her portion of the vineyards that the domaine presently exploits. I was asked not to disclose the specific structuring of the transaction but essentially, it means that a significant portion of the vineyards have been withdrawn and awarded on a 25-year lease basis to Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, effective with the 2022 vintage.

The seven vineyards involved, totaling 2.65 ha, are as follows: all of the .3077 ha of Grands Echézeaux, all of the .50 ha holding of Malconsorts, all of the .21 ha parcel of La Croix Rameaux; a .24 ha parcel of Echézeaux situated in Les Champs Traversin; a .365 ha parcel of Suchots located in the desirable upper portion, a .594 ha parcel of Clos de Vougeot situated by the Château and a .43 ha parcel of the Vosne villages Aux Réas.

The transaction obviously has important ramifications for Domaine Lamarche though Nicole told me that she has no intentions of selling, noting that despite losing some excellent vineyards, there remains more than enough to constitute a high-quality domaine.

Where in the World are They?

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