Flagey-Échézeaux — Échézeaux & Grands Échézeaux

Clos Saint-DenisGrand Cru

Clos Saint-Denis is a grand cru lieu-dit of Flagey-Échézeaux. It bridges Les Treux and the lower Vosne-Romanée climat Les Suchots. It is not among the first-rank Échézeaux sectors, and there is a possible confusion to note: it shares its name with the Morey-Saint-Denis grand cru, which is unrelated. Growers here are Domaine Rouget, Domaine Lamarche and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.

ÉchézeauxGrand Cru

Échézeaux is a grand cru of Flagey-Échézeaux. It is east-facing and spans the upper slope, thin and rocky, down to the lower slope, which is clay. The soils are thin over hard rock at the top and heavier clay at the bottom, heterogeneous across eleven lieux-dits. The wine is variable by lieu-dit and by producer, generally lighter, red-fruited and earlier-maturing, and it can lack cohesion. The cru runs to about 36 to 37 hectares, with eleven lieux-dits in all — Les Rouges du Bas and Les Cruots among them — and it adjoins Clos de Vougeot.

The notable lieux-dits are En Orveaux, Les Poulaillères — centrally above Grands Échézeaux, a near-monopole of DRC — and Échézeaux du Dessus, the historical heart.

Échézeaux du DessusGrand Cru

Échézeaux du Dessus is a grand cru lieu-dit of Flagey-Échézeaux. It lies just above Grands Échézeaux, on the same contours as Les Cruots and Les Loächausses. It is the core sector of the grand cru: the main block runs to 3.55 hectares as a rule, and with the Arnoux-Lachaux and Hospices plots added it reaches 4.54 hectares. Growers here are Domaine des Perdrix, Mongeard-Mugneret and Jean-Marc Millot.

En OrveauxGrand Cru

En Orveaux is a grand cru lieu-dit of Flagey-Échézeaux. Its lower part is grand cru and the rest is premier cru Vosne-Romanée; it lies next to Musigny and above Clos Vougeot. The topsoil is scant over rock. The wine is fine-boned and mineral. The upper part is premier cru Vosne-Romanée, and the official grand cru is 5 hectares only, though the holdings table suggests more. Growers here are Domaine Christian Clerget, Coquard-Loison-Fleurot and Joseph Faiveley.

Grands ÉchézeauxGrand Cru

Grands Échézeaux is a grand cru of Flagey-Échézeaux. It is east-facing on a very gentle slope of 3 to 4%, at about 260 metres. The topsoil is thick and well-drained clay over Bajocian limestone down-wash, the same subsoil as Musigny. The wine has a fuller, richer texture, more consistent and noble than Échézeaux, and it is structured and refined. It covers 9.14 hectares, was formerly Les Échézeaux du Bas, and forms a single homogeneous block; DRC is the largest owner. Growers here include DRC, Mongeard-Mugneret, Thénard, d'Eugénie and Joseph Drouhin.

Grands Échézeaux lies between Clos de Vougeot and Échézeaux.

Les Beaux Monts BasGrand Cru

Les Beaux Monts Bas is a grand cru lieu-dit of Flagey-Échézeaux. It is a bottom-edge sliver only, sitting above Les Cruots and Les Loächausses. The grand cru here is a narrow strip at the bottom edge, within plot 516; the rest of the vineyard is premier cru.

Les Champs TraversinsGrand Cru

Les Champs Traversins is a grand cru lieu-dit of Flagey-Échézeaux. It sits fairly high on the slope, with the rows following the contours for erosion control. The soil is a mix of marl and sand. The wine is Échézeaux in a lighter, finer register. Growers here are Clos Frantin of Bichot, Domaine Dujac and Jacques Prieur.

Les Cruots/Vignes BlanchesGrand Cru

Les Cruots, also called Vignes Blanches, is a grand cru lieu-dit of Flagey-Échézeaux and the middle band of Échézeaux. The topsoil is very poor and stone-littered, with chalk frequent. In Henri Jayer's view the middle band, Cruots included, is the only part truly worthy of grand cru; the two names point to the chalk and to former white-grape planting. Growers here are Domaine Jean Grivot, Domaine Lamarche and Jacques Cacheux.

Les LoächaussesGrand Cru

Les Loächausses is a grand cru lieu-dit of Flagey-Échézeaux, lying between Les Échézeaux du Dessus and Les Cruots. Its name implies poorly drained ground. Ownership is Gros family members throughout: Gros Frère & Soeur and Anne Gros.

Les PoulaillèresGrand Cru

Les Poulaillères is a grand cru lieu-dit of Flagey-Échézeaux, lying above Grands Échézeaux. There is not much topsoil. In cool years it ripens ahead of Grands Échézeaux, while hot dry vintages are a risk. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti holds most of it, and its reputation is that of an excellent Échézeaux site. Growers here are Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Manière-Noirot and Jean-Marc Millot.

Les Quartiers de NuitsGrand Cru

Les Quartiers de Nuits is a grand cru lieu-dit of Flagey-Échézeaux and the lowest part of Échézeaux. The soil is relatively heavy. Its nickname is the missing corner of Clos de Vougeot; the grand cru covers the north-east edge only, and the rest is classed as village Vosne-Romanée. Growers here are Mugneret-Gibourg, Domaine des Perdrix and Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet.

Les Rouges du BasGrand Cru

Les Rouges du Bas is a grand cru lieu-dit of Flagey-Échézeaux. It sits high on the hillside beside the premier cru Les Beaux Monts and starts just above Les Échézeaux du Dessus. The soil is Premeaux hard limestone slabs with scant topsoil. The wine is elegant, mineral and medium-bodied. Plots 206, of Arnoux-Lachaux, and 510, of the Hospices, are needed for the full 4 hectares, and both are often declared as Échézeaux du Dessus. Growers here are Mugneret-Gibourg, Jadot and David Duband.

Les TreuxGrand Cru

Les Treux is a grand cru lieu-dit of Flagey-Échézeaux, extending Grands Échézeaux southward. The soil is fairly deep and tends humid. It is often rated below grand cru standard, and the name comes from the Burgundian treul, a wine press. Growers here are Mongeard-Mugneret, Emmanuel Rouget and Confuron-Cotetidot.