The nose has a wonderful depth, certainly quite the cuisinière though with coffee, chocolate, hints of coconut – fortunately I also find fruit. As the previous wines, Pascal has delivered a super-fine structure that delivers excellence without sacrificing intensity of flavour. Gorgeous clarity and super length.
Marchand Pascal
2010 Marchand Pascal Echézeaux
After the Corton, here the nose is more obviously complex – a clear Vosne vernacular – but for all that it’s less precise and focused than the Corton – but with width and depth, a wine of scale. In the moth it’s rounder, more visible tannin than the Corton but like all these wines the structure shows restraint even though there’s a faint hint of ‘grab’. Super.
2010 Marchand Pascal Clos de Vougeot
The nose here gives the impression of a bit more muscle and in shape shows more width than depth. Clearly another level of structure on the palate, but those tannins are polished and the flavour is more overtly mineral than fruity. Impressive stuff – the last drops in the glass now show a super-classy red berry note. Despite the polish, proper CV!
2008 Marchand Pascal Corton
Medium colour. The nose delivers spades of interest; high-toned dark, minerally fruit over a slightly diffuse but engaging core – I can’t help sniffing – a slightly musky and stemmy impression also adds value to set against some barrel vanilla and coconut (100% oak as only 1 barrel!). In the mouth there’s enough fat to easily balance the lovely acidity, and the flavour slowly builds to a crescendo in the mid-palate – there is perhaps a hint of CO2 that turns up the volume of the fireworks, but fireworks there are, and it seems very well judged. The flavours are dark red, almost blue-skinned fruit and they last incredibly well – even for a Grand Cru – admittedly there’s some of that coconut thing going on again in the finish, but this delivers oodles of precocious loveliness. Super – drink it over the next 12 months to enjoy this performance or wait at least fifteen years for harmony and something of the real Corton