Mike D's Article: 2000 Emmanuel Rouget Echezeaux

I am going to have to quote James Brown’s The J.B.’s on this one: “Giving up food for funk.”

In this case, I had to make no such sacrifice, but I gladly would have. Honestly, if I had known how downright delicious and fulfilling this bottle of 2000 Emmanuel Rouget Echezeaux was going to be, I may have saved it for a more special occasion. From the first smell and sip, this was that elusive ethereal experience that keeps us Burgundy-drinking masochists in the game after many a heartbreak. It was consumed with a few friends in the front room of the Gramercy Tavern here in NYC, a place that for my primarily plant-based diet is a truly elevated spot to dine in. The nose was 100% Burgundian with fresh, damp fruits. No tannins getting in the way of this true bouquet of flavor.  A nice long, lightly glycerin finish. A great match for the smoky, wood-grilled veggies. But mainly people, it’s all about the funk here. That crazy and indescribable something that can be found in Burgundy and nowhere else, which only comes from a complex equation of time, terroir, and age. 96 points.

Michael Diamond is a member of the hip hop group the Beastie Boys.