Beaune, Clos des Mouches, 1er Cru, Rouge, 2005

Representing huge domaine holdings and in effect the Drouhin flag ship, their 2005 Beaune Clos des Mouches displays aromas of roasted meat, wood smoke, black truffles, plum and black raspberry. Persistently meaty in the mouth, with plum pit and wet stone adjuncts, this is archetypal 2005: richly ripe yet with an invigorating tart fresh edge and quite dark, even somber in flavor shadings. The long savory finish, while pouring out a generous helping of top quality fruit and meat juices, also offers a veritable catalog of mineral nuances ... if only one had names for them all. This should be terrific in 5-7 years. These 2005s were bottled around two months earlier than usual, says Frederic Drouhin, to retain freshness. (Long-time oenologue Laurence Jobard, incidentally, was replaced this year by Jerome Faure-Brac.) As is always the case, fruit from a great many properties owned or accessed by Drouhin is declassified and blended out, leaving only selected terroirs as the subjects of single-site bottlings. (In 2004, for example, even the Beaune Clos des Mouches due to hail was declassified into lip-smacking, remarkably soothing Cote de Beaune.) That said, as befits the quality of 2005, there were more individual bottlings from this vintage than is usual, and I did not taste all of them. (Wines from the Drouhin domaine holdings display a D in their listing.) This years collection radiates class from top to bottom. Even Drouhins ubiquitous, 25,000-case generic Laforet displays tender, ripe cherry fruit, a silky palate and iodine-like minerality. Also recommended: 2005 Bourgogne Laforet ($14.00;85). Importer: Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818 0770