Joseph Drouhin

Joseph Drouhin are a family own Domaines and Negociant who command the greatest respect of all the big Burgundy houses. Their knowledge of the land combined with their attention to details in the vineyards as well as their gentle wine making style results in very fine Burgundy that reflect its origin. Little use of new oak, gentle extraction and whole bunch fermentation according to the year or the cuvee are whole part of their belief that good burgundy can't be made by firm hand of the winemaker. The crown jewels in the Drouhin portfolio are without doubt the Domaine Marquis de Laguiche, which has the largest percentage of land in Le Montrachet (30%) of all the owners, and the Domaine Drouhin-owned Clos des Mouches. Drouhin have had exclusive control over the former estate, from cultivation to distribution, since 1947, while Clos des Mouches is one of those rare breeds in Burgundy, a monopole. Originally planted with Pinot Noir, almost half the vineyard was replanted with Chardonnay in 1921 by Maurice Drouhin.

2017 Vintage

It was a fast and early start to year with bud-break in March. Warm April weather was punctured abruptly mid-month with a period of cold weather. Despite severe danger of frost, the Côte d’Or largely escaped thanks to a collective push to protect against it; a lesson learned from the prior year. Drouhin’s Chablis vineyards were affected, however, and have yielded a small but very healthy crop. Good weather continued and already by July hydric stress was a danger, narrowly avoided by some rain in the early part of the month. Hot, dry conditions continued thereafter, though, until mid August which brought with it more lenient temperatures. Harvest was early, starting in the Côte d’Or around the 30th August and in Chablis on the 5th September. Flowering had been good and overall vineyard health was excellent throughout the year, meaning this is the first “normal” crop for some years, except in Chablis. The grapes and wines are characterised by ripeness across all metrics; flavour profile, tannic structure, alcohol and acidity. As a result of the health and ripeness of the grapes, a higher percentage of whole cluster fermentation was employed than usual. The tannins melt seamlessly into the reds. For the whites acidities are not high but there is a sense of equilibrium and freshness nonetheless. The key for Drouhin was finding balance in the wines and not too much power. Both reds and whites are certainly ripe and flattering early but they show substance and character too. They are certainly not short on charm. A very attractive vintage here for both colours.

2018 Vintage

The Drouhin family is "rejoicing" in the 2018's, citing "good yields" and "remarkable sanitary conditions" as defining factors of the vintage. A wet winter and spring set the vintage up well, considering one of the sunniest and driest summers on record was to follow. Harvest began on the 29th August but the Drouhins noticed some of the vineyards were suffering a little from drought. Early September rains resolved this, and harvest continued as plants ripened their fruit. They had finished picking by 7th September. Although August's sun had burnt the malic acids, the whites did retain good levels of tartaric acids and this, coupled with the decision not to do any batonnage, has given the wines a tremendously fresh, aromatic fruit character to compliment the ripeness of the vintage. As stalks and berries were ripe and healthy, they employed a certain amount of whole-bunch fermentation for the Pinots (between 25% to 50%). Naturally rich in colour, alcohol and tannins the Drouhin team carried out gentle extractions for the reds, favouring pump overs instead of pigeage.

List View
    SHOWING 0 OF 0
    items to load
    21

    specifications

    country:
    France
    region:
    Burgundy