BONNES-MARES

Background: According to the legend, a plough, one day, unearthed an ancient sculpture representing the three goddesses of fecundity. Called the "Good Mothers" by the locals, it soon became "Bonnes-Mares" (from "Bonnes-Mères").

This Grand Cru vineyard is halfway between Le Chambertin and Le Musigny, and yet is not as well known. Its overall surface is 15 hectares (37,5 acres), straddling two communes : Morey (the smaller portion) and Chambolle. Maison Joseph Drouhin is the proud owner of a beautiful parcel on the Chambolle side, planted of course with Pinot Noir.
It is located on a gentle slope. Its soil, made up of small chalky stones, is very light and relatively easy to work. Yet, it is a very low yielding vineyard, made even more so because of the age of the vines and their severe "Guyot" pruning. No fertilizers or weed killers are used. The grapes are hand-picked and brought to the Drouhin cellars in small crates.

Joseph Drouhin's winemaking technique remains strictly traditional. Fermentation and maceration occur in wooden open vats with punching down of the cap and pumping over of the juice.

The wine ages in oak barrels for 18 months and is fined with egg whites prior to bottling.

Tasting Notes: Bonnes-Mares is a wine of great breed : a sumptuous ruby-red colour, with an intense and luminous hue. Complex aromas reveal wild cherry and some discrete notes of brown tobacco. With age, truffle and musc become more evident. The structure, always firm, enables the wine to age and improve remarkably through the years.

Food Pairing: Only the greatest dishes can do justice to Bonnes-mares, together with the traditional accompaniments for a Grand Cru of Burgundy : roasted or grilled meats, fowl, venison and well aged cheeses.

2005 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Bonnes Mares
Review by David Schildknecht
WA # , #171 (Jun 2007)
Rating: 92

Black raspberry with horehound aromas in Drouhin’s 2005 Bonnes Mares lead to a sappy, intense palate of black raspberry and pungent herbal essence with notes of caramel and cocoa, and to a finish of persistent fruit intensity. Here is another of those cases where imposing richness coexists with bright, indeed almost electrically energetic fresh fruit intensity. This lacks the riveting complexity of the best wines here today but will be a force to reckon with in 8-10 years. These 2005s were bottled around two months earlier than usual, says Frederic Drouhin, to retain freshness.

CHAMBERTIN

Background: In 640, a modest vigneron of the Côte de Nuits, Bertin, noticed that his field ("champ" in French) had an excellent exposure to the sun. He then decided to plant some Pinot Noir grapes, just like his neighbours, the monks, had done. The result was so extraordinary that the reputation of his vineyard soon spread beyond the boundaries of his region and everyone was eager to drink his wine now called "Chambertin". The soil is a mix of red clay, chalk and broken stones facing due East at mid slope. The total surface is around 12,9 hectares (32,25 acres).

Tradition characterizes Joseph Drouhin's winemaking and vineyard management : short pruning (single Guyot), plowing, leaf removal, small yield (35hl/ha), 100% hand picking. Grapes go through a very severe selection when brought in. Fermentation and maceration are conducted in open wooden vats for 18 days. Pumping over and punching the cap down is done daily. The wine ages for a minimum of two years in new oak barrels. Towards the end of its ageing, the wine is fined with egg whites. It is then racked before being bottled.

Tasting Notes: Chambertin is a wine that gives unique sensations, a kaleidoscope of flavours and aromas. The hue is deep with an intense ruby colour. Flavours are opulent and earthy. They evoke black cherry, bitter chocolate then liquorice, black truffle and underbrush. With its massive backbone of velvety tannins in near perfect balance, it has great potential for ageing.

Food Pairing: Dishes accompanying Chambertin should be worthy of this great wine : "Boeuf à la Moëlle" (beef cooked in marrow) for instance, or the famed "Coq au Chambertin". Cowmilk cheeses, duly ripened and served with fresh baked bread, are also recommended.

CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY

Background: Chambolle is situated in the central part of the Côte-de-Nuits, surrounded by a sea of vines. Since the Roman times, the old Celtic village of Cambola has always been highly regarded for its vineyards. It is during the Middle-Ages that the monks perfected the art and technique of viticulture.
Joseph DROUHIN is an important propriétaire of various Premier Cru vineyards in Chambolle-Musigny.

The Pinot Noir grape is vinified in the typical Burgundian style : slow maceration (18 days) with daily pumping over and punching down of the cap to extract the famed "goût de terroir" of Chambolle. After 18 months in barrels and fining with egg-whites, the wine is bottled.

Tasting Notes: The wines of Chambolle have always been highly prized for their finesse and elegance. The colour is lovely. Aromas are very complex and evoke violet, cherries and humus, with blackberry and noble tannins coating the palate. Extremely well balanced, the wine has a very persistent, rounded finish. With age, the aromas turn to mushroom and underbrush, while conserving all their finesse.

2005 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Chambolle Musigny
Review by David Schildknecht
WA # , #171 (Jun 2007)
Rating: 89

Reflecting Drouhin’s especially large, choice holdings in this commune, their 2005 Chambolle-Musigny offers charry, smoky, meaty, pungently herbal and sweetly floral aromatics. Displaying subtle beef marrow richness, inner-mouth florality and cherry stone bitterness on the palate, this delicate and demure, bright and incipiently silken Pinot wants just a bit for juiciness and displays a slightly drying spot in the finish which I suspect is attributable to bottle shock. These 2005s were bottled around two months earlier than usual, says Frederic Drouhin, to retain freshness.

CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY PREMIER CRU

Background: Besides the Grand Crus of Musigny and Bonnes-Mares, the House of Joseph DROUHIN is also the owner of several distinguished Premier Cru vineyards in Chambolle-Musigny. These Premier Crus are vinified separately, in the traditional Burgundian style, and then assembled together under the Premier Cru label.

Tasting Notes: Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, always singled out for its finesse and elegance, is one of the most sophisticated wines of the Côte de Nuits. With its lovely ruby colour, the wine develops complex aromas reminiscent of violets, cherries and humus. Extremely well-balanced, it coats the mouth with a velvety touch where blackberries and noble tannins are in evidence. On the finish, it is well rounded and persistant. When ageing, aromas turn to mushroom and undergrowth without losing none of their finesse. It is a wine which charms first, then impresses with its ripe, lush style.

Food Pairing: Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru should be served with delicately prepared dishes, such as "Canard aux cerises" (duck cooked with cherries) or "Boeuf aux morilles" (beef with morels). The cheeses should be ripe but not too strong.

2005 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Chambolle Musigny Premier Cru
Review by David Schildknecht
WA # , #171 (Jun 2007)
Rating: 91

Given its origins in such crus as Combottes, Hauts Doix (beneath Amoureuses, where they are the largest owners after Groffier), and Borniques (abutting Musigny), it is perhaps little wonder that Drouhin’s 2005 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru epitomizes communal virtues. It leads with alluring bitter-sweet flowers, cherry, and red raspberry; displays deep, marrowy meatiness and nutmeg-, ginger- and pit-tinged red fruits on a polished, tender, silken palate; and finishes with delightful friskiness of fruit and subtly salty, chalky minerality. This extroverted, luminous 2005 can be enjoyed immediately, although perhaps it will shut down for a couple of 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.)

CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY AMOUREUSES

Background: In French, "Les Amoureuses" means "the lovers", probably one of the most appropriate names for a vineyard in all Burgundy : tasting this wine is like falling in love ! Officially a Premier Cru, it very often reaches the same price as other neighbouring Grand Crus. It is one of the Crown Jewels of the Joseph DROUHIN vineyards, and no expense or toil is spared when it comes to its cultivation and vinification. The vineyard itself is planted with old Pinot Noir vines whose clones are jealously kept in order to retain as much as possible the genetic heritage of the vine stocks.

The vines, densely planted and short-pruned, are able to produce a wine as true to its specific terroir as possible. After harvesting (always by hand), the skins are letf in contact with the juice for 15 to 22 days. Racking barrel by barrel and fining with egg whites are the only events disturbing the peace of the cellars during the 18 months of ageing.

Tasting Notes: Les Amoureuses is a masterpiece of finesse and complexity ; with its ruby or cherry-like hue, it also has a seductive palette of aromas constantly in flux : it is not unusual to first detect raspberry or kirsch flavours, followed by fleeting truffle or mushroom aromas, ending on a humus note. In some years, the nose will always retain elegance and reserved stance. On the palate, the tannins are never on the forefront but blend themselves seamlessly with the flavours. All silk and velvet, Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses leaves an ethereal impression of supreme refinement.

2005 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Chambolle Musigny les Amoureuses
Review by David Schildknecht
WA # , #171 (Jun 2007)
Rating: 94

The Drouhin 2005 Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses displays a fascinating nose of peat, fresh black raspberry and bitter sweet flowers. Uncannily rich, creamy, viscous and yet elegant and wafting on the palate, it preserves invigorating, vivacious, sappy fresh fruit along with dark underlying smoky, chalky forest floor tones. Subtly sweet, pungently smoky and decidedly mineral in its prolonged finishing flavors, this deserves to be left in peace for at least 6-8 years, after which re-excavation over a decade or more should be warranted. These 2005s were bottled around two months earlier than usual, says Frederic Drouhin, to retain freshness.

CHARMES-CHAMBERTIN

Background: One of the most interesting spots to view vineyards in Burgundy is just in the borderline between Morey-Saint-Denis and Gevrey-Chambertin. Looking North towards Gevrey-Chambertin, there lies a majestic sea of vines with Chambertin in the center, surrounded by its other Grand Crus like a king and his courtiers.

Charmes-Chambertin lies directly below Le Chambertin with which it shares the same kind of small pebbles and brownish earth.

Charmes-Chambertin is of course entirely planted in Pinot Noir Fin, pruned very short according to the traditional "taille Guyot". No fertilizers or weed killers are used.

The grapes are always hand-picked and carefully brought to the Drouhin cellars in small crates. Joseph Drouhin's winemaking technique remains strictly traditional. Fermentation and maceration occur in wooden open vats with punching down of the cap and pumping over of the juice.

The wine is then put in oak barrels where it loses its acidity through the malolactic fermentation. It is left to age for about 18 months and is fined with egg-whites prior to bottling.

Tasting Notes: Charmes-Chambertin has a bright, ruby colour and a seductive nose where cherry and pit flavours dominate. After a few minutes of aeration, a more woody, even spicy, aroma comes out and seems to play a game of "hide and seek" with the fruit.

The flavours are all extraordinary in their richness : neither rough nor heavy, the architecture of the wine is a marvel of harmony, with very fine and noble tannins bringing a silky roundness to the wine. This is what people in Burgundy call the "gras". A more energetic note is added by the acidity. The impressions left on the palate are yet another chapter to this story : candied cherry, exotic barks, refined spices ; according to some experts, this is where the real tasting begins ... and it goes on and on.

Food Pairing: This is a grand wine which deserves the best accompaniment : prime meat, morels, truffles, wild hare, aged cheeses. Charmes-Chambertin is a rare and generous wine for the greatest occasions.

2005 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Charmes Chambertin
Review by David Schildknecht
WA # , #171 (Jun 2007)
Rating: 90

Drouhin’s 2005 Charmes Chambertin (from the “true” Charmes, and from purchased grapes) offers site-typical vividness of cherry fruit, with subtle notes of licorice, vanilla, flowers and brown spices in a lovely bouquet. Sleek and refined in texture and strikingly pure in fruit on the palate, it seems a bit demure (though bright and mouth-watering) in its finish, possibly on account of its recent bottling. These 2005s were bottled around two months earlier than usual, says Frederic Drouhin, to retain freshness.

CLOS DE LA ROCHE

Background: Burgundy is, geologically speaking, a piling up of limestone layers.

Sometimes, a particularly hard slab of an underlying strata comes close to the surface and produces a "white spot" on the slope. In the old days, this harder area would have been used to build the stone walls that separate the "clos". Less frequently, it would be right in the middle of a vineyard, making it extremely hard to plough and cultivate. Clos de la Roche is such a vineyard (roche in fench means "rock") : a Grand Cru demanding an exacting amount of work but where the Pinot Noir Fin thrives in spite of the difficulties.

Severely pruned in the traditional "Guyot" style, each plant barely produces five or six small bunches so as to extract the maximum from its "terroir" with the smallest possible yield. The grapes are of course harvested by hand and brought right away to the winery where a gentle pressing takes place.

The vinification is done in the most traditional fashion : fermentation and maceration occur in wooden open vats with punching down of the cap and pumping over the juice. The must is then put in oak barrels. Left to age for about 18 months, it is fined with egg-whites prior to bottling.

Tasting Notes: Clos de La Roche is a sumptuous wine : an intense ruby colour and a complex nose reminiscent of dark, ripe cherries, musk and sometimes moist tobacco. Throughout, there is an impression of grandeur and harmony : the tannins are present but totally submerged by the velvety body of the wine. Very long on the palate, Clos de la Roche leaves an impression of freshness, candied fruit and mild spices.

Food Pairing: This is an exceptional wine which requires the most refined gastronomy : filet mignon, game, wild fowl, venison, great cheeses.

CLOS DE VOUGEOT

Background: In the Côte de Nuits, nestled between Vosne-Romanée and Chambolle-Musigny, lie the Clos de Vougeot vineyard and its Château. Famous all over the world, it is a true masterpiece of Burgundy. The beautiful Château in the middle of the vineyards was built by the monks of the Cîteaux abbey in the latter part of the 12th Century. It is now the headquarters of the "Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin" (the well-known wine society) and the setting for its prestigious banquets. The vineyard is situated on a gentle slope facing directly East. The soil is a mix of lime-stone with varying amounts of clay. The closest neighbour is Musigny on one side, and Grands-Echezeaux on the other. The only grape variety is Pinot Noir.

Joseph Drouhin owns several parcels in this prestigious Grand Cru. At harvest time, the grapes are picked by hand in small crates and then brought to the winery in Beaune. Fermentation and maceration are traditional : the grapes ferment in open wooden vats with the cap being regularly punched down and the juice pumped over. After 18 months of ageing in oak barrels, the wine is fined with egg-whites prior to bottling.

Tasting Notes: Clos de Vougeot has a deep red colour. Aromas are reminiscent of raspberry and wild cherry. With time, the nose changes to more complex flavours such as stewed fruit and truffles. Well-balanced, distinctive and elegant, Clos de Vougeot has a good structure with refined tannins. It also has very good ageing potential, 10 to 20 years depending on the quality of the vintage.

2005 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Clos de Vougeot
Review by David Schildknecht
WA # , #171 (Jun 2007)
Rating: 92

The 2005 Clos Vougeot from Drouhin’s two parcels in that famous cru, is much more earthy and less fine-grained than the majority of their wines from this vintage, but it exhibits impressive concentration. A bone meal-like meld of mineral and meat dominates the nose and suffuses the palate along with black raspberry, plum and cherry fruit accepted by faintly bitter fruit pit notes. This is quite full and rich, but without being heavy; overtly tannic and chewy, but without being coarse. A promising more tart than sweet juiciness of black fruit mingles with roasted meat and stony, chalky minerality in the finish. These 2005s were bottled around two months earlier than usual, says Frederic Drouhin, to retain freshness.

CLOS SAINT-DENIS

Background: Clos Saint-Denis is the smallest Grand Cru of Morey-Saint-Denis : 6,6 hectares (16.5 acres), barely 32 000 bottles for the whole world ! It is located just above the much larger (and therefore more famous) Clos de la Roche, on a gentle slope whose soil is composed of red brown clayey limestone strewn with small flat pebbles reminiscent of broken china. This is a choice territory for the Pinot Noir grape which was planted here as early as 1203 by the first owners of this vineyard, the monks of the Abbey of Saint-Denis in Vergy (hence the name).

Facing due East, like the Chambertin Grand Crus, Clos Saint-Denis has a terroir of its own. This difference is scrupulously uphelp by the exacting care given to the cultivation of the vineyard. At Maison Joseph Drouhin, the yield is maintained at the lowest possible level through severe pruning and the avoidance of fertilizers. The grapes are harvested by hand and brought right away to the winery where a gentle pressing takes place.

The vinification is done in the most traditional fashion : fermentation and maceration occur in wooden open vats with punching down of the cap and pumping over of the juice. It lasts about 15 to 20 days. The must is then put in oak barrels (Allier, Vosges or Tronçais forest). Left to age for about 18 months, it is fined with egg-whites prior to bottling.

Tasting Notes: Clos Saint-Denis has a beautiful deep ruby colour and a nose reminiscent of ripe cherries, with a faint touch of cigar and exotic woods. With age, the aromas turn towards animal fur or truffle. It is best to drink this wine when fully mature, i.e. after 5 to 10 years according to the vintage, when the tannins, the acidity and the "gras" of the wine have reached perfect harmony. A lingering aftertaste of candied fruit is also very much in evidence and characteristic of the wine.

Food Pairing: A Grand Cru of this quality deserves great culinary preparations and the finest meats : game or venison are particularly recommended.

COTE DE NUITS-VILLAGES

Background: This appellation is common to a number of villages, all situated in the Côte de Nuits region : Brochon, Fixin, Premeaux-Prissey, Corgoloin, Comblanchien. It is an interesting wine combining the different characteristics of the various "terroirs" : fairly soft and rich wines in the South to more tannic wines with a strong structure in the North. Pinot Noir is the only grape variety used for this appellation.

At Joseph Drouhin's, the winemaking techniques remain traditional : hand-picked grapes, fermentation in open wooden vats, punching down the cap and pumping over the juice. The wine ages in barrels for almost two years and is fined with egg whites prior to bottling.

Tasting Notes: Côte de Nuits-Villages is a delicious red Burgundy wine, and a great value. It has a beautiful, luminous ruby colour. On the nose, flavours of wild cherry, liquorice and other spices can be detected. Firm, fruity and well balanced, it can age for at least 5 to 6 years.

Food Pairing:

ECHEZEAUX

Background: This Grand Cru is admirably situated right above Clos Vougeot, another Grand Cru, on a gentle slope facing due East. Le Musigny is just to the North.

The Drouhin family owns a vineyard there. The average age of the vines is twenty-five. Replanting is done very selectively to avoid having too many young vines at one time, which would lower the quality of the wine. No fertilizers are used and a very severe pruning (the "Guyot" style) reduces the yield even further.

The harvest is always done by hand. The vinification follows the classic method : the grapes, sometimes not even destalked, are gently pressed ; the fermentation and maceration occur in wooden open vats with punching down of the cap and pumping over the juice. It lasts about 18 to 20 days. The must is then put in oak barrels (Allier, Vosges or Tronçais forests).
Left to age for about 18 months, it is fined with egg-whites prior to bottling.

Tasting Notes: Echezeaux has a beautiful, vivid red colour, and elegant aromas reminiscent of cocoa and exotic wood such as cedar. On the palate, the tannins are dense but refined. They leave a soft impression, similar to velvet. An old Burgundy saying, "this wine has save (sap)", would be a very apt description here. The long, persistent aftertaste recalls the dark chocolate flavour.

Food Pairing: A carefully prepared cuisine would enhance Echezeaux superbly : slowly cooked stews, duck or pheasant, ripe cheeses, etc.

GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN

Background: Gevrey-Chambertin, a large wine-producing village in the Northern part of Côte de Nuits, has one of the greatest areas covered by vines in the whole of Côte d'Or.

The soil is chalky, with a good covering layer of clayey marl which gives the wines their strength and roundness.

Lying on a gentle slope, the vineyards are planted between 240 and 280m above sea-level (720 to 840 feet).

Gevrey-Chambertin A.O.C.(Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) can only be a red wine, with Pinot Noir the only grape variety.

Tasting Notes: Gevrey-Chambertin wines are deep-coloured and possess intense aromatic bouquet reminiscent of blackcurrant and other red and black berries. The wines are renowned for their power wich is always in harmony with a certain dose of smooth tannins. The structure of a Gevrey-Chambertin is such that it will last a long time : 5 to 15 years

Food Pairing: Gevrey-Chambertin could be served with boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin, grilled meat and great cheeses.

2005 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Gevrey Chambertin
Review by David Schildknecht
WA # , #171 (Jun 2007)
Rating: 88

The Drouhin 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin displays aromas of black cherry, fennel, black tea, and singed roasted meats, comes onto the palate bright and invigorating and with more obvious structure and tannic “chew” to it than Drouhin’s other wines, and finishes with low-toned bitter suggestions and savory meatiness. 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 year’s collection radiates class from top to bottom. Even Drouhin’s 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

GRANDS-ECHEZEAUX

Background: Located next to the Clos de Vougeot, Grands-Echezeaux is one of the famous Grand Cru vineyards of Burgundy. Administratively, it lies in the commune of Flagey-Echezeaux, which here forms a wedge separating Vosne-Romanée from Vougeot.

Grands-Echezeaux (about 9 hectares) and Echezeaux (34 hectares) are the only Grand Cru vineyards belonging to this unusual village. Here, as in all of the red wines of Côte d'Or, the only grape variety used is Pinot Noir.

Joseph Drouhin is the owner of an exceptional parcel in this vineyard : the vines are old and the wine is consistently excellent.

Tasting Notes: Grands-Echezeaux is a Grand Cru of unsurpassed finesse and elegance, with superb structure and power. Compared to its other illustrious neighbours, it invariably shows great concentration and intensity. Very good ageing potential.

2005 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Grands Echezeaux
Review by David Schildknecht
WA # , #171 (Jun 2007)
Rating: 93

Drouhin’s 2005 Grands-Echezeaux smells of black raspberry, wood smoke and cocoa powder, exhibits a tight, tart black raspberry fruit concentration underlain by charred meat and wet stone on the palate, and a vigorous, bright, intensely smoky, spicy finish. The vivid fresh raspberry and cherry character makes for a fascinating and alluring counterpoint to the wine’s lush, creamy texture and expansive palate presence. The tannins are ample yet unobtrusive. I would count on this being worth retaining in one’s cellar for 15 or more years. These 2005s were bottled around two months earlier than usual, says Frederic Drouhin, to retain freshness.

GRIOTTE-CHAMBERTIN

Background: In Burgundy, the best wines are the direct reflection of their terroir. The better the wine, the tinier the surface. Griotte-Chambertin is the perfect example : a minuscule square-shaped parcel, less than 3 hectares (7.5 acres) and the place where a remarkable wine is produced.

Its intrinsic qualities are elusive and only viticulture can bring them out, thanks to the painstaking and difficult cultivation of the Pinot Noir grape.

The rules are simple but exacting : close density, severe pruning, ploughing and practically no fertilizers. The grapes are still picked by hand and very gently pressed. The juice is then left to ferment in a large wooden vat. The skins and pips rise to the surface, creating a thick lid called chapeau (hat). Twice a day, once in the morning, once in the evening (just like in the old days), this chapeau is punched down manually, and some of the juice pumped over. This process allows the tannins, perfumes and colouring matter to blend harmoniously throughout and to maximize the full potential of the terroir. The fermentation lasts about 18 to 20 days. The must is then put in oak barrels (Allier, Vosges or Tronçais forests) where, during the Winter, a second fermentation takes place.

Left to age for about 18 months, the wine is fined with egg-whites prior to bottling, a technique left unchanged through the years and deemed best adapted to a Grand Cru like Griotte-Chambertin.

Tasting Notes: Tasting Griotte-Chambertin always demands our full attention. The aromas are complex and subtle. There are some delicate flavours of cherry syrup and wild berries mingled with fine leather and delicate spices. With an older wine, truffle tones emerge. On the palate, the same reflexion is required : the tannins for instance may be abundant, but they do not intrude or misbehave. A soft, velvety texture never betrays an excess of alcohol since a fair amount of acidity plays its contrapunctual role. The wine is very long-lasting : some of the flavours experienced in the nose reappear at the end, harmonizing themselves elegantly with a faint woody taste.

Food Pairing: The most refined cuisine is of course a must with Griotte-Chambertin : the highest grade of prime meat, the finest sauces and the ripest cheeses. The age of the wine is, of course, a determining factor : more subtle dishes are preferred with an older wine (8 to 15 years of age, for instance).

Griotte-Chambertin is the wine for the greatest celebrations.

2005 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Griotte Chambertin
Review by David Schildknecht
WA # , #171 (Jun 2007)
Rating: 93

The 2005 Griotte-Chambertin is even brighter and spicier as well as more intense in its pure cherry fruit character than this year’s Charmes. Cherry, cranberry, mint and brown spices in the nose lead to a juicy, fresh-fruited, fruit-pit accented, and overtly chalky palate. Ultra-refined in tannins, this wine – one of several, incidentally, that were vinified with a significant portion of whole clusters – mounts an impressive drive for the finish, scoring blazing fruit intensity and mineral persistence. These 2005s were bottled around two months earlier than usual, says Frederic Drouhin, to retain freshness.

MOREY SAINT-DENIS

Background: The village of Morey may still be in the shadow of its more famous neighbours, Chambolle and Gevrey, yet there are some real treasures to be discovered. Such a vineyard is the Premier Cru Clos Sorbé, whose Pinot Noir vines are planted right in the middle of the village, on a gentle slope facing East.

Its soil is made up of clayey marl (argilo-calcaire) and broken up white stones from the chalky underlayer. Severely pruned according to the Guyot method, the vine yields very little : barely 35 hectoliters per hectare, sometimes even less. With old-fashioned ploughing and no fertilizers, the roots must go deep into the ground for their nourishment. It is what gives Clos Sorbe its beautiful vivid colour and its powerful nose reminiscent of red berries and exotic barks.

Tasting Notes: On the palate, the wine is quite deep and velvety, generous and elegant, tannic, yet smooth. It finishes on a long, protracted note where a distinct flavour of cherry macerated in eau-de-vie lingers. Clos Sorbe is a long lasting wine : 15 to 25 years according to the vintage.

Food Pairing: When young, it is a perfect accompaniment to red meat, roasted or in sauces. Older, game and venison are particularly recommended. Tasted blind, Clos Sorbé is, more often than not, taken for one of its neighbouring Grand Crus. Even if it does not belong to this highest ranking, there is no question that it amply deserves more recognition.

MOREY SAINT-DENIS CLOS SORBE

Background: The village of Morey may still be in the shadow of its more famous neighbours, Chambolle and Gevrey, yet there are some real treasures to be discovered. Such a vineyard is the Premier Cru Clos Sorbé, whose Pinot Noir vines are planted right in the middle of the village, on a gentle slope facing East.

Its soil is made up of clayey marl (argilo-calcaire) and broken up white stones from the chalky underlayer. Severely pruned according to the Guyot method, the vine yields very little : barely 35 hectoliters per hectare, sometimes even less. With old-fashioned ploughing and no fertilizers, the roots must go deep into the ground for their nourishment. It is what gives Clos Sorbe its beautiful vivid colour and its powerful nose reminiscent of red berries and exotic barks.

Tasting Notes: On the palate, the wine is quite deep and velvety, generous and elegant, tannic, yet smooth. It finishes on a long, protracted note where a distinct flavour of cherry macerated in eau-de-vie lingers. Clos Sorbe is a long lasting wine : 15 to 25 years according to the vintage.

Food Pairing: When young, it is a perfect accompaniment to red meat, roasted or in sauces. Older, game and venison are particularly recommended. Tasted blind, Clos Sorbé is, more often than not, taken for one of its neighbouring Grand Crus. Even if it does not belong to this highest ranking, there is no question that it amply deserves more recognition.

MUSIGNY

Background: There is no greater pleasure for the wine lover than to drive along the "Route des Grands Crus", this narrow road that winds through some of the most prestigious vineyards of the Côte d'Or. Coming from Beaune and going North, before reaching the village of Chambolle still hidden from view, we pass Grands-Echezeaux and Clos Vougeot. The path starts to climb a little. We have arrived at a small promontory, bathed in sunshine, with a splendid view over the plain in the distance. The soil feels light. It is strewn with small pebbles : this is Musigny.

The first owner of this legendary vineyard may have been a Gallo-Roman by the name of Mucius, but is is really in the Middle Ages, under the care of the monks, that Musigny aquired the fame that it still commands.

The Domaine of Joseph DROUHIN owns a sizeable parcel in this Grand Cru. Under Robert Drouhin's exacting viticultural practices, the Pinot Noir grape is severely pruned and its yield kept down to a strict minimum. Musigny is and will always be a rare wine. The grapes are still picked by hand and very gently pressed. The juice is then left to ferment in a small oak vat. The skins and pips rise to the surface, creating a thick lid called "chapeau" (hat).

Twice a day, once in the morning, once in the evening (just like in the old days), this chapeau is punched down manually, and some of the juice pumped over. This process (pigeage) allows the tannins, perfumes and colouring matter to blend harmoniously throughout and to maximize the full potential of the terroir. The fermentation lasts about 18 to 20 days. The must is then put in oak barrels (Allier, Vosges or Tronçais forests) where, during the Winter, a second fermentation takes place. Left to age for about 18 months, the wine is fined with egg-whites prior to bottling, a technique left unchanged through the years.

Tasting Notes: Musigny is a wine of great purity of colour, with deep ruby-like reflections. The aromas, when the wine is young, are reminiscent of violet and cherry, but it is only with some ageing that the true flavours come out : refined and complex, they take on inimitable nuances of fallen leaves, damp earth, moss and even hints of fur or leather. At this level, the tasting sensations are incomparable in terms of finesse and harmony. The tannins are quite elegant, while very much alive. Silk and velvet are the main attributes of the texture. rare, exotic woods and candied cherry dominate the aftertaste.

Food Pairing: Red meat and game are the ideal accompaniments. In fact, the simpler the preparation, the better for this extraordinarily subtle and refined Grand Cru of Burgundy.

2005 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Musigny
Review by David Schildknecht
WA # , #171 (Jun 2007)
Rating: 97

The 2005 Musigny offers a compellingly complex nose of black raspberry, plum, cranberry, maraschino, truffle, flowers, raw meat, peat, and wet stone. Fabulously mouth-coating, with a plush, creamy texture, its tannins entirely sublimated, this finishes with soaring lift and uncanny clarity and refinement of flavor, incorporating a floral dimension almost as vivid as that accruing to this year’s Clos de Beze. These 2005s were bottled around two months earlier than usual, says Frederic Drouhin, to retain freshness.

NUITS-SAINT-GEORGES

Background: Nuits-Saint-Georges, an ancient city which, at one time, had a surrounding wall like Beaune, is the heart and capital of the Côte de Nuits.

Its perfect exposure to the East gives the vineyards the capacity to produce splendid wines. The little stream flowing down from the Côte actually cuts this relatively large appellation in two. The Northern part, next to Vosne, produces wines that have the delicacy and finesse of that appellation. South of the stream, the soil is particularly stony and hard, with a type of white, grey, which you can actually see from the main road. These vineyards produce a firmer, more austere wine which takes longer to mature.

Tasting Notes: The wines of Nuits-Saint-Georges generally have an intense, dark colour. Ripe and plummy on the nose, they have a somewhat spicy character. The aromas are powerful and complex : the flavours of cherry, black currant, truffles blend harmoniously together with various spices. These wines are reputed for their firmness and fruity elegance. With age, they develop even more complexity.

Food Pairing:

ROMANEE SAINT-VIVANT

Background: Romanée Saint-Vivant is one of the seven Grand Crus of Vosne-Romanée. The others are La Romanée, Romanée Conti, Richbourg, La Tâche, Echézeaux and Grands-Echézeaux. All are world famous names.

The clay, limestone and pebble mixture, offering superb drainage on a mild slope, is particularly well suited to the production of great red wines. The only grape variety is of course the Pinot Noir.

At Maison Joseph Drouhin, the grapes are picked by hand and brought to the winery in Beaune. They ferment naturally and slowly in open wooden vats. The total fermentation and maceration is long : 17 to 19 days. Then, the wine stays in oak barrels for two years. It is fined with egg-whites prior to bottling.

Tasting Notes: Of all the other Grand Crus of Vosne, Romanée Saint-Vivant is probably the most harmonious and elegant. The aromas, when young, are very fruity : black cherry, raspberry jelly and blackberry dominate. Later, the bouquet becomes very intense, and it is not unusual to discern haunting aromas of wet earth, truffles, moss or game. With time, the wine develops more concentrated aromas and flavours typical of the great red wines of Burgundy.

On the palate, the wines are characterized by a silky richness which is in total harmony with the delicate tannins and acidity. Finesse and breed are the final impressions of this extraordinary wine. In some vintages, it is possible to fully enjoy Romanée Saint-Vivant after 6 or 7 years of ageing. More than often though, fifteen years are truly necessary to appreciate this "Burgundy miracle" in all its majesty.

Food Pairing:

VOSNE-ROMANEE

Background: North of Nuits-Saint-Georges, the village of Vosne-Romanée produces some of the best known wines of Burgundy, Romanée Conti and Richebourg being the most famous.The clay and limestone soils are particularly well suited to the production of great red wines. The unique grape variety used is the Pinot Noir.

At Joseph Drouhin, we want all of our wines to be the best expression of their terroir, which is why typicity is very important. Grapes are picked by hand. Fermentation is traditionally in open wooden fermenters. The young wine then stays in barrels for an average of 18 months before being bottled.

Tasting Notes: The wines of Vosne-Romanée are above all elegant. Their smooth richness is balanced by a certain amount of tannins and acidity. They have plenty of body, with a long, powerful and lasting aftertaste which brings to mind the smell of cherries, strawberries and undergrowth.

Food Pairing:

VOSNE-ROMANEE PETITS-MONTS

Background: At the Petits-Monts, the whole world is at your feet", once said an old vigneron of Vosne to his son. A lapidary and totally accurate remark : this Premier Cru vineyard lies at the very top of the slope (the local word in Burgundy is "creuteu", i.e. the crest), with Richebourg as its illustrious neighbour. From this tiny vineyard, there is a sweeping view across the valley, as far as the Jura mountains and even the Alps. Closer are the crown jewels of the viticultural world : the Grand Crus of Vosne, Clos Vougeot, Musigny. This is a promontory of choice for anyone who wants to see and understand Burgundy !

At this height, Vosne-Romanee Petits-Monts is on a steep incline. Its soil is extremely poor and the yield very low. But everything about the wine spells breed.

Véronique BOSS-DROUHIN, Robert DrOUHIN's daughter, as the owner of Petits-Monts, is entirely responsible for its production and vinification. This is an old vineyard : some vines were actually planted in the thirties. No fertilizers are used. The pruning is very short, ploughing and weeding are still done by hand. To preserve the genetic heritage of the vineyard, a dying vinestock is always replaced with a younger one from a neighbouring vine.

The grapes are still picked by hand and very gently pressed.
The juice is then left to ferment in a small oak vat. The skins and pips rise to the surface, creating a thick lid called chapeau (hat). Twice a day, once in the morning, once in the evening (just like in the old days), this chapeau is punched down manually, and some of the juice pumped over. This process (pigeage) allows the tannins, perfumes and colouring matter to blend harmoniously throughout and to maximize the full potential of the terroir. The fermentation lasts about 18 to 20 days. The must is then put in oak barrels (Allier, Vosges or Tronçais forests) where, during the Winter, a second fermentation takes place. Left to age for about 18 months, the wine is fined with egg-whites prior to bottling, a technique left unchanged through the years.

Tasting Notes: Petits-Monts has a deep ruby colour and an unusual nose of wild cherry combining with fine spices such as musk. On the palate, the first impression is of silk, making place progressively to a more tannic note. In some "light" vintages, the wine is ready to drink after 5 to 6 years of cellaring. More often, we must wait 8 to 12 years, and in the really great vintages, 20 to 25 years are necessary.

Food Pairing: Petits-Monts should be served at 17 degrees Celsius (62F) with red meat (roasted especially), but game finds in this wine probably its finest accompaniment.

2005 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Vosne Romanee les Petits Monts
Review by David Schildknecht
WA # , #171 (Jun 2007)
Rating: 95

From the personal property (since 1985, and so-labeled) of Veronique Drouhin, steep, largely in old vines, and plowed with a horse, the 2005 Vosne-Romanee Les Petits Monts smells sweetly and brightly of red currant and cherry scented with star anise, cardamom, cinnamon and ginger. In the mouth, it displays fantastic brightness of fruit and lift, delivering a torrent of primary juiciness of fruit along with myriad spices, exotic inner-mouth florality, forest floor nuances, and subtle, lasting mineral notes. These 2005s were bottled around two months earlier than usual, says Frederic Drouhin, to retain freshness.

Top 100
of 2005

Joseph Drouhin 2003 Grands-Echezeaux

A wonderful, perfumed , black fruitball of a wine, with intense flavors that has a balance of dense red fruits and dark, structured tannins. The purity of the fruit is a reflection of the organic vineyard practices by the Drouhin family, and the tannins show that this is a wine that will age. Imported by Dreyfus, Ashby & Co.