Winemaker Interview

by Justine Puaud

Friday, March 31, 2023

The next generation at Maison Joseph Drouhin

1 - The history behind Maison Joseph Drouhin is fascinating. Can you give us a quick overview of Maison Joseph Drouhin?

Maison Joseph Drouhin is intimately connected to Beaune and Burgundy. It is here that the family business was established in 1880 by Joseph Drouhin, my great great grandfather, and where its wonderful history has been written especially through the 14 Grands Crus the estate produces. Today it is still held by the 4th (and 5th) generation of the family: my mother Véronique, and her three brothers Frederic, Laurent and Philippe.

My mother joined in September 1986 and quickly went to Oregon for harvest and did vinification at three different pioneer wineries there. In 1987 they bought land in Oregon that became Domaine Drouhin Oregon, and since then she is between Oregon and Burgundy and has made 37 vintages in each growing region.

Today we own 100 hectares (250 acres) in Oregon and 93 hectares (230 acres) in all of Burgundy, acquired gradually over the years. Two thirds of our vineyards are in Premier and Grand Cru sites, and some are among the most famous in Burgundy, such as Clos des Mouches, Musigny, Amoureuses, Griotte-Chambertin, Corton-Charlemagne….

Robert, my grandfather, was one of the first in Burgundy to introduce "culture raisonnée" (doing away with pesticides and other chemicals) and my uncle, Phillipe, moved to organic and biodynamic viticulture in the late 80’s, making Joseph Drouhin today one of the largest Burgundian estates entirely organically farmed, something we are very proud of!

2 - "Passing the baton" - Was it easy for your grandfather to pass the baton to your mom and your uncles? Did everyone find his or her right place at the beginning?

It has not been easy and it took some time and adjustments for each of them to find their own place but it finally happened naturally. Today they all occupy key and complementary positions. Philippe is passionate about viticulture, my mother about winemaking, Laurent and Frédéric on the business side.

3 - What about you? Have you always wanted to be a winemaker? What were your motivations - to work in the winery, work in the vineyards … did it take a few years to realize you wanted to be a winemaker?

Laurène Drouhin: Whenever I was asked in my early twenties if I would be seduced by winemaking one day, I always answered “well I love wine but only to drink and share it”. During my business studies I travelled, met a lot of people from all around the world, worked for Champagne houses where I got the chance to spend time with the winemaking teams and, finally growing up, roots were catching up.

I became more and more sensitive to what Drouhin means to me today: heritage, family, winemaking and sustainability. And this is how I ended up going back to school in 2018 to study viticulture and oenology in Beaune and finally joined the family estate in 2020 which definitely makes sense.

4 - Une affaire mère-fille - Véronique is simply wonderful! How is it to work with your mother? Did she help you realize you wanted to be a winemaker?

LD: She is wonderful! She never pushed me or my two siblings to be winemakers. Both my parents gave the three of us a sensibility to wine and respect for nature. I remember being really happy during harvest when after school we were going to the winery to taste the grapes and the juice. Maybe this is where it all started! Or possibly during her pregnancy as it was harvest time and she might have had a few sips…

I would say like mother, like daughter... and like great wine, always better together! We share a passion for winemaking and a deep respect for the land and the grapes that make it all possible.

5 - Can you tell us a little bit about your winery in Oregon? What is the cuvée Laurène?

LD: The history of Joseph Drouhin is not only rooted in the Côte-d'Or. It has also been written in Oregon in the USA since July 1987, when my grandfather decided to buy land in the hills of Dundee in the Willamette Valley. It was a bold idea but also part of a great pioneering tradition that has always been in the family DNA. This is how Domaine Drouhin Oregon was born, complete with the motto: “French Soul, Oregon Soil”. Our story in Oregon is also the story of a family partnership. Right from the estate’s first vintage in 1988, my grandfather asked my mother Véronique to be the winemaker and my uncle Philippe to plant and cultivate the vines.

So in 1988 they produced the first cuvée of Pinot Noir Dundee Hills. This was a crazy gamble, when they had neither vines nor winery in this lesser known winegrowing area. Today, it is the emblematic cuvée of the domaine, combining balance, elegance, and sophistication. As the first family from Burgundy to venture into Oregon, we have helped change the image and economy of an entire region.

Cuvée Laurène and its 30 vintages are something I am really proud of! I enjoy them more than I have made them... but I am really honored of having my name on this cuvée that is produced entirely from Pinot Noir grown on the family’s estate in the Dundee Hills. The fruit is handpicked into small totes, destemmed, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and then placed into French oak barrels. Once the vintage is safely in the cellar, my mother and I begin the process of selecting barrels which have an extra complexity, length, and depth — barrels which will work together as Laurène. Cuvée Laurène is not only good but it also ages very well since first vintage 1992 that is still stunning!

6 - Does climate change make it more difficult to work in the vineyards now compared to the generations before? What is your opinion about this?

LD: I would say global warming, that is a consequence of climate change, has had a positive impact on the quality of the crops in Burgundy for a few vintages. When we look at my grandfather’s time or early vintages of the 4th generation, maturity was sometimes complicated to reach.

However, we do face a huge immediate challenge with climate change. We have milder winters, dry and hot summers, harvests start earlier and earlier…we really need to adapt to the world’s changing climate, especially while working with nature.

But even more importantly we have to act now to prevent or at least slow this climate change. I am very concerned about this so we’ve just started to measure our carbon footprint to know what we should do to reduce our emissions. I am also very hopeful as we joined a group of French companies willing to be a regenerative business in the future: a company that gives back more to our planet and society than it takes.

7- Did you make some changes in the vineyard and cellar work? Any new projects you would like to talk about?

LD: Well at this point I am still in the learning part, especially because we produce around 110 appellations in Burgundy, which takes almost a life to know about... And I have to say previous generations and our teams have done and still do remarkable work. Thanks to my previous experiences, I am able to bring a little bit more structure to our processes so we can focus even more on the quality of our wines.

I have worked with our Technical Director Jérôme Faure-Brac, on following very closely our growers’ partners to guarantee the maturity we are looking for to have excellent and healthy crops.

As I mentioned before, climate change is a huge 360° challenge so the project is to bring Drouhin towards more sustainability in every step of our process: viticulture, oenology and distribution. 

8 - Are your cousins and siblings thinking about joining Maison Drouhin?

LD: I am the eldest of the 5th generation so it is still too early to know about others joining. They are all having their own experiences for now but we definitely all share an interest in wine on different levels, vineyard or winemaking or business, so hopefully some will join soon!

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Merci Laurène!!!

Pressoir.wine Dinner - Grands Crus of Joseph Drouhin Recap

Edouard Bourgeois
January 13, 2023

Joseph Drouhin is one of the most recognizable producers in Burgundy in terms of the size of their operation but also when it comes to producing fine wines from some of the best terroirs. From Chablis down to the Côte Chalonnaise, Drouhin has been producing a myriad of ninety different appellations for four generations. The house was founded in 1880 and has been acquiring vineyards in the most coveted areas while their negociant activity also allows them to buy grapes from long term contractors.

Joseph Drouhin is also synonymous with clean farming practices, as the domaine became organic in 1990 and biodynamic a few years later.

Last night’s dinner at Le Pavillon was sensational with a focus on four iconic Grands Crus from Drouhin. We kicked things off with a flight of Grands Echezeaux followed by Clos de Beze and Griotte Chambertin and crowned the event with the majestic Montrachet from Marquis de Laguiche. My recap below:

GRANDS-ECHEZEAUX 2013/2010/2005

Out of the nine ha of this large Grand Cru climat, Drouhin owns almost half an hectare. The geographic situation of Grands Echezeaux is quite exceptional and that didn’t go unnoticed by the monks of Citeaux who already owned the nearby Clos de Vougeot. Although they didn’t get to put their hands on vines in Musigny, when they acquire Grands Echezeaux, the motivation was to make a wine as fine as its prestigious neighbors. The three vintages we tasted showed really well. Starting with the complicated 2013, a vintage that brought cold, rainy weather with an episode of hail, 2013 forced vignerons to be cautious to sort out rotten grapes. Here, I thought the 2013 showed really well and didn’t lack maturity as I sometimes find in 2013. Although I could detect a touch of dried grapes on the nose. 2010 delivered a cleaner, delicious fruit quality with the concentration often associated with the vintage. Great bottle with necessary acidity to lift the wine. Drouhin used a generous portion of whole clusters that year, good call! 2005 behaved as expected, a powerful, high alcohol wine that in my opinion need more time to develop secondary aromas. I could feel some “heat” in the finish.

CLOS DE BEZE 2013/2010/2005

It was really interesting to repeat the same flight of vintages from a very different site. Clos de Beze is one of the oldest clos in Burgundy. Although the walls are now gone, the Clos de Beze was a very important plot for the monks of the Abbey of Beze, who became owners in 630 AD, until they lost ownership in 1219. This exceptional vineyard, due east and on a mild incline, covers fifteen ha and Drouhin only owns a mere 0.13 ha of it. So tasting three vintages side by side is quite a treat!

That was a brilliant flight, starting with a really pretty 2013 that had a juicy fruit character. 2010 may have produced low yields, this was a stunning wine. I really am a fan of the vintage in general and this bottle had the ripe cherry and almondy aromatics I crave in a red Burgundy along with ultra elegant tannins. Bravo! Once again, 2005 felt a touch too alcoholic for my taste but finesse is indisputable.

GRIOTTE CHAMBERTIN 2002/2000/1990

Joseph Drouhin is among the nine lucky owners of Griotte Chambertin, this tiny gem of a Grand Cru nestled just below the Clos de Beze. Drouhin’s plot is about half an hectare, out of the total 2.5 hectares of Griotte. The dry summer of 2002 was saved by needed rainfalls at the end of August. The results were balanced wines that seem to have everything in good proportions, between alcohol, sweetness and acidity, while tightly packed in a fine tannic structure. The Griotte 2002 was superb with noticeable acidity that suggests a long life ahead. 2000 Griotte Drouhin has been a favorite of mine for a while. The wine is highly seductive and dare I say “Chambollesque”. The small red fruit profile is irresistible. Finally 1990 performed highly. We decanted the bottle right before serving it, not so much for oxygen but to get rid of the good amount of sediments in the bottle. The tertiary aromas were delicious and the wine still pristine with hints of confit oranges and a delicate body.

MONTRACHET MARQUIS DE LAGUICHE 2014/2012/2010

Sitting almost equally on both villages of Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet, Montrachet is at the pinnacle of white Burgundy. Of the eighteen owners of this eight hectare grand cru climat, the Marquis de Laguiche family owns the largest plot, all in the Puligny-Montrachet side. Two hectares of glorious land in the Laguiche family since 1776. Joseph Drouhin started running the farming and making the wine from this plot in 1947 and continues to do so today. Along with Clos des Mouches or Griotte Chambertin, Montrachet Laguiche is an iconic wine at Drouhin.

2014 was powerful, a true Montrachet! The exuberance was matched by incredible minerality and a mind blowing length. Really impressive bottle. 2012 was another big hit. Pristine wine in a great spot. Some hints of coconut and again this powerful character with oily texture and mouthfeel. Delicious citrus jam quality. 2010 followed the same pattern. The harvest was a bit rushed by finnicky stormy weather conditions but the result is highly satisfying.

Finally, a special thank you to Eric Foster, our guest and Club Member, who generously shared his bottle of Montrachet Laguiche Drouhin from 1996. After having a few disappointing bottles from that tricky vintage, that bottle showed a healthy profile with no trace of oxidation. What a way to close the night!

A YEAR OF WINE - THE PRESSOIR.WINE TEAM MEMBERS SHARE THEIR FAVORITE MOMENT

2022 was filled with quaffable Beaujolais, sharp edged Blanc de Blancs, minerally driven Meursaults, perfumed Musignys and brooding Hermitages. Read below about the wines that left particularly strong impressions on each of us.

Raj - DOMAINE DE LA ROMANÉE CONTI MONTRACHET GRAND CRU 2003

I am a pretty lucky guy and get to taste so many great bottles in this line of work, but often the most memorable bottles are those experiences which surprise me a bit. We hosted a spectacular Domaine de la Romanée-Conti dinner in October and the only wine which I was less than thrilled about turned out to be the most memorable bottle of the year!

DRC’s 2003 reds are very much marked by the vintage; they can be a tad clumsy, four square even. But I had very little experience with the Montrachet prior to this bottle, and so I had presumed it would behave the same. I was quite wrong as it turned out. The aromas suggested little evidence of that cooked fruit or caramel nut character that is common in less grand 03 whites, and instead had a floral note I did not find super typical of DRC’s Monty. The palate had tremendous energy and freshness, downright zippy. On an evening where we had the chance to taste no less than 4 different vintages of La Tâche, and each a superlative bottle, this Montrachet reigned as the wine of the night for many.

~ Raj Vaidya

Edouard - JOSEPH DROUHIN MUSIGNY GRAND CRU 2002

On September 29th this year, we hosted a Burgundy dinner dedicated to the 2002 vintage at one of our favorite spots, Charlie Bird. Among all the gorgeous Burgundies (and Champagne in fact) we opened that night, the bottle of Musigny from Drouhin left a strong impression on me. It reminded me of a great experience I had the first time I visited Drouhin in Beaune with Veronique Drouhin, while we tasted almost the entire collection of wines made by the house. There must have been thirty wines in the lineup. We started with the regional appellations and ended up with the big guns, Clos Vougeot, Ruchottes, Griottes,  Clos de Beze, Montrachet Laguiche… And the last one, Musigny. Even after tasting so many wines and so many great wines, Musigny stood out. Drouhin produces a stellar version of that amazing Grand Cru.

Ranked as Grand Cru, the vineyard of Musigny is divided between eleven owners, with the largest one of them being Comte Georges de Vogue, who owns a whopping 70% of it.

The Musigny Grand Cru has three main sections – from the north Les Musigny or Grands Musigny – the main section. South of Les Musigny we find Les Petits Musigny – a de Vogüé monopole, and lastly we have a “recent” addition to the Musigny vineyard comprising of some plots in the climate La Combe d’Orveau (added to Musigny in 1929 and 1989)

Drouhin owns 0.6720 ha in Musigny so this is all “domaine wine” that has been in the family since the 1940’s with major additions from plots once owned by the Mugniers.
-Edouard Bourgeois

Looking back over an amazing 2022 full of fantastic wines that were shared at so many different events is part of the pleasure, remembering the wines, the moments, the people and the setting that helped make it memorable.

In October, I was in Burgundy with Daniel and Edouard on a trip visiting great wineries with a group of clients. Four days of incredible visits, conversations with winemakers and wines.

The wine that was most memorable during those days, and now stands out for me as I look back in search of the one :) was a 2012 Montrachet from Domaine des Comtes Lafon. Standing next to the vineyard with a glass in hand while Dominique, Lea and Pierre Lafon spread out through their vineyard map to show us the extent of their plot of Montrachet, it was humbling. A wine so delicious, pure, and rich that encapsulated the joy of great white Burgundy. Perfection in a glass. Nothing better.

~ Jaime Dutton

I can only agree with my colleagues Jaime, Edouard and Raj on their nominees for wines of the year. But how can one choose? We have been blessed by having a career affording us so many opportunities to taste and drink the greatest wines on the planet. How can the simple grape deliver a beverage of such sensorial pleasure and shocking intensity?

The legendary wines come with a great deal of pressure and expectation.

With that in mind, I will choose my most surprising wines of the year. It was a wine I had never heard of before and therefore had no expectations which left me with plenty of curiosity and anticipation.

While dining at one of my favorite restaurants in Amsterdam, Rotisserie Rijsel, I of course ordered the specialty, the rotisserie chicken. The restaurant, in an old school, is also known for its fantastic wine list.

“Let’s start with a crisp white”…as a big fan of Chenin Blanc, I tried to order the Richard Leroy, Les Noels de Montbenault, a sensational expression that could rival some of the very best Chenins Blancs and best white wines of France. The sommelier came back apologizing, the last bottle was just served to the table next to us but wanted to recommend another wine she was very keen on.

It was the Clos des Plantes, Whakapiripiri Mai 2020, a wine made by a young winemaker in only his third vintage. I have to admit, I am a little suspicious of taking recommendations on wines I have never heard of. But the sommelier was so engaging and knowledgeable I felt comfortable taking a chance and maybe making a discovery.

The wine was spectacular, with energetic aromas leaping from the glass. Lemon oil, pear, hay and apple. The wine was textured and juicy and kept us sipping and refreshing our palates over and over again. It was light yet intense and called for food and yet another sip.

We finished the bottle quickly and ordered a second. Turns out the table next to us had just ordered and drunk the last bottle. Again!

- Daniel Johnnes. Happy Holidays!!

The “Six Decades of Burgundy” Event will remain my most significant moment of my year 2022 because it appears to be my very first Pressoir Dinner at which I was able to discover and appreciate wines of exceptional quality.  I remember it like it was yesterday, a February evening at the Pavillon.

 I was so excited to have arrived, a few days before, in this city that never sleeps and all the surprises it was going to have in store for me… maybe too excited that evening!

 But indeed, I had no idea of ​​all that 2022 was going to bring me in terms of discovering and learning about wine (if I knew!).  And I'm extremely grateful for that.

Indeed, I started strong with this first Dinner.  From Louis Jadot, Chevalier Montrachet Demoiselles Grand Cru 1929 to Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Montrachet Grand Cru 1979, including all the intermediate vintages of each decade.  How not to lose your mind?  I remember Bouchard 1961 Domaines du Château de Beaune Montrachet which is and will remain precisely my discovery of the year.  Still so fresh and powerful for its age.  Not too candied as one could have mistaken.  I did not remember having tasted such an aged Bouchard previously, but this wine brought back a lot of memories and emotions.  I think of my grandparents from Burgundy at that time. All these feelings were confirmed during each festival in which I was able to participate and help in the organization.  Notably La Paulee, a few weeks later, where I was able to discover yet another Bouchard.

How not to mention Pierre Ponnelle's Musigny 1947?  My very first Musigny.  I hope I have done honor to these wines and their winegrowers of the time because this evening was a first for me and will remain etched in my memory.  This is when I realize my luck because all the events after have only confirmed my feelings.  2022 was definitely the year of my first discoveries, my first times... and you know what? I can't wait for 2023! 

Wishing you a happy Holiday to all of you from where I am - Mexico - and may that year be rich in wine discoveries again !

Victoire Chabert

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It was a fantastic year of wine for me and the team, from the first Tablée of the year in January, through two Paulée’s in New York and Los Angeles, a summer full of amazing bottles, and then a busy fall with La Fête in Boca Raton and LA and then another Tablée back in New York. But if I have to be honest, my most memorable wine wasn’t at one of the festivals or Pressoir dinners but rather a jeroboam of Côte de Nuits Villages 2009, a gift from winemaker Didier Fornerol and his wife Marguerite, that we opened at my wedding in September.

Sitting down to a large glass of this wine while taking a break from the dance floor and inhaling the intoxicating aromas of spice and flowers was a profound experience that was greatly heightened no doubt by the intense emotions of the day. The wine had the richness and generosity of 2009, tempered by the freshness and crunchy texture of Didier’s whole cluster winemaking. Ultimately, for me, the greatest wine experiences are all about context - who you’re sharing the wine with and where - and I look back on this bottle as a reminder that even “humbler” wines can provide that magical moment in the right circumstance.

Max Goldberg Liu

What's Pressoir Drinking?

by Raj Vaidya
Tuesday, February 9th, 2021

A few weeks ago while Daniel, Edouard and I were visiting producers in France and producing the content for our upcoming La Paulée Mondiale, I had the opportunity to share this tremendous bottle with three of my most revered and respected vignerons. I carried it with us from NY and planned to share it with them over a quick casse-croûte at the home of Frédéric and Jocelyn Mugnier, along with Christophe Roumier and Véronique Drouhin. When thinking of what to bring to share with them, Daniel and I discussed possibly going with a bottle of Chambolle-Musigny, perhaps even an Amoureuses, as this was the topic of our interview and recordings that day. But I figured that would be like bringing a knife to a gunfight, so I suggested a bottle that could invoke similar emotions to the great Burgundy wines we all love and even a slightly similar finesse and delicacy, albeit with totally different aromatics and flavor profile.

We chose to bring this 1961 Burlotto from Verduno in Barolo, a pristine bottle I’d been lucky enough to find at retail last year. Burlotto was responsible for a exceptional bottle of ‘45 Daniel and I drank some years back at a restaurant which was revelatory, so I was excited to try this. Layers upon layers of dried flowers, the typical dried rose for sure but also something akin to violet, even lavender. The wine had that character of tobacco leaves and rust with a distinct sanguine quality also, yet despite all these fairly intense notes was weightless on the palate, extreme and subtle simultaneously. It was a big hit with the Burgundians, which always puts a smile on my face!

What's Pressoir Drinking? Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Blanc 1999

by Edouard Bourgeois
Tuesday, December 2, 2020

Along with a great bottle of Beaujolais I mentioned in my last Press article, I wanted to open a real treat from Burgundy for this Thanksgiving turkey. It should be noted that my culinarily talented wife and brother in law prepared a Korean version of braised turkey thighs so, I thought a great white wine with depth would perfectly match the rich, savory flavors of the dish. Also inspired by the then upcoming Thirst class on Beaune (I hope you were there for that yesterday!), I chose to open a jeroboam of Joseph Drouhin’s iconic Beaune 1er cru Clos des Mouches Blanc from the 1999 vintage. The dish and the wine did not overwhelm each other, making for an irresistible and harmonious match. Frankly, at first I was a bit worried about possible oxidation in the wine as the color appeared a touch dark but it ended being sublime. After all, we’re talking about a 21-year-old wine here. A golden robe is completely normal. And what matters the most anyway is how the wine performs on the nose and the palate and this was a wow moment. We were really pleased with the complexity and absolute generosity in the wine. An opulent style yet lifted by a powerful mineral structure that elevated the wine on a solid limestone pedestal. Going back on oxidation though - I will say that this wine was saved by its large format, delaying the oxidation process. I would be more concerned tasting the same 1999 from a regular size bottle today…