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!