CORTON CHARLEMAGNE
2014 Grand Cru Domaine Joseph Drouhin
14 months in oak. Lovely creamy nose, hint of toast. Pure creamy citrus freshness. Rich and generous on the palate, with orange and lemon citrus flavours. Deep, almost chewy in its depths, very fresh and sustained and satisfying but still mouth-wateringly fresh. Drinking range: 2018 - 2024 Rating: 17 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Jan 2016)
75cl bottles (wood case of 6)
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This vineyard was hit by hail in 2014, but all that did was lower the yields and increase the concentration. Sourced from the Aloxe side of the Grand Cru, it’s a taut, chiselled wine, unfurling notes of toast, cinnamon and citrus zest in the glass. Drinking range: 2019 - 2028 Rating: 95 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Jan 2016)
(Drouhin's vines are in the east-facing lieu-ditLa Guette, which received less hail in 2014 than the Pernand side of the hill): Pale bright yellow. Very reticent nose hints at rose water and crushed herbs. Fat and rich but dry and closed. Ripe and tactile but very shy in the early going, conveying a dominant flavor of mineral dust. The broad finish shows subtle length and lingering perfume. Rating: 91-94 Stephen Tanzer, www.vinousmedia.com (Sept 2015)
Domaine Joseph Drouhin
Joseph Drouhin, founded in 1880 and still family owned, are one of the most well-respected names in Burgundy, especially through their flagship wine, the iconic Clos des Mouches.
A huge part of the Drouhin production comes from their own domaine fruit (78 hectares), and much of the rest comes from contracts such as that with the Marquis de Laguiche, who shook hands with the grandfather of the current generation, agreeing to let him manage his vineyards which included an important part of Le Montrachet; this collaboration endures. Today, the fourth generation is at the helm
Small refinements continue to be made here. The presses have been changed - a reversion to basket pressing for the reds, and for whites the presses are open - along with a number of other growers they are following the trend to think that slight oxidation of the juice before fermentation is not a problem and may add complexity as well as avoiding later problems of premature oxidation in bottle.
For the reds there has been the introduction of selective whole-bunch fermentation in the Côte de Nuits wines. The house style remains one that 'emphasises the natural elegance of great Burgundies' as they describe it. The domaine is all cultivated with an organic and biodynamic approach.