BEAUNE

2017 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Domaine Joseph Drouhin

EN PRIMEUR

This has real presence on the nose with plenty of oak matched to rich and super fresh grapefruit and lime aromas. The palate has a very succulent core of fruit and very impressive acidity. The young white peaches are zesty and fresh and the grilled hazelnuts warm the finish. Stunning! Drink or hold. Rating: 94 Nick Stock, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2019)

* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.

Jérôme Faure Brac, the oenologist, is all about low intervention in the winery as he wants vineyard expression to be key. He therefore made six different harvests here from the 1st to the 6th of September. The Drouhin team sub-divide this large Clos vineyard (7Ha) into different parcels. Harvested and vinified separately they are only blended after élevage in barrel. This is almost a year and then the blend 'assembles' for 2-3 months in tank together before bottling. The results are great. With impressive breadth and structure. There is a nice intensity to the crisp-edged, yellow fruit. Not peachy but quite ripe citrus character and nice persistence. This has impact and depth, there's lots to like and this will become even more exciting with a few years in the cellar. Drinking range: 2020 - 2026L&S (Nov 2018)

The 2017 Beaune Clos des Mouches Blanc 1er Cru has a light bouquet of apple peelings, hints of candle wax and white flower, though I would like a little more delineation. The palate is well balanced with good weight, opulent, slightly waxy in texture and richer on the finish than I would have expected for a 2017. I would drink this over the next several years. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting. Drinking range: 2021 - 2028 Rating: 89 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jan 2022)

This is the white version, which missed being included in our White Burgfest earlier this year. Brisk mid yellow, a little bit of pineapple, fresh peaches, a youthful waxiness, clearly a wine of considerable volume and density. There is an attractive lick of oak on the palate along with a luscious layer of fruit, just enough acidity, all very well balanced. A final taste later in the day showed that the wine had gained in precision and freshness. Tasted: September 2021 Rating: 91 Jasper Morris - Inside Burgundy  (Sept 2021)

A rich red, with a velvety texture showing off floral, cherry, strawberry, licorice and mineral flavors. Beautifully balanced and firmly structured, this lingers with fresh cherry, iron and spice notes. Best from 2022 through 2035. Drinking range: 2022 - 2035 Rating: 94 Bruce Sanderson, The Wine Spectator (Mar 2020)

A whiff of matchstick is present on the pretty and notably floral nose of apple and soft wood influence. The rich and relatively full-bodied medium-bodied flavors possess both good punch and focused power if not the sheer size and weight of the Morgeot, all wrapped in a lingering and complex finish where the only nit is a hint of warmth. Note that this could easily be enjoyed young if desired. Drinking range: 2024 - Rating: 91 Allen Meadows, www.Burghound.com (Jun 2019)

The 2017 Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches wafts from the glass with aromas of red berries, forest floor, orange rind, sweet spices and rose petal. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, with excellent depth at the core, suave structuring tannins and a long finish. This is a beautifully complete Clos des Mouches that numbers among the high points of Drouhin's 2017 collection. Rating: 91-93 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Jan 2019)

The 2017 Beaune Clos des Mouches Blanc 1er Cru was picked September 1–6 in six different passes through the vineyard. It has quite a strict, conservative bouquet of vibrant citrus fruit infused with touches of linden and orange pith. The palate is quite assertive on the entry, conveying good weight. Like many white 2017s, it is lightly spiced, though this cuvée shows more marine influences and a tang of marmalade toward the persistent, intense finish. Very fine. Drinking range: 2020 - 2035 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jan 2019)

Subtle but already complex aroma: creamy, mealy, pure-fruited. Rich but with a fine dusty restraint. Deep and spicy on the palate, fills the mouth with pure citrus fruit and goes on for ever with a lovely depth of texture from the lees. Drinking range: 2022 - 2037 Rating: 18.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Dec 2018)

Bright light yellow. Deeper-pitched on the nose than the Meursault Perrières , conveying aromas of peach, iodine, soil, spices and sexy oak. Then quite dry and precise on the palate, with its pungent iodiney minerality contributing to an impression of sharp delineation. This is still youthfully locked up and needs fattening. More about spices, minerals and soil than fruit complexity but the vibrant finish delivers an exhilarating light touch. This singular wine combines the tension and structure of a white Corton with the aromatics of a Montrachet. Rating: 91-93 Stephen Tanzer, www.vinousmedia.com (Sept 2018)

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.

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