BEAUNE
2018 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Domaine Joseph Drouhin
There are seven hectares of this (in white - another seven in red) - lucky Drouhins. Ripe and lush. A really sunny feel here, but also beautifully balanced. The point of sweetness balanced by the lively freshness. Some of the goumandise of the Chassagne Laguiche, but there's a lively freshness which pulls this out long; "a beauty" says Véronique. Yup. Drinking range: 2022 - L&S (Nov 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.
On the nose the 2018 Beaune Clos des Mouches Blanc 1er Cru has more concentration than Jobard's Meursault-Blagny, with lightly honeyed fruit, yellow plum and a touch of yellow flowers. I admire the complexity here. The palate is well balanced with a bit of oak to be subsumed on the entry, fresh and lively, good acidity, pretty with a lilting, harmonious finish. Too irresistible in its youth? I would not begrudge anyone cracking this open now. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 white tasting. Drinking range: 2022 - 2036 Rating: 91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Nov 2022)
A perfumed and spicy wine with ripe strawberries, smoke and chocolate. Full, very savory and intense. Long aftertaste with lots of perfume. Fine, creamy texture. Really spicy at the finish. Drink after 2022 and onwards. Rating: 95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Aug 2020)
More evident wood can be found on the moderately exotic aromas of white peach, lychee, jasmine tea and a hint of tangerine peel. Once again there is a really lovely mouthfeel to the delicious and vibrant flavors that, much like the Puligny villages, are not particularly concentrated yet the refreshingly dry and sneaky long finish is impressively complex. This elegant effort should drink well both young and with up to a decade of bottle age. Drinking range: 2026 - Rating: 90-93 Allen Meadows, www.Burghound.com (Jun 2020)
The 2018 Beaune Clos des Mouches Blanc 1er Cru, which has been produced by Drouhin since 1928, comes from six separately aged parcels. Drouhin mentioned that quite a few barrels were deselected from this vineyard and blended into the Côte de Beaune Blanc. This possesses an intense bouquet with subtle scents of almond, praline and pressed white flower aromas. The palate is taut and linear on the entry, featuring lovely orange pith and apricot notes and hints of tangerine and white chocolate toward the gorgeous, pure finish. Wonderful. Drinking range: 2022 - 2038 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jan 2020)
Intense and lightly spiced nose. Gorgeously open mealy/lees creamy citrus. Fills the mouth with generous and creamy fruit. Moreish and fresh but with the rounded character of the vintage. Tight, precise and yet clothed in lees-rich texture and has power and depth – relatively soft though. Drinking range: 2021 - 2028 Rating: 17 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Dec 2019)
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.
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