CLOS VOUGEOT

2019 Grand Cru Domaine Joseph Drouhin

EN PRIMEUR

The Drouhins have two parcels within the Clos and keep them separate throughout the vinification. One parcel near the tower and the other down the slope near the road. The bottom part is really good in hot years and so thrived in 2019. Deep soils here and water is available to the vines. In years like this, this less revered sector proves vital in the finished wine. Quite big again as you’d hope. Power and broad firm feel. Fruit is deep and density is impressive. Nice brambling berries - sweet black fruit and ripe damsons. There is good intensity and a line of deep richer fruit at the heart too. A very smart and attractive iteration of this super vineyard. L&S (Nov 2020)

* 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.

Aromas of cassis, orange rind, plums, incense and loamy soil preface the 2019 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, a medium to full-bodied, muscular and concentrated wine that's deep and youthfully structured, standing out as one of the blockier, more introverted wines in a very suave portfolio from Drouhin. This is a fine proposition for the long haul. Rating: 92 - 94+ William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Jan 2021)

The 2019 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru is mixture of estate and contracted fruit – about two-thirds and one-third, respectively. It has a powerful bouquet of dark cherries and boysenberry fruit, maybe just needing a little more delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit on the entry and good grip. More sinewy than other Clos Vougeot tasted. There is a subtle but welcome tang of white pepper on the aftertaste thanks to the 40% whole cluster. Drinking range: 2024 - 2048 Rating: 93-95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Dec 2020)

Refined, high-toned nose with a meaty undertow. Then a notably sweet palate attack and quite chunky and forceful. Some whole-bunch influence. Clearly a grand cru. Still youthful with a lightly spicy nose. Lots of energy. Drinking range: 2027 - 2043 Rating: 17.5+ Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Dec 2020)

40% whole bunch vinification. Dense purple, sweet ripe dark fruit with a little oak and a touch of liquorice. Powerful yet in balance, with good energy, as ripe as it can get away with, no vulgar tannins. Tasted: December 2020 *** Rating: 92-95 Jasper Morris - Inside Burgundy  (Dec 2020)

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.

ORDERING VIA OUR WEBSITE:

  • We will respond as quickly as possible with confirmation of your order and your invoice.

Please note that certain wines are on very tight allocations and will first be offered to customers who buy across the range. If you have any queries, please email our primeurs team or speak to your usual L&S contact.

ORDERING VIA EMAIL:

Please feel free to email us at any time. This list can include wines listed as available on the website, as well as those marked 'To Be Advised'. We will reply as soon as possible with confirmation of what we can offer.

STORAGE OPTIONS:

Wines bought en primeur are scheduled to arrive in the UK over the course of the next eighteen months. If you do not wish to take home delivery, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our primeurs team for more information.

While helpful, we do not require a firm commitment on delivery destination to process your primeur order at this stage. Our team will be in contact with you when your wines arrive in the UK to confirm the necessary delivery details.

BURGUNDY EN PRIMEUR FAQ

OFFER: All wines are offered subject to availability and final confirmation.

PRICING: All prices are quoted IN BOND ex-VAT, by the case size stated. Please double check that the desired case size does match what is being offered as wines are variously listed in threes, sixes, dozens, halves and larger formats.

DELIVERY - TIMING: This is a primeur offer so the wines are not yet physically available for delivery. They will be shipped to the UK over the next eighteen months. Generally, wines are shipped to your nominated location once the whole order has landed in our London City Bond account. If you require wines to be delivered by a certain date, please advise us at the time of ordering.

DELIVERY - FEES: In bond delivery to an Elephant Storage account (for more information see 'Storage Options' opposite) is free of charge. Transfer of wines to any third-party bond (i.e. not Elephant Storage) will incur an administration charge of £16.50 + VAT for all orders under £1,000. Please indicate if you would like the wine duty paid and a duty & VAT invoice will be raised once all the wines on your order are available for shipment. Once the relevant duty & VAT has been settled, we will ship the wines to your nominated address as per our normal duty paid Delivery Terms.

PAYMENT: All orders will be invoiced for immediate payment by cheque, cash, debit card or cleared funds to our account. We regret that we cannot accept credit cards for primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.