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Drouhin

Drouhin - Maison Joseph Drouhin to use the full title - was founded in 1880, when Joseph Drouhin took control of a merchant business which itself dated from 1756. Joseph Drouhin's philosophy was one of quality, and he invested in vineyards to ensure a supply of good quality fruit, his first purchase being the premier cru Clos des Mouches in Beaune. The family firm flourished, and passed to son Maurice Drouhin, and upon Maurice suffering a stroke it then passed to nephew Robert Drouhin in 1957, at the tender age of twenty-four. Robert continued to expand the domaine, acquiring land in many of the Grands Crus of the Côte d'Or, and establishing a large domaine in Chablis in the 1960s. Of the domaine's 63 ha, over half of this is in Chablis, with just over 25 ha in the Côte d'Or. One should also mention that, since 1988, the family have had a presence in Oregon with Domaine Drouhin, cultivating 85 ha of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Robert has four children, all involved in the family business. The youngest, Frédéric, is gradually assuming overall control of the firm and was named President of Maison Joseph Drouhin in 2003. His brother Phillippe studied at Dijon and now looks after the vineyards, whereas Laurent is involved principally in sales. Véronique, meanwhile, also studied at Dijon and fills the role of oenologist. She is chief winemaker at Domaine Drouhin in Oregon where she spends three months off the year, the remainder being spent at Maison Drouhin in Beaune.

Robert has been a great innovator in Burgundy, and refreshingly admits that many of his new ways were a mistake. But equally many were not. Although there was extensive replanting in the 1960s, using questionable Pinot clones and even more questionable rootstock, more recent plantings are with Drouhin vines sourced from the Clos des Mouches, their most historic vineyard, rather than using clones from the nursery, and these are grafted onto low-yielding Riparia Gloire rootstock. Planting is very dense, at 12500 plants/ha, and has also introduced crop thinning and leaf plucking in the summer months. Fertiliser in any form is conspicuous by its absence, although some herbicides are used where mechanical access is impossible; otherwise the weeds are at the mercy of the plough.

After harvest of the domaine's own fruit, the grapes are partially destemmed before a two day cold pre-fermentation soak of the unpressed bunches. Only the indigenous yeasts get a look in. Following the fermentation the wines see mostly old oak, sourced from a number of France's great forests, which is treated and aged by Drouhin rather than the cooper. Here malolactic fermentation is completed, although it is not actively encouraged. The end result is a range of wines that reflect the fruit rather than the oak; and as a consequence they reflect their origin. And the wines also reflect their classification very well, no doubt due to Drouhin's insistence on quality and authenticity in the tasting room.

The whites, in my experience, can offer a lot of style, and Drouhin has been, for decades, a reliable source of Chablis. The reds have a relatively light style, light in colour and on the palate, but displaying elegance and femininity. Structure is evident usually as a background feature, but the wines certainly have the potential for cellaring, especially the higher up the classification they are. (7/10/04)

Contact details:
Address: 7 rue d'Enfer, 21201 Beaune Cedex
Telephone: +33 (0) 3 80 24 68 88
Fax: +33 (0) 3 80 22 43 14
Internet: www.drouhin.com

Drouhin - Tasting Notes

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Drouhin Laforet Bourgogne Chardonnay 2003: A brand which varies from year to year; this vintage has approximately equal parts fruit from Chablis, Mâcon and the Côte Chalonnaise. No oak. A simple nose. Fresh palate, clean, with moderate acidity. Straightforward. 14/20 (September 2004)

Drouhin St Veran 2003: No oak, but does have batonnage although this doesn't really show. Clean, slightly lemony fruit on nose, with a minerally edge on the palate. Good acidity. Decent finish. 14.5/20 (September 2004)

Drouhin Montagny 2003: Sees up to six months in oak, of which 20% is new. There is a trace still evident on the nose. Full palate; the oak really benefits the wine here. A little richness, slightly sherbetty fruit. Lovely for the appellation. 15.5/20 (September 2004)

Drouhin Beaujolais Villages 2003: Sweet Gamay fruit nose. Full, rounded, ripe, although still rather simple despite this. Has a little welcome tannic structure though. Decent finish. Drink over the next two years. 13.5/20 (September 2004)

Drouhin Morgon 2003: A very different nose here; little hints of vanilla and coffee alongside the fruit. Full, rounded, structured, mouthfilling palate. Strawberry and raspberry fruit at present. Youthful. Medium bodied, some tannin. Decent finish. Shows the strength of the vintage. Needs three to four years. 14.5+/20 (September 2004)

Drouhin Chablis Domaine du Vaudon 2002: Good nose here; nuances of honey and minerals, and beeswax. Early complexity. Full. Concentrated. Good flavour with excellent acidity alongside. Lovely, stylish finish. A strong vintage for Chablis. 16.5+/20 (September 2004)

Drouhin Laforet Bourgogne Rouge 2002: A blend of Mâcon fruit with declassified Beaune. Simple red fruit nose. Firm acidity, slightly oily feel. Simple, but balanced. Short finish. 13/20 (September 2004)

Drouhin Côte de Beaune 2002: Beautifully expressive nose, full of honey and lemon and fresh, sweet white fruit. The palate follows through with ripe flavour and very good balance. Impressive for the appellation. Very good indeed. 16+/20 (September 2004)

Drouhin Puligny-Montrachet 2001: Obvious finesse here; it shows a mealy oak influence beneath a layer of pure fruit. Very fine palate. Full, almost creamy, yet firm. Excellent, fresh acidity. Very classic. Focused. Needs cellar time though; five years minimum. 17+/20 (September 2004)

Drouhin Chorey Les Beaune 2001: Animalistic nose. Full, sweet, textured palate. Primary red fruit flavours. Medium bodied. A little raw, still showing incongruous structure at the finish. Nice finish. Good. 14.5+/20 (September 2004)

Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches 2001: A 1er Cru, although the label has never stated this. Mealy white fruit. A touch lighter than the Puligny. Full though, developing weight through the midpalate. Elegance. Very good style. 16.5+/20 (September 2004)

Drouhin Savigny Les Beaune 2001: A more interesting, earthy, animalistic nose with perfumed notes. Full, sweet, creamy-oily feel. Red Plenty of firm tannins here. Needs four to five years. 14.5+/20 (September 2004)

Drouhin Vosne-Romanée 2001: Sweet, expressive, perfumed nose. Full, rounded palate still with plenty of primary fruit. Firm tannins; lovely structure. Sweet, rounded. Lovely potential here. Needs five years minimum. 16+/20 (September 2004)

Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches 2000: Elegant, feminine, red fruit nose. Full and sweet on the palate, however, with good texture and a rounded feel. Delicate fruits and a lemon edge to the acidity emphasise the femininity. Needs four to five years. 15.5+/20 (September 2004)

Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny 2000: Sweet and full of fruit on the nose. Youthful, tannic, backward presence on the palate. Good weight and structure. Excellent acidity lends support. Good, and has potential. 16+/20 (September 2004)

Drouhin Volnay 1999: Fairly closed on the nose, just showing a few evolved animalistic notes. Good, sweet, rounded texture. A little floral perfume, although it isn't strong on anything other than texture and structure at present. Clear potential here; should drink from two to four years from now. 15+/20 (September 2004)

Drouhin Charmes-Chambertin 1998: Some bottle age on this Grand Cru. Good meaty, perfumed development on the nose. A little svelteness on the full, rounded palate. Still has structure. Moderate length on finish. Needs time for the palate to catch up with the nose. Very good. 16.5+/20 (September 2004)

Drouhin Meursault 1992: A burnished gold hue in the glass, this is not the most richly coloured Meursault I have ever seen. The nose, however, is rich and honeyed, with a firm lemony streak. There are complex nuances of coffee and malt, golden syrup sponge pudding and some oatmealy oak provide plenty of interest. A savoury, oatmealy palate, rich, soft and fleshy rather superbly structured, nevertheless this is a lovely wine. Peppery alcohol and good balancing acidity, and a rich finish, precede a pleasing length. Drink now. 17/20 (January 2001)

Drouhin Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir 1990: A mid gold colour. Significant oxidation on the nose, with some woody, cinder toffee notes. Lots of oak. Attractive body, but quite Madeirised on the palate, and quite woody. Disappointing wine, particularly in view of the appellation. From a 1990 vintage ten year on blind tasting. 12/20 (December 2000)