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Pierre Jacques Druet

I arrived at Druet's residence in Benais, just a few minutes drive from nearby Bourgueil, at exactly 11 am. There was a worn appearance to some of the buildings, which stretched out on three sides of a rough, central courtyard strewn with gravel and stones, and from one of the upstairs windows the sound of a piano drifted out, brightening the late morning air, which was just beginning to feel warm. Within seconds of my arrival Druet appeared and offered a warm greeting. We should go to his cave to taste, he instructed me, and it was apparently too far to walk; I should follow his van in my own car.

The journey to Druet's cave took all of two minutes, travelling at a speed that never went much beyond 10 miles/hour, the slow pace a result of my desire to neither ram Druet's van from behind, nor to drive over his dog, who trotted arthritically along behind Druet's vehicle. Driving over a beloved and long-term family pet is never a good way to kick off a visit such as this, and so it was something I was keen to avoid; happily we arrived at Druet's cellars with no loss of life. Quite why we had to drive the short distance, little more than a few hundred metres, I was not sure; after all, the oldest bones in this two-car convoy were canine (taking into account age in dog-years, obviously), and he had been made to walk. Never mind - I was relieved simply to have made it without having given Bourgueil's pet funeral parlour any new business. Perhaps I should now concentrate on Druet, and his wines?

Druet: the Man and his Wines

Pierre Jacques Druet is rightly regarded as one of Bourgueil's most talented vignerons, and many, I'm sure, would rank him at the very top in this Loire appellation. He came to Bourgueil via a rather circuitous route, first graduating from the Lycée de Beaune before further studies at Montpellier and Bordeaux. Although the son of a négociant, his father's business did not interest him, and he set out to build up his own domaine. In order to raise funds he started out selling viticultural equipment including presses, but also occupied himself managing an export company in Bordeaux and making wine in Switzerland of all places, before settling in Bourgueil in 1980, at the age of 32, where he has subsequently made his name.

The Druet portfolio opens with a Bourgueil Rosé, which is notable for the quality of the raw material; there is a tendency in Bourgueil - and beyond - to produce rosé almost as an afterthought, it being something to do with the fruit of the youngest vines, fruit of inadequate quality for the reds. Not so chez Druet, where the rosé is produced from vines up to 100 years old, by the saignée method. Druet's technique is to first hold the must at 2ºC, before fermenting the wine at a very cool temperature, between 7 and 12ºC. At these temperatures fermentation might take as long as a week to get underway, and will proceed slowly for as long as 3 to 4 months. During this time the gas of the fermentation lifts up fine particles including the yeasts, essentially clarifying the wine, in a process known as guillage. Druet learnt the technique from an old colleague in Vouvray many years ago, and he continues to use it to this day. Once the fermentation has completed the wine, which typically ends up with 3-4 g/l of residual sugar, undergoes a hot sterilisation, sterile filtration and is dosed with sulphur prior to bottling.

Acknowledging that the rosé is something potentially special, and that Druet also makes a good Chinon from old vines in the Clos de Danzay, it is really the red cuvées of Bourgueil that should draw our attention here. These come from Druet's 18 hectares of vines around the town, an admirable holding that includes a significant number of old vines some of which, as mentioned with regard to the rosé above, have more than 100 years under their belts. The vineyards are managed along the lines of lutte raisonnée, using chemical treatments where appropriate, but in a considered manner and not to excess. I asked Druet about whether he had considered switching to organic or biodynamic viticulture, but for him these increasingly popular methods are not an option; he considers them too problematic, and it seems to me that he has found a middle way which allows him to use sprays and treatments when he deems it necessary. The fruit is harvested mostly by machine, but 20% of the vineyard - specifically the older vines - is picked by hand.

The reds open with Les Cent Boisselées, although it would be a disservice to think of this wine as 'entry-level'. The name harks back to the days before the Revolution and Napoleon, as boisselée was a unit of area in common usage around Bourgueil before these old measures were swept aside in favour of the metric system. The fruit for this cuvée is picked by machine and fermented in stainless steel vats; these vessels have a distinctive shape, fatter at the base and more narrow at the top, which Druet explained was to help keep the chapeau, the cap of grape solids that floats at the top of the fermenting must, fully submerged. Following a cold soak at 6-7ºC Druet, in a manner which seems contrary to accepted wisdom, allows the temperature of the fermenting must to rise to figures that would make modern oenologists shudder. At the top of the vat the fermentation may reach 60ºC or higher, although there is a marked temperature gradient so that at the bottom of the vat the temperature remains at 12ºC. Once finished the wine remains in stainless steel, and is subsequently bottled without any oak contact at all. The result is a wine which displays remarkably ripe fruit character, but which is also rich in colour, substance and extract.

The Noble Tannins

A fascinating moment during my visit to meet Pierre Jacques Druet was his discourse on noble as opposed to rustic tannins. During the fermentation process Druet tastes his wines regularly in order to determine when to run them off into barrel. He does this by gauging the quality of the tannins in the sample he has drawn off, looking for only noble tannins. As soon as more rustic tannins appear, it is time to separate the wine and the solids. The obvious question is, of course, how is this distinction between noble and rustic achieved? It is, perhaps surprisingly, done with salt.

Druet draws his samples and refrigerates them before his assessment. Then he takes a pinch of salt and rolls it around his gums, before tasting the wine. The noble tannins will be masked by the salt in the mouth, but the more rustic strain will not. This was of course too good an opportunity to pass, and Druet and I both did the salt-assisted assessment of his 2007 Grand Mont together. I popped a large pinch of salt into my mouth, and Druet chuckled as my face contorted at the taste. But then came the wine, and I have to agree that the salt did have a profound effect on my sensing of the tannins; they simply disappeared, confirming the presence of Druet's noble tannins, but none deemed to be rustic. The wine was thus safe to be left in the vat, ready for another assessment in twelve hours time; this is a process which Druet undertakes twice a day for every vat of wine, of which there are at least twenty. In addition, the philosophical Druet also believes that environmental salt is why his wines taste so different when exported. In Great Britain, he says, if you run your finger along a table and then taste it, it is laden with salt. And, according to Druet, the salt content of foods also has a marked effect on the taste of wines drank with them.

Getting back to my tasting, moving up the Bourgueil scale brings us to Beauvais, not a wine I tasted on my visit to the property, and then to Grand Mont. This wine originates from a vineyard on the Grand Mont itself, where Druet owns vines aged between 55 and 65 years. The soils underfoot here are made of clay and chalk, and there is some deeper tuffeau. After fermentation as above, this wine can see up to four years in large 700 litre oak barrels before bottling. The crème de la crème for Bourgueil, however, is Vaumoreau, another old vine cuvée; in this case it is made from 1 hectare of vines up to 100 years of age planted on soils of clay, flint and chalk. Druet purchased this plot of vines in 1988, when it was in an unkempt state, riddled with weeds, and he subsequently nursed the vineyard back to health. Today it is the feather in his cap, capable in the right vintage of producing a wine which after three or four years in smaller barrels will develop over more than a decade from the vintage.

Finally, as far as Bourgueil is concerned, there is the Fiefs de Louys. This wine originates from a vineyard of clay, chalk and flint, the vines encircling the Fiefs de Louys, a 16th Century château belonging to an English family. Druet is good friends with their son, and thus the management of the vineyard has been turned over to him. Druet would have preferred, perhaps, to name the wine Château de Louys, but to use the term château carries implications about where the wine was made - namely at the property - which does not suit Druet who would much rather make the wine at his cave in Benais. And so the duo came up with fiefs instead, and I think Druet rather enjoys the fact that the word has the meaning in both French and in English, a symbol of the Anglo-French co-operation that lies behind the wine. It is released bearing a reproduction label. based on one found in the attic at the property when the wine was bottled for the Grand Exposition of 1893. It is mostly fermented in stainless steel, with a small portion in oak, and can be a great success.

Whatever one believes of Druet, his philosophy and his penchant for experimentation, his strangely-shaped vats and his near-boiling fermentation temperatures, it is impossible not to believe in his wines. Over the years he has built a reputation for turning out superb examples of the Bourgueil appellation, offering as much as any other domaine in the region. I certainly recommend them, especially if you can turn up some well stored mature bottles as may happen from time to time. Best of all, though, pay a visit to the Druet domaine; make sure you have plenty of time, watch out for the dog, and be prepared for some salty philosophy. (31/1/06, updated 21/6/06, 2/9/08)

Contact details:
Address: Le Pied Fourrier, 37140 Benais
Telephone: +33 (0) 2 47 97 37 34
Fax: +33 (0) 2 47 97 46 40

Pierre Jacques Druet - Tasting Notes

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Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Les Cent Boisselées 2009: A brut de cuve sample. A fairly light hue here, bright and fresh on the nose, with a nose predominantly of red fruits. Sweet and plump on the palate despite that rather lifted aromatic profile, soft and quite gentle from the outset, with plenty of good acidity. A strong character here, and clearly a good vintage. From my 2010 Druet update. 14.5-15.5/20 (February 2010)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Rosé 2008: A delicate pink hue, with a creamy red fruit aroma on the nose. Very fresh, a fine and rather diaphanous style, with a stony freshness. Admirable, gently textured, yet well defined. I enjoyed drinking my way through the 2006 recently; this is of a similar quality. From my 2010 Druet update. 16/20 (February 2010)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Les Cent Boisselées 2008: Another brut de cuve sample, due for bottling in late spring, perhaps June 2010. It has a surprisingly mature appearance in the glass, a deepening and matt hue. It has a rather mature set of aromas too, a floral perfume and the suggestion of a slightly meaty evolution. A lovely supple style on the palate, red fruits and chalk, and a nice substance too. It seems composed and fresh, despite those suggestions of maturity perceived on inspection. A pretty wine. From my 2010 Druet update. 15.5/20 (February 2010)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Les Cent Boisselées 2007: This vintage is already in bottle. A fresh fruit and pretty perfumed character here, all suggestive of a deeper substance than expected. I find it quite impressive for a 2007. It has an appealing tobacco-gravel scent. On the palate there is supple fruit although a leaner midpalate, over a gentle tannic structure. This is nice although there is a little hollow character to it. But for a 2007, good. From my 2010 Druet update. 14/20 (February 2010)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Les Cent Boisselées 2007: A tank sample. This shows sandy dark fruits on the nose, with a rather stylish and complex character. It certainly has depth. The palate is round, quite full, with a grippy and interesting presence. There are some good tannins, good acidity, and a fresh composition. This has potential. 15.5-16.5+/20 (July 2008)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Grand Mont 2007: A tank sample. This has some pure aromatic fruit on the nose, a dark and wild nature, with scented rose petals on the side. Pure and creamy, rounded, with some midpalate spice and fine tannins on the palate giving a good structure. It rounds out towards the finish, but shows good fruit and texture throughout. Fresh acidity too. A good style here. Another wine with fine potential. 17-18+/20 (July 2008)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Vaumoreau 2007: From 1 hectare of old vines. A tank sample. A delightful nose, highly perfumed, with notes of violets and roses. On the palate there is a creamy coolness, a good concentration of fruit, with beautifully firm tannins coming through in the midpalate. It has density, purity, and fine creamy black fruit character. Great potential. 17.5-18.5+/20 (July 2008)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Rosé 2006: This has a deep salmon pink hue, and is perhaps a little deeper in colour than my last bottle, which on reviewing my notes I see was a year ago. Perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised; winter weather doesn't tend to foster many "rosé moments"! It doesn't have such a delicate nose any more; it is now rather firmer, with solid strawberry and cream fruit, although I get the same redcurrant notes that I have previously perceived. The palate is full, quite rich, a little weighty, quite serious in fact. There are plenty of leafy red fruit flavours through the middle, with a nice core of acidity which sits very well within an open envelope of fruit. Solid but still refreshing, "full and fleshy" as I described it last year, culminating in a lingering, grippy bitterness which I find appealing. This is good wine, especially when you remember that, despite all his considered efforts, Druet knocks this out at the domaine for less than €4. For that sort of money, this is remarkable wine. For label images and more see my Wine of the Week write-up. 16.5/20 (June 2009)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Rosé 2006: Produced by saignée, from old vines, generally 50-100 years old. A salmon pink hue, rather leafy and freshly delicate on the nose, with some redcurrant notes. It has a dry style, without a hint of confection, opening out to reveal red fruit flavours, on a full and fleshy texture although it remains crisp and refreshing. This is really very good. 16.5/20 (July 2008)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Les Cent Boisselées 2005: This has a darkening hue, showing some early maturity, although this is entirely in keeping with the age of this wine. A simply charming, perfumed nose, very typical of Cabernet Franc, all fresh fruit and flowers moving into a layer of fine tobacco and game. Fresh and supple on the palate, textured too, a lovely style. Still quite youthful in terms of structure; although the aromas suggest this is drinking now, the tannic backbone and acidity suggest more time in the cellar would be wise. From my 2010 Druet update. 16.5/20 (February 2010)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Les Cent Boisselées 2005: A vintage which Druet describes as "sunny but difficult", but the rains came when they were needed. He also made comparisons to ancient vintages including 1947, suggesting this was the greatest vintage he has worked. This wine has a great nose, full of dense fruits, spices, sandalwood and a savage black fruit character. The palate is fresh, dense, pure and stylish, with a rounded and complete style which makes it very easy to taste. Ripe midpalate tannins. I think this will keep well, although it is very approachable now, with all its lovely substance and ripe sweetness. 16.5-17.5+/20 (July 2008)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Grand Mont 2005: This is an old vines (50-55 years old) cuvée, fermented in barrel usually followed by 2-3 years there before bottling. A deep and mature colour here, and an intense and very linear perfume. A wonderful style, with evocative dark fruits on the palate, a touch of cream to the texture but otherwise a very firm and strongly composed wine. There is in fact a massive structure hiding beneath it all. A great effort that needs another ten to fifteen years at least. From my 2010 Druet update. 17.5/20 (February 2010)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Vaumoreau 2005: From 99-year old vines, harvested at 20 hl/ha. An enticing nose of dark fruits and liquorice, concentrated and sweet Cabernet Franc character. Intense, with that all important floral Cabernet Franc edge. Very fine on the palate, softly textured, a firm structure with bright acidity. In truth it has a rather loose-knit feel to it at present, showing a somewhat unfocused character, but this simply reflects the wine's youth. It has brilliant potential for the cellar, but it needs another 10-20 years. From my 2010 Druet update. 18/20 (February 2010)

Pierre Jacques Druet Chinon Les Fiefs de Louys 2005: A sample from stainless steel - some of the wine, usually 20%, sees some oak. A complex nose here, a little feral, savage, and yet bright and stony-fresh too, with notes of wild mulberry. Pure, lighter than some preceding wines, tight and compact too though. A touch of flesh in the midpalate though, with great substance. It has lightness and elegance, but also tannin and substance. Very good potential here. 16.5-17.5+/20 (July 2008)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Les Cent Boisselées 2004: A vintage which Druet also regards as difficult. This wine was tasted from bottle, although at the time other cuvées of the vintage, including Grand Mont and Vaumoreau, were still in barrel. The nose has an interesting array of aromas, starting off with toffee, caramel and vanilla, cherry fruit and also a vegetal note. The palate is rounded, complete, complex and certainly has some appeal. Overall it is good, but it displays the difficulties of the vintage all too plainly. 15.5+/20 (July 2008)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Les Cent Boisselées 2003: A complex nose here, some warm and ripe fruit, with a dense and savage, macerated cherry character. The nose has a huge creamy presence, with good grip beneath. It has plenty of interest, and even some gentle acidity which is notable in this vintage. Nevertheless it is plainly a child of 2003, although I still think it to be very good. 16.5+/20 (July 2008)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Les Cent Boisselées 2003: This is Druet's entry-level Bourgueil, yet it holds a lovely, dark and juicy colour. No lack of expression on the nose, which is vibrant and alive, full of red berry fruits, smoky blackberries, with wisps of strawberry liquorice. Full, and quite precise on the palate, sappy and firm, with a little texture overlying a smoky tannic structure. There is a wonderfully bright backbone of acidity, and fine grip to the finish. Delightfully fresh and easy drinking, this is very good for such a 'basic' cuvée; drink now or over the next 2-4 years. 17+/20 (January 2006)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Grand Mont 2003: A very dark, dusty-matt red-black hue. The nose is very closed down and its character is very primary, dense fruit, but work hard at it and you can coax a stony perfume from it, twisted with notes of dark plum skins. It is very solid from the start and remains so through the midpalate, relaxing as it goes, revealing a good flesh with lots of svelte, creamy tannins and plenty of tangible structure. Full, ripe, rich, with a minty edge to the withdrawn fruit character. Best of all a finely crafted finish, followed by a lingering coating of tannins. Super wine, but dense and ungiving at present. This has great potential for the cellar. With that in mind I left some 24 hours; it developed into a fine-boned, fresh and sappy example of Bourgueil. Super wine. From a Loire 2003 tasting. 18/20 (September 2011)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Grand Mont 2003: This wine spent 3 years and 6 months in barrel. Today it shows a spicy and complex nose of sandalwood, mint and dark fruits. The character is pure, elegant and complete, and although that sandalwood character comes through here there is no overt oak influence. It is full, tannic, firm and well styled, with a rich and ripe substance. Lovely tannins through to the finish too. There is a lot of potential here, and this could go 15 years or more I think. 18+/20 (July 2008)

Pierre Jacques Druet Chinon Clos de Danzay 2001: This wine is somewhat deeper in colour than the 2000, and it seems more youthful on the nose as well. The fruit profile is sweet and slightly hot, and on the palate it has a rather soft and rounded style, although there is a solid substance at its core. Lots of pretty chalky fruit. Drink now or keep short-term I think. From my 2010 Druet update. 16/20 (February 2010)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Vaumoreau 2000: Travelling back through the vintages we have now reached a very dark wine with certainly maturity in terms of appearance. It has a heady perfume, not overly effusive but certainly evocative and very linear in terms of expression. Elegant, composed, with lots of supple and harmonious flesh. This is quite fine, although there is still a tower of structure at this wine's heart. This wine still has more to give, but it is certainly approachable now, should this de desired! From my 2010 Druet update. 16.5/20 (February 2010)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Vaumoreau 2000: A maturing, red-orange hue here, but not a huge intensity of colour. A warm, ripe and appealing nose, with macerated fruits, iron, capers and green peppercorns. A decent presence on entry, well structured but somewhat lean, showing rather angular tannins and firm acidity through the midpalate, lending a rather coarse feel to the wine. Medium body, with an underwhelming texture; overall it doesn't compare too favourably with the other Druet wines tasted recently. Good though, with potential; I suspect this would improve over the next 3-5 years. 16+/20 (January 2006)

Pierre Jacques Druet Chinon Clos de Danzay 2000: A moderate depth of colour here, paling somewhat. A pretty nose, attractively perfumed, with red fruits and flowers. This is appealing, soft and harmonious, with just a little midpalate tannin. A midweight style, this wine has many good points but it does not have the direction or gravitas of Druet's Bourgueil cuvées. From my 2010 Druet update. 15.5/20 (February 2010)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Grand Mont 1997: A pleasing, brick-maturing hue here, but still quite rich. A lovely nose, initially showing some blackberry, but then a more serious profile of peppered bloody beef, and minerally iron, with an organic, meaty quality. Midweight palate, but very finely balanced, and with a lovely minerally presence. Spicy, meaty flavours with a touch of tobacco. Delicious finish and super length. Lovely. Drink now. 18.5/20 (January 2006)

Pierre-Jacques Druet Bourgueil Grand Mont 1996: Rather a fading hue here, with more than a tinge of maturity too. Aromatically it has a rather old-school style, showing elements of burnt fruit, tinged with notes of green pepper rubbed over brighter blackcurrant notes. There is rather a substantial feel to it at the start, with just a touch of oiliness to the texture but there is a good depth of substance to it, although the flavour profile matches the aromatic character found on the nose. It holds up very well through the middle of the palate, but shows a more diffuse, sour-fruit style towards the end, where it feels long and sappy. I have to admit I'm not enamoured by this wine's rather sour and oily character. I can only hope that complexity and a firmer, tauter presence comes with time in the cellar. It will be interesting to see, but I'm not holding my breath. From my 1996 Vintage Fifteen Years On tasting. 14/20 (December 2011)

Pierre Jacques Druet Chinon Clos de Danzay 1995: This has a dark and maturing hue, and the nose shows lovely mature development to match. It is dominated by a meaty-smoky sense, with plenty of mature, sweet, macerated fruit, with notes of blood, iron, green peppercorns and mint. Medium weight on the palate, dry, with a full, sensuous texture. Refined, mature, blackcurrant and raspberry fruits with minty overtones, culminating in a gamey finish. This has a lovely style and nice length. Very good indeed. 18/20 (January 2006)

Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Vaumoreau 1989: Amazingly, this wine, from one of the greatest vintages of the 20th century for the Loire Valley, does not look a day older than the 2000 vintage on comparison. It still has a very dense appearance, and now on the nose we have liquorice, hung game, tobacco and yet it still has that perfumed, floral edge and remarkably a blast of pure blackberry fruit still. A supple start on the palate, very finely composed, still notably firm and tannic though, although these tannins have a ripe and meaty style. Good acidity too though. Overall, this is very good indeed, and still going strong. From my 2010 Druet update. 18/20 (February 2010)