Joseph Drouhin Dinner

I was fortunate to be invited to a dinner at CinCin hosted by Marquis along with the local importer for Joseph Drouhin and Jean-Francois Curie (Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for Joseph Drouhin) to taste some of their 2009s and a few other wines. The wines showed very well and food pairings were spot on, especially the first flight. With my extremely limited experience in drinking young Burgundy and from this very small sampling of 09s I got the impression that the wines from 09 (or at least the 09s from Drouhin) are fairly big with lots of fruit but with a tannic and acidic spine that keeps them fresh and will allow them to age nicely. The fruit seems pure and concentrated without being over-the-top or reduced. The other impression I got is that the overall Joseph Drouhin style is that of finesse and not power.

Capesante crudo - marinated scallops, winter citrus fruit, tuscan olive oil and cold smoked pancetta...

• 2009 Joseph Drouhin / Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis 1er Cru Sécher 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Light straw in colour. Slightly reserved on the nose at first. After some coaxing notes of seashell, saline some floral and citrus. A lighter and delicate nose. In the mouth great acidity with sharp citrus (mainly lemon) flavours. Fresh and crisp finish. Very enjoyable now but has the backbone to age nicely. Very good. 89+

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• 2009 Joseph Drouhin / Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis 1er Cru Montmains 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Slightly darker than the Secher but not by much. Notes of flint and lees with a rounder and more opulent mouth feel than the Secher. Citrus flavours with hints of nuts. A longer finish with medium acid. I preferred this over the Secher at this stage but not by much. This also has potential to improve with some bottle age. Excellent. 90+

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Cappelletti - italian buffalo mozzarella cappelletti with brown butter and boschetto di tartufo...

• 2009 Joseph Drouhin Gevrey-Chambertin 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  Medium bright ruby red in colour. Nose jumps out of the glass with a blast of red fruits and hints of latex/medicinal. Dark cherries and raspberry flavours on the palate with a good amount of acid. Lights tannins, medium body with a lengthy finish. A bit of alcohol coming through on the finish. Youthful in every aspect and needs 5-7 years. Excellent. 90+

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• 2009 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Grèves 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru

  Medium red in colour. Right off the bat this is much more rustic than the Gevrey-Chambertin. On the nose aromas of barnyard, dark raspberry, spice and smoke. This isn’t soft or velvety in the mouth, nor does it have much finesse, but it has great ripe flavours, serious structure and lots of complexity. Give this 7-10 years. Excellent. 92+

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Trota - lois lake steelhead trout, heirloom carrots, cece and baby artichokes...

• 2009 Joseph Drouhin / Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Light straw in colour. Nose of lemon, floral, minerality, crushed rocks and a touch of oak that’s perfectly subtle and integrated. Very youthful in mouth with sharp citrus flavours and lots of acid. Long and slightly austere finish with a good blast of tart minerality coming through. Medium body. This is painfully young and needs 5-7 years, probably more, before it’s going to be ready for primetime drinking. Excellent. 92+

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• 2003 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

  Medium straw in colour. Wow, this is a big nose. Rich and smoky with notes of charred lemon, tropical fruits, nuts and hints of honey and toasty oak. Full bodied and intense flavours on the palate. Round and rich with a very long finish. This is drinking extremely well and I’m not sure this will improve much more with further aging. Outstanding.

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Coniglio - saddle of rabbit wrapped in prosciutto and sage, black trumpet mushrooms and sunchokes...

• 2009 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Rouge 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru

  Bright colour red. Fresh nose of red berry fruit and pure raspberries and some peppery spice. Nicely concentrated on the palate with sweeter red fruits, herbs and some funky notes. Great acidity and a nice tannin spine. Nice complexity here. This is slightly bigger and more powerful than the ’06 Charmes-Chambertin. Lots of potential here. Would love to try this in again in 5-10+ years. Excellent. 92+

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• 2006 Joseph Drouhin Charmes-Chambertin 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Medium ruby red at the core showing a slight brown hue towards the rim. Beautiful developing nose raspberry, red berries, forest floor and hints of funk. Sweeter flavours with a decent amount of acid but not much in the way of tannins here. This is already has an element of finesse and is very approachable. Excellent.

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Taleggio, bleu de lequeuille, pecorino toscana - rucola with balsamic, apple and walnut bread...

• NV Taylor (Fladgate) Porto 20 Year Old Tawny 90 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  No formal notes. Excellent.

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