I bought 11 mixed bottles of older Joseph Drouhin wines – at seriously great (1999) prices – but that of-course hangs on decent quality and decent storage, hence, only one bottle of each before a rebuy decision. To start with, here’s 2 notes from the opening 3 négoce bottles – a mixed result:
1996 Joseph Drouhin, Vosne-Romanée
Medium ruby-red colour. The nose has a very faintly lifted and coffee tinged impression – it seems quite 1996-ish – underneath is tight red cherry fruit at the core and small impression of prune – as a whole this is actually quite nice. Given time there’s a hint of smoke and dried currants – lovely. Chewing the wine is not so easy given the typical 1996 acidity, but it yields faint but sandy textured tannins. Some impression of maturity to the fruit flavours, but whether you wait 2 or 10 years I’m not sure you will ever get a ‘comfort wine’, it will always fully reflect the vintage, but as someone with who is not acid-averse, no problem for me. Faintly lingering flavours are the last(ing) impression. Clean and quite tasty.
Rebuy – Maybe
14 year-old Corton is typically an adolescent, in combination with the 1995 vintage, that seems reinforced…
1995 Joseph Drouhin, Corton
Medium ruby-red colour – perhaps a little muddy. For the first 2 hours this is a ‘so what’ wine, a nose that seems a little roast and shows flavours that offer little interest and no charm. Very slowly the nose takes on a little width, and whilst far from effusive seems a little fresher. The palate slowly becomes fatter and develops more complexity – its best ‘angle’ is certainly the mix of lingering flavours, though the acidity and tannin are pretty good.
Rebuy – No