Medium colour. The nose offers occasional floral flashes, there is little on show here, perhaps just a little warm brown sugar. Sweetness of fruit and just a faint sour edge to good acidity. There’s a nice core of flavour, still with a faint rasp of tannin and quite some complexity – like a creamy cinnamon flavour but it’s all in the mid-palate and finish. This, grand cru or not, is a wine of subtle complexity rather than intensity and/or concentration. There should be no rush to drink this, but this is hardly even a middle-weight of a wine – that said, it was lovely!
Drouhin Joseph
2001 Drouhin Joseph Vosne-Romanée Les Petits Monts
Medium-plus ruby-red colour. The nose starts wide, wild and fecund – very impressive – but within 25 minutes it’s a shadow of its former self; higher-toned, fresh and herbal – spicy but without the earlier power. The palate is lithe, linear and undemonstrative – somehow metallic tasting. On the plus-side there is excellent texture and an implied rather than overt power. The length is impressive if rather understated. If I’m honest, there’s nothing here today except potential and more left the bottle for day 2 than normal. Day 2: much of the nose is returned, high-class Vosne, almost textural aromatics. The palate has improved some – mainly the width and length of the finish, but whilst there is enough to tempt me to buy more – this wine has become very difficult to find – you really should avoid opening bottles today.
2001 Drouhin Joseph Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru
In 2001 this was assembled from 4 vineyards: Borniques, Les Plantes, Les Combottes and 13 rows of Hautes-Doix. The nose starts a little dense, but slowly opens, softens and becomes more subtle; minerality somehow wrapped in fine fruit. In the mouth this is quite linear with some slightly dry but well-textured tannin. There is lovely complexity and a good length. Understated concentration (30 hl/ha this year), this is very young, but very lovely
2001 Drouhin Joseph Chablis Reserve de Vaudon
An assemblage of parcels from the right bank of the Serein River, between the Montée de Tonnerre and Mont de Milieu. Bright, pale gold colour. A pure sweet nose with a trace of melon and lemon. A lovely ‘zing’ of acidity, mineral and very long. This would make a perfect aperitif, or perhaps as Véronique suggests with oysters! Very good.