Here’s a pleasing floral note, but under is also a purity of fruit. Supple, deep, really fine texture, a little impression of salty vanilla from the barrels in there. Very tasty wine but I’d probably take the 2016 Chablis in preference.
Drouhin Joseph
2014 Drouhin Joseph Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru
Mich rounder, almost a little smokiness, almost reductive – but very subtle. This has a bubbling energy, depth of very fine flavour in the mid and finish too – more texture of the earthy tannin in the finish. Holding long, a good finish. Nothing floral in the aromas, but very round, balanced and tasty to finish.
2015 Drouhin Joseph Beaune Les Champs Pimont
2016 Drouhin Joseph Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières
2011 Drouhin Joseph Nuits St.Georges Les Vaucrains
2001 Drouhin Joseph Echézeaux
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!
1974 Drouhin Joseph Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses
Clean, bright medium coloured, clear at the rim. The nose has depth, initially with a hint of must – I’ll come back to it. In the mouth this is clean, indeed has cleansing acidity but without being tart. It seems linear and a little dilute – only in the mid-palate does it begin to unfold and deliver waves of decently intense flavour. By now the nose has tidied up and there’s a hint of pyrazine, but it’s more coal than coal-tar and adds an interesting dimension, another hour on and it smells fabulous with perfect red berries over a faintly musky base. So, this is silky and subtle, but with clean and long-lasting flavours and just the right amount of ‘sweet’. It is a very elegant lady who has retained quite some of her good looks – I really enjoyed spending the evening with her!
1985 Drouhin Joseph Gevrey-Chambertin
Medium-plus colour, tending more to mahogany than red. The nose has limited width, but quite some brown-sugared and warm-fruited depth. There is less silk to the texture but a more open and sweet flavour, like-able as it is, I still have the occasional faint impression of something oxidative (the cork slid out very easily) and a last vestige of tannic astringency. Slowly fading on a similar bitter-chocolate note to the previous wine, though perhaps not with the length of the Pontbriand.