Burgundy to the 4th Power

When we last left the topic of the great Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from that swath of land in France known as Burgundy I was lamenting.... Well you can read what I was lamenting in my Burgundy, Burgundy, Burgundy post from a few weeks back if you'd like.

I'll pick up the story here: Upon returning from the shop after tasting 80+ Burgs at the Martine's Wine's tasting I was greeted by a friendly and familiar face: Laurent Drouhin from (where else?) Burgundy! Laurent was in town on a promotional tour for his family's winery Maison Joseph Drouhin and stopped by BSFW to offer samples of some of their recent offerings. Laurent is an energetic and passionate spokesperson for his family's wines and the region in general.

After I explained how I had just come from a trade event that featured Burgundy, and how I had encountered many very young and very expensive and hard to judge wines from critically acclaimed, artisan producers, Laurent's face lit up. "Ah," he said. "That is why you should sell my family's wine, for we make 'populist' Burgundy!" He was referring to the fact that Drouhin is not a small company but a rather large one (by Burgundian standards) that sources grapes from throughout the Cote d'Or, Macon and Chablis and also owns significant vineyard acreage. This production power allows them to bottle many of the most prestigious wines such as Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits St. Georges and Pommard all under one label and at a relatively affordable price. The next obvious question is, "Well, what about the quality?"

Fast forward a month and Rebecca and I are attending a portfolio tasting of importer Dreyfuss, Ashby & Co. at the Top of the Hub. Drouhin is part owner of Dreyfuss so there were plenty of Laurent's wines available to sample. In general the wines were indeed of very good quality, showing pure fruit, lifting acids and regional identity.

Some highlights:

The 2008 whites showed exceptional vitality and elegance. This appears to be a vintage to celebrate. The Puligny-Montrachet Folatieres 1er Cru was beguiling showing both power and restraint, with an exotic floral element offset by classic minerality and a finish that just wouldn't quit. It was the rare wine that as a seasoned professional taster, I just couldn't spit. Is it worth $89? As much as any white wine can be, I suppose.

Aside from the preview of the 2008 vintage, there were two full tables of "in stock" items. Some of these were wines that are starting to show maturity. This helps clear one of the major hurdles of spreading the Burgundy word, finding wines that are ready to drink. One standout of this group was the 2005 Cotes de Beaune rouge. This wine is made exclusively from vineyards owned by Drouhin - and it was really starting to show its stuff. Wet loam and well kept barn complexities melded seamlessly with still vibrant red and black fruits. The texture was mouth-filling and rounded until the maturing tannins stepped in to keep the whole affair in order. This was coming close to the "magic" that is a great red Burgundy experience.  For just under $40 you can't really call it a bargain but you can say its a well justified treat!

In the end, Maison Joseph Drouhin's wines may never hit the highest heights of some of the region's legendary producers like Comte Georges de Vogue or Domaine de la Romanee Conti, but as Laurent claimed, they consistently deliver good examples of white and red Burgs. And if you hit one just right, a little bit of vinous magic may come your way.    

 Score Card
Total wines tasted: 55
Wines that made “the short list”: 7
One to look for in the store this weekend: 05 Maison Joseph Drouhin Cotes de Beaune rouge