Joseph Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches Premier Cru Rouge 2018
-
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Spectator
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
An exceptional wine. Beautiful, deep-red ruby color, with the bright sheen of great Burgundies. Intense and fresh nose for the young wines. Primary notes of red fruit dominate, such as Morello cherry (“griotte”, or wild cherry), raspberry, blackberry. There are hints of complexity with smoky flavors evolving towards licorice. When the wine is maturing, aromas of pepper, tobacco, humus and undergrowth appear. When drinking the wine, the first impression is always clear-cut and the texture fleshy. The body is firm without being rough, well meshed without being heavy. There is great freshness in the younger wines. With age, the wine gets rounder. It takes on “gras” (velvety texture) and a more precise architecture, supported by silky tannins. It is lively and refined at the same time. There remains a final and most pleasing sensation of harmony, fullness and delicate tannins, as the wine lingers on the palate.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
A perfumed and spicy wine with ripe strawberries, smoke and chocolate. Full, very savory and intense. Long aftertaste with lots of perfume. Fine, creamy texture. Really spicy at the finish. Drink after 2022 and onwards.
-
Decanter
The Drouhins' red version of the Clos des Mouches combines grapes from the high and low parts of the Premier Cru and is a blend of seven different micro cuvées. Fermented with 25% whole bunches and aged in 20% new wood, this is textured, refined and well balanced, with all the focus and freshness of one of Beaune's most special sites.
-
Wine Spectator
Classy, this pliant, succulent red boasts black cherry, raspberry, floral and spice flavors. It's firm and focused, with a silky texture and lingering notes of fruit and spice. Best from 2023 through 2038. 300 cases imported.
Other Vintages
2021-
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Morris
Jasper
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Morris
Jasper
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine
Since 1880, Maison Joseph Drouhin has built a reputation for wines that primarily reflect their individual terroir and vintage. Faithfully preserving the individuality of each appellation, the Drouhin firm constantly strives for wines of breed, finesse and elegance.
A balance of tradition and modern techniques characterizes Joseph Drouhin winemaking and vineyard management: on site nursery, plowing, leaf removal, 100% hand harvesting, open fermenters, fermenting and aging in oak.
As a result of its historic location deep in the heart of Beaune, the quality of its vineyards and the expertise resulting from years of experience in the cultivation of vines and traditional vinification, Maison Joseph Drouhin is uniquely placed to uphold authentic Burgundian style.
Starting with Joseph Drouhin, who founded Maison Joseph Drouhin over a century ago, a great estate has evolved with important holdings in Côte de Beaune, Côte de Nuits, Chablis and, most recently, Oregon.
MAISON JOSEPH DROUHIN AWARDED ORGANIC CERTIFICATION Estate-grown Grapes of 2009 Vintage and later Now Officially Organic. Twenty years after Philippe Drouhin first began introducing organic practices to the vineyards making up the family company’s domaine (estate), Maison Joseph Drouhin (MJD), has been awarded organic certification for all grapes grown within its vineyards beginning with the 2009 vintage.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
While the city represents the epicenter of wine production in Burgundy, the term, “Beaune” also refers to the specific sub-appellation of the greater Côte de Beaune, whose vineyards climb up the pastoral slopes that border the city to its west. Originally founded as a Roman camp by Julius Caesar, the city of Beaune eventually became the seat of the dukes of Burgundy until the 13th century. Today it is home to top négociants such as Louis Jadot, Joseph Drouhin, Louis Latour, and Bouchard Père et Fils.
The appellation, dominated by Pinot Noir plantings, represents a lovely and charming place to begin to understand red Burgundy. Its sandy soils create light and supple, floral driven Pinot Noir. These wines are designed to be enjoyed within five to 10 years. The vineyards of Beaune span a broad swath of Premier Crus from Savigny-lès-Beaune to its border with Pommard.
Chardonnay acreage here has been increasing here in the more recent years.