2018 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru

Here is another producer that I have visited for donkey’s years that I was denied thanks to my forcibly curtailed trip last autumn. Having tasted a few cuvées at the London tastings in January, I met with Véronique Drouhin-Boss to taste a selection of whites and reds at their tasting room in the centre of Beaune. “We picked the Chardonnay after the Pinot Noir,” she explained. “You had to be in the vineyards every day. The date of picking was tricky. It meant we could play with the whole cluster. The Chardonnay had beautiful lees. The acidity is very good as there wasn't a big drop after malo. There was just a little bâtonnage.”

“Everyone in Burgundy is smiling again,” Véronique Drouhin began, her own smile undisguised. “The 2017 vintage is the first vintage overseen by our new vineyard manager, Jullien Pallisse. It was warmer and drier than normal, with 200 hours more sunshine than usual. There was a little less rain. February and March were warmer, so bud-break started early. The one problem was the mange Bouchon, which you can’t do much about unless you have chickens. Oïdium was easy to control. April was cold again from the 18th but there was incredible solidarity, with growers helping each other, lighting bales of hay when there was a risk of frost. This was very efficient in obscuring the sunlight the following morning, just for 30 to 60 [crucial] minutes. We also put every candle we could find in the vineyard, except in Chablis. The véraison started at the end of July and finished at the end of August, the Chardonnay starting before the Pinot Noir. There was excellent maturity in the grapes. The acidity is low but there was hardly any malic acidity.”

The harvest kicked off in the Côte de Beaune on September 1 and the Côte de Nuits six days later. Most of the reds underwent a three-week cuvaison, whilst Drouhin practiced less bâtonnage for the whites since they felt that the lees were of good quality. The wines are aged in 30% new oak for most of the whites and reds. Many of the whites were bottled in July 2018, though the top Premier and Grand Crus remain in barrel up until the end of the year.

Tasting through over 40 wines, it is clear that there is much to enjoy courtesy of Drouhin this year, and not only amongst their bevy of Premier and Grand Crus. Their whites are particularly strong and I would single out the Chassagne-Montrachet Embazées, Meursault Charmes and Puligny-Montrachet Village as worthy of serious consideration. The reds also offer their fair share of delights, such as the Beaune Sizies, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru (a blend of three outstanding climats) and a serious Chambolle Les Amoureuses, among the best I encountered.

The sorting here was “critical and precise” in 2014 owing to the fly issues, said Véronique Drouhin, who noted that there were almost no problems with the Drosophila suzukii on the Côte de Beaune owing to the tiny crop levels. Yields were much better on the Côte de Nuits, she told me. The team started harvesting on both Côtes on September 15, and did not chaptalize its Côte de Beaune cuvées. “The pHs in 2014 are not particularly high,” said Drouhin. “A lot of the wines are delicious already but the top Gevreys, like the Mazi-Chambertin, will need a lot of time. ” Unfortunately, I did not have the chance to see a couple of the Drouhin wines made in tiny quantities, like the Chambolle Amoureuses and Griotte-Chambertin.

The Drouhins picked most of their fruit during the first week of September, according to Philippe Drouhin. There was a lot of downy and powdery mildew, which slowed down the maturation of the grapes at the end, he told me, adding that the Cote de Nuits ripened more easily than the Cote de Beaune due to the healthier foliage of the vines. The family eliminated some rotten grapes at harvest "but less than in 2008." Drouhin does not view the 2011s as fragile wines but does not see them as particularly long-lasting either. "They're lower in both alcohol and acidity than the 2010s," he noted. "But I can't name a weak point to the vintage." Nearly all of the wines were in tank by the time of my November visit, and the vintage was slated to be bottled in December and January, which Drouhin described as "early, to capture fruit and freshness."

This is an impressive showing from Drouhin. In my view the 2010s are more interesting and transparent than the 2009s. Véronique Drouhin describes 2010 as a vintage with long-term aging potential, which certainly seems to be the case. Some of the wines were vinified with a portion of whole clusters, including the Corton-Bressandes, Petits-Monts, Charmes and Musigny.

According to Frederic Drouhin, vintage 2010 brought balance and purity across the greater Burgundy region. The 2009s, he noted, " are ripe, sweet and seductive, but terroir differences were erased by the warm weather. The 2010s have less alcohol but more acidity, and superb balance. They will age gracefully." The 2010 harvest took place between September 21 and 29. Although the fruit was lower in sugar than that of 2009, many cuvees were not chaptalized. Due in part to the late malos, the Drouhin 2010s will be bottled later than usual; in most cases, I tasted final blends that were ready for bottling.

Drouhin farms 75 hectares of vineyards according to biodynamic principles. Maceration and fermentation lasts about three weeks. The wines are then racked into oak in a cold part of the cellar to slow down the malos, although in 2009 they were entirely done by December. The estate leaves the wines on their lees for several months with one racking, or two if needed, prior to being assembled for bottling. New oak ranges from 25% for the entry-level wines to 50-65% for the grand crus. Véronique Drouhin thinks the 2009s will stay open throughout their lives, much as the 1985s have. All of these 2009s were bottled between early December, 2010 and January, 2011.

"Two thousand nine was easy in the vineyards and easy to harvest, without any time pressures," reported Frederic Drouhin, who told me that his family started picking pinot on September 8 but brought in most of its Cote de Nuits crus between September 12 and 15. "We did a bit of sorting to eliminate overripe grapes, as we thought it was critical to avoid overripeness in '09." Drouhin describes the young wines as "seductive, charming, commercial, ripe. The vintage character currently dominates the terroir; it's not a classic vintage like 2008. The '09s will probably be best for mid-term aging, since the fruit is so ripe and the acidity low." The Drouhins were just starting to bottle the wines at the time of my visit (most of these had been racked) and planned to finish by the end of January.

No 2008s were yet in bottle at the time of my mid-November visit to Joseph Drouhin, and the grand crus were still in barrel, unracked. Philippe Drouhin describes the vintage as "a tiny crop with very good structure and potential." The family started thinning the fruit in late July to increase the speed of ripening during late summer. There was botrytis in August in the early-ripening vineyards, he told me, and these grapes were carefully eliminated. In any event, rot was more of an issue at harvest time than underripe grapes, and grape sugars were "good to very good." The acidity levels in the wines are higher than in 2009, 2007 or 2006, added Veronique Drouhin, who told me that the '08s resemble the 1978s in their high acids and slow malos. "In comparison," she added, "1996 was a drier style of wine." (Note that the Drouhin 2007s were reviewed from bottle in Issue 143.)

The end of July and August of 2007 were wet, noted Philippe Drouhin, adding that "difficult weather after veraison is never good for the quality of the grapes. But luckily we had good weather after that and we took advantage of the dry period to harvest, starting in early September and then stopping for several days for better ripeness." The family's Clos des Mouches parcel was picked in several components over a period of a week. In the end, says Drouhin, the 2007 reds are a bit lighter but more focused than the 2006s, with better definition of terroir. And the best wines, he added, are those that ripened later. Incidentally, the Drouhins prefer to drink their 2006s on the early side but plan to cellar more bottles of their 2007s. (My notes on the finished 2006s appeared in Issue 137.)

Winemaker Jerome Faure-Brac described 2006 as "difficult in terms of the rainy August, especially in the normally colder spots and on clay soils, where there was a lot of rot. But the amount of rot varied widely, and in certain places we got very good ripeness." He went on: "In places where the maturity was affected by hail, such as Griottes-Chambertin, we did a softer vinification. We had good sugars but only moderate phenolic maturity, so we didn't want to extract green tannins." The 2006s reviewed in this issue were bottled at the end of August. By the way, there were some real standouts here in 2005: this rich and often quite powerful vintage provided near-perfect raw materials for the delicate, scented Drouhin style. I tasted a few of these wines chez Drouhin in November, the rest in New York this winter. (Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY) Also recommended: Volnay Clos des Chenes (85+?), Beaune Greves (86), Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Proces (86).

"It's hard to ask for better," said Philippe Drouhin of the 2005 growing season. "The only thing we could have asked for was better yields. The yields were low because it was very dry." (Production in Grands-Echezeaux, Echezeaux, Amoureuses and Musigny were also cut by hail in May.) Drouhin told me that the family harvested slightly later than most of their colleagues. "This was the right strategy for the pinot noir, but in retrospect we could have picked the chardonnay a bit earlier," he said. The 2005 reds seem set for a long and positive evolution in bottle. "My father compares 2005 to 1961," said Philippe, adding that the '61s are still very good today. Long-time winemaker Laurence Jobard, who was set to retire at the end of 2006 after having made 30 vintages here, also raved about 2005: "I've been vinifying a long time, but this may be my best vintage ever. The '05s have a sweetness like 1985 but more richness." (Note that I reviewed the finished Drouhin 2004s back in Issue 125.)

The 2004 harvest required very careful sorting, Philippe Drouhin reported, especially in the hailed-on areas but also to eliminate rotten grapes. "And of course we also had to eliminate chardonnay grapes affected by oidium," he added. "It's easy to discard the grapes that are obviously affected by hail," said Drouhin, "but the intermediate berries that don't ripen further after the hail are harder to spot and eliminate at the time of harvest. "Drouhin described grape sugars as moderate:in the low 12% range on the Cote de Nuits, with the finished wines at or a bit higher than 13%. Most of the 2004s were bottled before the 2005 harvest. In my tasting, the cru bottlings were considerably more successful than the village wines. (I found the village wines from Volnay and Gevrey to be peppery and only modestly ripe, while my sample of the Chambolle villages was too evolved. )The Drouhins had not yet decided whether they would offer any Clos des Mouches; it's possible that there will be a little for the domestic French market. For notes on Drouhin's very strong set of 2003s, please refer to Issue 119; I retasted these wines this winter and scored every bottle within a point of last year's samples, with the exception of the Bonnes-Mares, which was much sappier, thicker and more perfumed than the rather stunted bottle I tried last year, with a tactile, clinging finish, and merited a score of 92.

The Drouhins began harvesting their parcels on August 20, but, according to Philippe Drouhin, were ready to pick even earlier than that."Normally we don't like to harvest until the vegetative cycle is over, no matter what the numbers say," Philippe told me."But I admit that this year was different:the pips were already brown.We didn't pull leaves, but some leaves simply burned off in the sun.But don't forget the benefit of having not a trace of rot."The extent of the drought effect ranges widely in 2003, said Philippe, depending on soil composition and age of vines."But even if there was different drought stress in different parts of a vineyard due to the varying depth of the soil, we still had to pick each vineyard in one pass," he went on."In Amoureuses, for example, I would have liked to pick in tries.The vines softened first in the steep part of the vineyard, where there was more burning of the grapes, and I would have harvested there first."Some cuvees were acidified and others not, based on water stress and harvest dates.Philippe wryly summarized, "I'm certainly not sure about anything having to do with this vintage."

An easy year with no particular difficulties," was how Philippe Drouhin described vintage 2002. The wines don't require a long elevage and will be bottled earlier than usual, probably by the end of 2003."Philippe told me he thinks the 2002s will evolve fairly rapidly but noted that winemaker Laurence Jobard thinks they'll last well.Crop levels in 2002 were down slightly from those of 2001.

An easy year with no particular difficulties," was how Philippe Drouhin described vintage 2002. The wines don't require a long elevage and will be bottled earlier than usual, probably by the end of 2003."Philippe told me he thinks the 2002s will evolve fairly rapidly but noted that winemaker Laurence Jobard thinks they'll last well.Crop levels in 2002 were down slightly from those of 2001.

All of the Drouhin family's holdings are farmed organically, and six hectares are now farmed according to the more radical precepts of biodynamie Organic viticulture produces riper fruit earlier, Veronique Drouhin told me, which means that the family needs to do less crop thinning to arrive at the same yields. As the Drouhins have improved their vineyard techniques, they plan to drop some of their long-time suppliers, even some with grand cru holdings, because they find their fruit "no longer acceptable," according to winemaker Laurence Jobard. Said Veronique: Our father wanted to bottle the 2001s very early, but then he left for his vacation and we decided to wait." Most of the 2001s had been racked a couple weeks prior to my visit, and were a bit hard-edged from sulfiting.

All of the Drouhin family's holdings are farmed organically, and six hectares are now farmed according to the more radical precepts of biodynamie Organic viticulture produces riper fruit earlier, Veronique Drouhin told me, which means that the family needs to do less crop thinning to arrive at the same yields. As the Drouhins have improved their vineyard techniques, they plan to drop some of their long-time suppliers, even some with grand cru holdings, because they find their fruit "no longer acceptable," according to winemaker Laurence Jobard. Said Veronique: Our father wanted to bottle the 2001s very early, but then he left for his vacation and we decided to wait." Most of the 2001s had been racked a couple weeks prior to my visit, and were a bit hard-edged from sulfiting.

Veronique Drouhin describes the 2000s as "wines not for long aging." The Drouhins carried out a double triage, the first one in the vineyard to eliminate damaged clusters. "The Cote de Beaune wines are uneven," said Veronique, "but the Cote de Nuits wines were easy to vinify." In November, the 2000s did not offer the same verve as Drouhin more perfumed and aromatically precise '99s, which should rank among this producer's top vintages of recent years. Veronique noted that the family has been harvesting later since 1995 in an attempt to get a more thorough expression of terroir

Veronique Drouhin describes the 2000s as "wines not for long aging." The Drouhins carried out a double triage, the first one in the vineyard to eliminate damaged clusters. "The Cote de Beaune wines are uneven," said Veronique, "but the Cote de Nuits wines were easy to vinify." In November, the 2000s did not offer the same verve as Drouhin more perfumed and aromatically precise '99s, which should rank among this producer's top vintages of recent years. Veronique noted that the family has been harvesting later since 1995 in an attempt to get a more thorough expression of terroir

The Drouhin reds, especially now that the grapes get a few days of cold maceration prior to the onset of fermentation, strike me as offering a near-perfect combination of aromatic precision and silky texture; few pinot noirs made outside Burgundy offer such compelling inner-mouth perfume. On my most recent visit to their large winemaking facility outside Beaune, I tasted blends of the major components of the '99s. Oddly, some of my usual favorites, such as the Chambolle 1er Cru and Amoureuses, and the Griottes-Chambertin, wines that normally please with their finesse, seemed a bit short on flesh in the '99 vintage. On the other hand, the '99s from the Cote de Beaune, such as the Beaune Clos des Mouches and the Volnay Clos des Chenes, appear to be particularly successful in '99. The Drouhins planned to bottle the wines in February and March of 2001. The '98s, in comparison, had a considerably longer levage(the grand crus were not bottled until September of 2000). But the best of them offer compelling purity and freshness of aromas for the vintage.

The Drouhin reds, especially now that the grapes get a few days of cold maceration prior to the onset of fermentation, strike me as offering a near-perfect combination of aromatic precision and silky texture; few pinot noirs made outside Burgundy offer such compelling inner-mouth perfume. On my most recent visit to their large winemaking facility outside Beaune, I tasted blends of the major components of the '99s. Oddly, some of my usual favorites, such as the Chambolle 1er Cru and Amoureuses, and the Griottes-Chambertin, wines that normally please with their finesse, seemed a bit short on flesh in the '99 vintage. On the other hand, the '99s from the Cote de Beaune, such as the Beaune Clos des Mouches and the Volnay Clos des Chenes, appear to be particularly successful in '99. The Drouhins planned to bottle the wines in February and March of 2001. The '98s, in comparison, had a considerably longer levage(the grand crus were not bottled until September of 2000). But the best of them offer compelling purity and freshness of aromas for the vintage.

The Drouhin reds, especially those wines from their own vines (as opposed to their negociant bottlings, from purchased grapes and/or wine), are consistently supple, perfumed wines that impress more with their precise, complex aromas than with their sheer palate presence in early tastings. Yet these gently extracted wines can offer surprising longevity, strong evidence that balance is the key to graceful aging in bottle. After the fruit is sorted on a table de trie, then destemmed and crushed, it is moved into the fermenters without being pumped. Vinification is done in a combination of small wood vats, small vertical stainless steel vats and larger stainless steel fermenters. The producer's Clos des Mouches uses all three types of fermenters, says vineyard manager Philippe Drouhin, "and we don't notice a bit of difference among these vessels, although it is easy to overextract in the large tanks if one is not careful." Following a 12-hour decanting in stainless steel, the wines are moved by gravity to the barrel cellar, where a relatively low percentage of new oak is used for aging. Philippe made it clear that the house is aware of criticism that its wines privilege aroma over body. "In fact, we've done a bit more cold maceration since the '95 vintage," notes Philippe. "But it's always tricky to extract more without losing the finesse of pinot noir."

The Drouhin reds, especially those wines from their own vines (as opposed to their negociant bottlings, from purchased grapes and/or wine), are consistently supple, perfumed wines that impress more with their precise, complex aromas than with their sheer palate presence in early tastings. Yet these gently extracted wines can offer surprising longevity, strong evidence that balance is the key to graceful aging in bottle. After the fruit is sorted on a table de trie, then destemmed and crushed, it is moved into the fermenters without being pumped. Vinification is done in a combination of small wood vats, small vertical stainless steel vats and larger stainless steel fermenters. The producer's Clos des Mouches uses all three types of fermenters, says vineyard manager Philippe Drouhin, "and we don't notice a bit of difference among these vessels, although it is easy to overextract in the large tanks if one is not careful." Following a 12-hour decanting in stainless steel, the wines are moved by gravity to the barrel cellar, where a relatively low percentage of new oak is used for aging. Philippe made it clear that the house is aware of criticism that its wines privilege aroma over body. "In fact, we've done a bit more cold maceration since the '95 vintage," notes Philippe. "But it's always tricky to extract more without losing the finesse of pinot noir."