1999 Beaune Grèves 1er Cru

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.