(Originally published on 22 March 2017.)
These Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise whites from Drouhin are on the whole representative of the vintage in whites — some good beyond expectations for the vintage, others not bad but lacking some inspiration.
These Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise whites from Drouhin are on the whole representative of the vintage in whites — some good beyond expectations for the vintage, others not bad but lacking some inspiration.
Interestingly, some very late harvesting of the whites, along with some early harvesting.
2015 Rully
This Rully is a combination of estate and purchased grapes. There’s a hint of hazelnuts in the nose. The mouth is light with a good expression of lemon and mineral flavors, intensity, and length. Harvested 6-18 September, whole clusters. 13% stated alcohol. 90/A
2015 Meursault
The Meursault is mineral and light on the palate with good penetration and layering and lots of finesse to go with the penetration. Some hazelnut flavors here. As always, Drouhin does an excellent job with its village whites. Harvested 31 August - 17 September, whole clusters in fermentation. (88-92)
2015 Puligny-Montrachet
Drouhin’s Puligny-Montrachet is light with quite a bit of finesse to go with its minerality and lemon flavors. Harvested 2-8 September, whole clusters in fermentation. (88-92)
2015 Chassagne-Montrachet
Hazelnut and floral aromas are followed by minerality on the light but firm palate with some force but also finesse. Good length here. Harvested 31 August - 9 September; whole clusters here. (89-92)
2015 Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières
This wine was somewhat disappointing to taste, but perhaps with time in bottle, it will come together. The strong lime blossom aromas are pleasing but a little atypical of Gevenvrières. The mouth is medium-light with some density, Genevrières finesse, length, and some drive, but the wine remains disjointed. The vines are in the Genevrières Dessus lieu-dit, generally considered the better part of the Genevrières vineyard. Harvested 30 August, whole clusters in fermentation. (86-90)
2015 Meursault 1er Cru Perrières
Drouhin’s Perrières is very stony, mineral, and deep. This is good wine and good Perrières for the vintage, but it does not show the tension and tightly-wound quality of a great Perrières. The aromas and flavors show attractive butter and hazelnut elements. Harvested 29 August- 5 September; whole clusters in fermentation. (90-94)
2015 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Garenne
The Clos de la Garenne has mineral and floral aromas. The mouth shows good density of texture. It is a tightly-knit wine with a smooth, silky texture and nice finesse. Harvested 13 September; whole clusters in fermentation. (89-93)
2015 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Folatières
Drouhin’s Folatières features red cherry aromas. The red cherries continue in the mouth where the wine is light on the palate with some depth, some density, and good length. But this wine needs more time in cask to develop and, perhaps reflecting the vintage, lacks a little energy. Harvested 3 September, whole cluster fermentation. (87-91)
2015 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Embazées
The Embazées shows attractive, intense lime minerality, good density, and it is is tightly-knit. The wines lacks the depth and penetration of a still better wine, though. Harvested 10 September, whole cluster fermentation. (89-92)
2015 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Marquis de Laguiche
The Chassagne-Morgeot Marquis de Laguiche, one of Drouhin’s flagship wines, has a lime blossom nose. The mouth shows good liveliness and is light on the palate but lacks some depth. There’s food freshness here and more intensity and energy than in the Folatières or Genevrières. Harvested 3-10 September, whole cluster fermentation. The vines here average about 30 years of age. (89-92)
2015 Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches
The Beaune-Clos des Mouches is another of Drouhin’s flagship wines. The vines here were weakened by the 2012-13-14 hails, and production is small in 2015, although the quality is very good. The nose and mouth are intense and stony. This wine shows more intensity and density than the foregoing with lemony minerality and good depth. Very promising. Harvested 2-4 September, whole cluster fermentation. (91-94)
2015 Corton-Charlemagne
My review here is of the estate Corton-Charlemagne; there is also a Corton-Charlemagne from purchased grapes that I did not taste. Alas, I did not find this wine up to expectations: there’s some sucrosity here (which presumably will disappear with aging), length, and depth, but the wine lacks the grip and energy I expect from Corton-Charlemagne. A wine to be evaluated again from bottle. Harvested 2 September, whole cluster fermentation. (87-90)
2015 Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche
The nose is floral and stony. The mouth is mineral and lemony with drive, elegance, and length. All is there — this may not be a Montrachet for the ages, but it is one that should not disappoint, which is praise, given the vintage in white. Harvested 4-18 September; whole cluster fermentation. (93-96)