Joesph DROUHIN (Beaune) -- 2017 Part IV: Whites Tasted from Bottle and from Cask Sample


The outstanding quality of 2017 whites is on full display here.

2017 Montagny
This is an example of the excellent values available from the Côte Chalonnaise to smart, value-oriented drinkers. The wine is mineral, pure, fresh, smooth, and elegant with a medium-light body. 13% stated alcohol. 91/A

2017 Meursault
As with the red village wines, Drouhin makes classic village whites that display the characters of their respective origins. This wine has lemon blossom aromas characteristic of Meursault. The mouth is light and elegant on the palate with finesse, density, length, and penetration. 13% stated alcohol. 92/A

2017 Puligny-Montrachet
The Puligny is mineral, elegant, energetic, and long. 13.5% stated alcohol. 92+/A

2017 Chassagne-Montrachet
With some shyness still on the nose, the Chassagne is mineral, ripe, and round with some red fruits, some peach. The wine is long and sensual. Drouhin sent harvesters twelve separate times to Chassagne to harvest the fruit for this wine. 92/A

2017 Meursault    1er Cru   Les Genevrières
The nose has juniper aromas typical of Genevrières. The wine is light in the mouth with finesse, peach and juniper flavors, a smooth texture, some juiciness, length, and excellent minerality and finesse. The grapes were picked on 30 August and 6 September and Drouhin purchased the musts. (93-95)

2017 Meursault    1er Cru   Les Charmes
As with other Meursault-Charmes that I tasted from the vintage, there is excellent finesse for the vineyard. The wine is layered on the tongue and shows excellent salinity. 13.5% stated alcohol. 94/A

2017 Puligny-Montrachet    1er Cru   Clos de la Garenne
This is an excellent expression of Clos de la Garenne with tension, lightness, firmness, and minerality. (92-95)

2017 Chassagne-Montrachet   1er Cru   Les Embazées
The Embazées is dense, intense, concentrated, rich yet light, and elegant. There a little sucrosity of texture here that gives a glossiness that plays against the tension in the wine. 100% barrel-fermented, about 25% new oak.13.5% stated alcohol. 93+/A

2017 Chassagne-Montrachet    1er Cru   Morgeot   Marquis de Laguiche
The nose here is stony and chalky. The mouth is medium-full with peach minerality, a hint of sucrosity, purity, freshness, roundness, length, and completeness. Harvested 2-7 September on three different occasions. (92-94)

2017 Beaune    1er Cru    Clos des Mouches
This is a marvelous Clos des Mouches, and one fortunately where there is plentiful supply, unlike other recent vintages. The wine shows good structure, clarity, and minerality with depth, length, and firmness. It only needs time. Harvested 1-6 September on six different occasions. (93-96)

2017 Corton-Charlemagne
This is the Drouhin estate version of Corton-Charlemagne; there is also a négociant version that I did not taste. The nose is stony and chalky. In the mouth, the wine is powerful, fleshy, and forward with yellow peach fruit, freshness, length, and roundness. But this wine does not have the tension of a classic Corton-Charlemagne. (93-95)

2017 Montrachet    Marquis de Laguiche
The Montrachet is a fabulous wine with rock and mineral aromas. The mouth is firm and pure with richness, depth, and length — but in ineffable combinations that make Montrachet the epitome of white Burgundy, and indeed all dry white wines. There were three different pickings, between 5 and 8 September, due to the differences in vine ages. (96-98)