2011 Maison Joseph Drouhin Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

The 2011 Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru is from a half-hectare located in the top right hand corner as you look at the climat on the map. It offers a charming and gentle, almost Charmes-Chambertin-like bouquet that unfolds in the glass. The palate has a slight reduction on the palate that smudges the overall effect and yet it is rounded and supple in the mouth with cranberry, raspberry leaf and a pinch of black pepper toward the tender finish. Fine. Drink 2015-2025. It is always a pleasure to meet Veronique Drouhin, although this was actually the first time that I had visited their winery on the southern fringe of Beaune. “All the estate has been under biodynamic practices since the mid-1990s (including Chablis) and organic since 1988,” she said to me as we commenced the tasting. “We have been ECOCERT certified since 2009.” I asked her what tangible difference biodynamics have made. “The estate wines have a lot of depth and energy but what is really better is the pH,” she said. She also cited the arrival of head winemaker Jerome Faure-Brac in 2005 as another reason for the improvement in quality. Now their approach is for no compromise on the fruit and to exact precise viticulture for each vineyard. Veronique told me that their entry level Laforet aims to encapsulate the whole picture of Bourgogne. “We know the wine is consumed young so it is not heavily extracted,” she told me. “We look for a lovely fruity, round, elegant Bourgogne. You know, it is easier to make an Amoureuses than a Burgundy Rouge because of the quantity. It is aged in older barrels and it is bottled sooner than in the past.” Importer: Dreyfus Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770