2008 Maison Joseph Drouhin Gevrey-Chambertin

Tart cherry and smoked meat dominate the Drouhin 2008 Gevrey-Chambertin – which I tasted from tank – and its interchange of fresh juiciness, tart berry skin, and tea-like bitterness and tannin is far more enjoyable than the rather tough, gum-numbing facade of the corresponding village-level Nuits-St.-Georges. This should remain enjoyable for at least 4-5 years, but there’s no question you can buy a lot more charm for a lot less money elsewhere in the same portfolio. “2008 was very slow in doing its malolactic – which was good, and ended up with a pretty lively impression of acidity” remarked Veronique Boss-Drouhin, “and I think the wines will be slow to evolve in bottle, as well.” Numerous cuvees were still in tank or barrel when I visited in March, which constitutes an unusually late schedule at this address. The 2007s, by contrast, were bottled even earlier than normal, most at age 12 months. In 2008, a 15-25% share of stems and whole clusters was included in the fermenting vat for the Clos des Mouches and for most of the Drouhin grand crus, whereas in 2007 that degree of vendange entier was practically the rule across the entire Drouhin range (by no means all of which I tasted). Importer: Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770

Good medium red. Cherry liqueur on the nose, lifted by a floral note. Sweet black cherry fruit is complicated by game and smoke, with strong acidity giving the wine a penetrating quality. Finishes with fairly suave tannins. Since 2006, this wine has been made from parcels all over Gevrey-Chambertin; previously the wine was entirely from the southern half of the village.