Joseph Drouhin Clos des Mouches Rouge, Beaune Premier Cru, France 2022

Tasting by Véronique Boss-Drouhin

An exceptional wine. Beautiful, deep-red ruby colour, with the bright sheen of great Burgundies. Intense and fresh nose for the young wines. Primary notes of red fruit dominate, such as Morello cherry (« griotte », or wild cherry), raspberry, blackberry. There are hints of complexity with smoky flavours evolving towards liquorice. When the wine is maturing, aromas of pepper, tobacco, humus and undergrowth appear. When drinking the wine, the first impression is always clear-cut and the texture fleshy. The body is firm without being rough, well meshed without being heavy. There is great freshness in the younger wines. With age, the wine gets rounder. It takes on « gras » (velvety texture) and a more precise architecture, supported by silky tannins. It is lively and refined at the same time. There remains a final and most pleasing sensation of harmony, fullness and delicate tannins, as the wine lingers on the palate.

Site: at the southern end of the Beaune appellation, next to Pommard. The Drouhin vineyard is at mid-slope, on a mild incline with an east/south east exposure. It is the largest parcel of the Clos des Mouches (14 hectares - 35 acres), one half planted with chardonnay, the other with pinot noir.

"The 2022 Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches (Domaine) is shaping up beautifully, revealing aromas of sweet cherries, cassis, licorice and spices deftly framed by toasty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, with a fleshy core of fruit, succulent acids and powdery tannins, the Drouhin's own fully 14 hectares of this prime premier cru, which is divided equally between Chardonnay and Pinot Noir." Wine Advocate 92-94