Wine Tasting: Joseph Drouhin - The Whites (14th Oct 1997)
Presented by Frederic Drouhin, Beaune.
1. 1996 Drouhin Laforet Blanc
14th Oct 1997 Burgundy Table White
Bright, pale gold.
Clean, fresh nose with some grassiness. Light and fresh with clean fruit. Good acidity.
Drink on its own or as an aperitif.
(Case, ex cellar FF305]
2. 1996 Drouhin Chablis (Non Domaine)
14th Oct 1997 Burgundy Table White
Bright, pale gold.
Forward nose with mineral notes.
Full bodied, dry and intense with yeasty bread, ripe fruit, good all-round acidity and a lovely long finish.
(FF411 per case, ex cellar)
3. 1996 Drouhin Chablis (Domaine)
14th Oct 1997 Burgundy Table White
Bright, pale gold - slightly deeper than the non-Domaine bottling.
Not as clean on the nose - quite dumb.
Medium bodied and dry, with fresh citrus acidity and mineral and almondy flavours. A trace of gumboils and maybe some sulphur.
A bit disappointing after the non-Domaine wine - maybe it just needs time.
(FF470 per case, ex cellar)
4. 1996 Drouhin Chablis Domaine de Vaudon
14th Oct 1997 Burgundy Table White
Bright, pale gold.
Still tight and closed on the nose - tart fruit and some minerals.
Medium bodied and dry with rich, buttery, nutty fruit and a subtle touch of bitter almonds and creamy oak.
Good balance and a long finish. Very good.
(FF587 per case, ex cellar)
5. 1996 Drouhin Pouilly Fuisse
14th Oct 1997 Burgundy Table White
Pale, bright.
Cream and minerals on the nose - starting to open out.
Medium to full bodied, dry with almost pungent Chardonnay fruit, excellent acidity and a long finish. Well balanced.
(FF669 ex cellar)
6. 1996 Drouhin Montagny
14th Oct 1997 Burgundy Table White
Deeper colour than the Pouilly Fuisse, bright.
Nutty, buttery nose with a trace of oak.
Medium bodied and dry, with good fruit and acidity, creamy oak and nut flavours, and a long, weighty finish.
Excellent drinking already.
7. 1996 Drouhin Rully Blanc
14th Oct 1997 Burgundy Table White
Bright, even, pale gold.
Creamy, nutty up front nose with evident oak.
Slightly heavier than the Montagny, dry with tart, oily citrus fruit, subtle oak and good acidity.
Excellent with a long finish but needs at least another year.
(FF 338 per case, ex cellar)
8. 1996 Drouhin Saint Aubin
14th Oct 1997 Burgundy Table White
Bright gold.
Rich and forward on the nose with good fruit, minerals, oak and alcohol - a weighty wine.
Medium to full bodied, very fat and creamy with well melded fruit and acidity. Lovely velvety mouthfeel and very good balance.
Excellent.
9. 1996 Drouhin Puligny Montrachet
14th Oct 1997 Burgundy Table White
Bright, even, pale gold.
Creamy, promising nose with almonds and oak (not as forward as the Saint Aubin).
Medium to full bodied, dry and crisp. Fresh and underdeveloped, but already very good with excellent balance and concentration, and a long finish.
Superb in 2 to 3 years.
10. 1996 Drouhin Puligny Montrachet Folatieres
14th Oct 1997 Burgundy Table White
Bright, even, gold.
Quite closed on the nose with lurking power - muted fruit, well integrated oak.
Medium to full bodied with creamy, fat fruit, well integrated acidity and oak, excellent grip.
Very good but needs extended cellaring. (I put down 10 - 15 years !)
11. 1996 Drouhin Beaune Clos de Mouches
14th Oct 1997 Burgundy Table White
From 15 to 80 year old vines.
Even, bright, gold.
Very fat, concentrated, oily nose - quite different from the Pulignys.
Full bodied with lovely, creamy, up front fruit masking the new oak, spice and mineral flavours, good balancing acidity and a long finish.
Should develop superbly but very good now.
12. 1995 Drouhin Pouilly Fuisse
14th Oct 1997 Burgundy Table White
Pale, bright, straw/gold.
Toasty, soft, fat nose with oily, mineral notes. Fat and soft with sweet, toasty, ripe fruit. Plenty of soft acidity and good balance.
Drinking now - excellent.
13. 1995 Drouhin Chablis (Non Domaine)
14th Oct 1997 Burgundy Table White
Bright, straw/gold.
Sweet, ripe apples and rhubarb on the nose. Medium bodied with rich, toasty, buttery, sweet fruit. Lacking slightly in balance - could do with more weight.
(FF620 per case, ex cellar)
14. 1995 Drouhin Chablis Domaine de Vaudon
14th Oct 1997 Burgundy Table White
Bright, even, straw/gold.
Restrained, slightly confected, gumboil nose.
Medium to full bodied. Fat and buttery with sweet, ripe fruit and mineral flavours. Soft, creamy acidity. Reasonable length, but lacks the grip of the 1996.
15. 1995 Drouhin Puligny Montrachet
14th Oct 1997 Burgundy Table White
Deep, even, gold.
Very attractive, integrated nose of nuts, minerals and some toasty oak. Well integrated with a lovely texture, ripe, rich fruit and buttery, creamy notes. Plenty of oak and a long, almond finish.
Superb drinking now.
(FF1233 per case, ex cellar)
16. 1994 Drouhin Chablis Domaine de Vaudon
14th Oct 1997 Burgundy Table White
Bright, pale straw/gold.
Ripe sweet fruit on the nose - more New Zealand than Chablis.
Full bodied and fat with ripe, sweet fruit, oil and mineral flavours. Warm, soft and alcoholic - nicely balanced with a long finish.
Lovely for drinking now but lacks the grip of the 1996 - don't cellar!
17. 1996 Drouhin Montrachet
14th Oct 1997 Burgundy Table White
This was tasted from the barrel after a technical tasting of 25 other whites and reds - the notes may be slightly ropy, but what an experience!
The wine was undergoing malolactic fermentation.
Rich, concentrated nose - sweet and sour citrus and oak.
Thick and still sweet on the palate with yeast flavours evident. Very concentrated and deep - big fruit, big oak, big acidity - long, long finish.
I'll go out of my way to taste this from the bottle!
