After finishing the Bordeaux arm of our journey, we went from ancient to ancient in Beaune. Here at Drouhin, we began with a tremendous tour of the ancient caves and winemaking-by-the-monks areas and equipment. We were treated to an outstanding flight of 6 wines from a range of their offerings. Due to the nature of this experience, it was impossible to take my normal notes, but I tried to recall some impressions.
The cherry on top, was when our guide grabbed a random, dust and mold-covered, unlabeled bottle from a cave shelf and opened it for us, hiding the cork. We got to assess it and everyone was asked to guess the age. I am proud to say I called it within one year! It was a gorgeous example of perfectly aged Pinot Noir.
2021 Drouhin Vaudon Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons, 2020 Saint-Romain, 2019 Mersault Charmes 1er Cru, 2019 Savigny-les-Beaune Fourneaux 1er Cru, 2019 Morey-Saint-Denis Genavrieres 1er Cru & 2018 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru.
All in all, everything was delicious. The "house style" is always aboud delicacy and balance with great finesse and are more "beauty than beast." Fortunately, the family aims to make a range of delicious wine from a number of great vineyards and village level wines all with the same care and careful winemaking. Simply put, there is a Drouhin for every occasion and budget, all well worth it.
After a tour of the Notre Dame basilica next door,
we went to tour the Hospices de Beaune
and had a nice lunch. Here I got my first taste of the herbed ham that is a regional item.
Of course, escargots as well and boeuf bourgignon (naturally).
We then ventured on to Domaine Albert Morot. We were first enthusiatically greeted by Boumba, the proprietor's dog. We then were treated to a full production and cave tour by Geoffroy and got to taste the same vineyard's wines both form bottle and out of barrel. This house's wines are also wonderfully balanced with plenty of verve and complexity, worth of seeking out in the market or on a restaraunt list. Boumba seemed us to not wish to leave as she hopped into the car with us for one last pet.
We finished at Patriarche. I selected this given their broad range of bottlings as well as historic caves from the 10th and 14th century. The underground tour is extensive and interesting given the history. The tour ends in an enclave with a tasting of a handful of wines. This was a busier, more "touristy" spot, so we got the basics on the wines, but not much depth about them. I think here, I preferred the whites to the reds, but nothing on the standard menu really wowed me that day. Only at the end with a bonus our in a more secluded area aside, did we get to taste something more 1er to Grand Cru level that was more interesting. Perhaps their wines just aren't my style.
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