2008 - Beaune 1er Cru Le Clos des Mouches Rouge, Joseph Drouhin

Lightly-cooked yet tart cherry and rhubarb mingled with peat and rare beef characterize the Drouhin 2008 Beaune Clos des Mouches, which offers a gentler palate and more overt sweetness of fruit than most of its stable mates, yet manages to retain primary, fresh juiciness through a long and otherwise subtly carnal, leathery, and forest floor-inflected finish. The tannins are only subtly present yet abundant, and there is serious potential here for further complexity and 10 more years’ cellaring. “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

Moderately saturated medium red. Slightly reduced nose offers spices, minerals, pepper and earth. Then silky and sweet, with a pliant texture and good framing minerality. Firm acidity extends the finish.