Maison Joseph Drouhin Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Procès 2009
Deep ruby colour, tight rim. The aromas are powerful and elegant. To start, after a short decanting, its brooding nose evolves from notes of cherry and blackberry, hints of cedar wood(with chocolates, earth and spice) towards gamey touches. Quite complete. On the palate, which is of medium weight, strikes the good balance between structure and softness, ripeness and elegance. The long aftertaste is reminiscent of fruit syrups and mild spices, echoing herbal component with velvety tannins and lingering finish. It would seem to us that this wine epitomizes the very Joseph Drouhin style, that of the rich combination of balance, harmony, energy, finesse and character that provides infinite pleasure.
This is a regular auction item for Christie's and Sothebys. Bid price starts from $1200 to $1500, for current vintages. So the value seems to be super superb.
Also we like this wine because this is not a Grand Cru but is giving a near Cru quality and balance. This wine is charming to both the novice and experienced in drinking quality Burgundies, particularly those who like the NSGs. The acidity seems low because of it has lots of vivid fruit and so is very very easy to drink. For the novice, This is the best time to drink in our view. The experienced Burgundy NSG drinkers will find its pleasure in the very structured NSG terroir and ageing potential. We believe the maximum is 25 years of life. This wine is meant to be drunk young are fresh and subtle; wines meant for keeping acquire with age a luscious complexity. In other words, the endless search for perfect elegance, the essence of Burgundy, strives on. Of course this 2009 is a good vintage.
Some 130 years of continuous control of the vineyards by the family Joseph Drouhin means stability of style. They are to secure the reputations using genuine wines. One unique method to start in the picking is: they pick the grapes in small perforated crates in order to protect and preserve the integrity of the fruit. The owners are eager to pursue elegance and perfection in their wines. For example” 10,000 vinestocks/ha in order to extract as much as possible from the terroir and limit the production of each vine stock. Pruning is classic Guyot. Yield is as low as 45 hl/ha(compared to standard 55 hl) - purposely low, in order for the grapes to reveal every nuance of the terroir. Maceration is only 12 days, using indigenous yeasts. Ageing in in selected barrels (20% in new oak); length is 14 to 18 months, in French oak forests. One special feature is the weathering of the wood- Joseph Drouhin insists on total control of the weathering for a period of 3 years, one of the contributing elements to the elegance of this wine.
Joseph Drouhin owns almost half of the prestigious Les Proces vineyard, located adjacent to the equally famous Pruliers vineyard; just under an acre, Drouhin’s portion of Les Proces faces east, with excellent drainage and vines around 60 years old. Ther are roughly around 41 climats.
We all love this wine.
Good comments are as follows:
92 points Allen Meadows - Burghound
*Outstanding* A very ripe nose blends together notes of mocha, spice, earth and dark berry fruit aromas that give way to rich and very generous medium weight flavors that possess plenty of extract which confers a suave and seductive mouth feel onto the long finish. The tannins are firm yet the sap renders them deceptively less prominent than they would otherwise be.
