Richard deBondt on Wine

Laurent Drouhin  paid us a visit at the Wine Café last Friday. He presented fine wines from Domaine Drouhin in Oregon as well as Maison Joseph Drouhin in Burgundy. It is no surprise that these wines were all excellent, but it is notable that our host was engaging and comfortable with our clients, whether experts or neophytes. The history and romantic allure of the wine world is certainly a component of the Drouhin story, in the US, and in Burgundy.  Laurent presented the products, not just the charm.

I won't pretend to repeat even a portion of his presentation, I would like to give a bit of insight into

my own appreciation of the Drouhin Wines. My first exposure to Joseph Drouhin was to the Burgundy House's flagship vineyard in the Beaune appellation, "Beaune Clos des Mouches".  In the early 1970's the restaurant that employed me, Sonny's Steak House, offered first the 1964 and then the 1966 red wine from this remarkable single vineyard.  I had little perspective on just how fortunate my companions and I were to have access to such great vintages and such top wines.  Fortunately for us there were no ratings publications. So, we had to base our opinions on how the wines tasted to us. We drank Joseph Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches whenever we had a great night.

In time, other Drouhin wines came to my attention (and more than 40 vintages have come and, for the most part, gone). Here is the remarkable thing: the wines are value for money at all levels of price and prestige. Even the regional wines labeled "LaForet", which still sell for under $20 reflect the character of Burgundy and the clarity of the Drouhin style. In Chablis the company has considerable investment in land and produces admirable village wine and formidable Premier and Grand Cru. In the Cote d'Or the full range from village wines to top Crus are represented, each a transparent "window" to the village and vineyard of origin. Further South the company provides elegant examples from the appellations in the Chalonnaise, Macon, and Beaujolais. All of merit.


And, then, there is Oregon. Drouhin began making Oregon wine with purchased grapes in the 1988 vintage.  Investment in winery and vineyard soon followed.  Our already strong relationship with Joseph Drouhin helped to make the Domaine Drouhin Oregon wines available to us from the beginning, and just as importantly, gave us complete confidence to buy them.  We have never been disappointed. We could only wish for greater supply. The Oregon Drouhin wines are sturdy and show a clear American style reflective of their own special place and time.  Still, they have the clarity and elegance of their French forebears, the confidence to reflect their origins honestly.

Never hesitate to experiment with the wines of Joseph Drouhin or Domaine Drouhin.  Expect authenticity and quality at every price level.

To see Drouhin Wines in-stock today at Northampton Wines Click Here.