Domaine Drouhin-Laroze Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2017
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Jasper
Morris
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Jasper Morris
80% new wood, but entirely destemmed, as Nicolas wants to keep the massive aspect that makes Clos Vougeot a real vin de garde. Dense black colour. Thick texture for the vintage with firm grained tannins behind, nothing ugly but the weight and authority are there. Dark fruit returns nicely at the back. Very good.
Barrel Sample: 93-96
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Five generations have been running the Domaine for 163 years, Caroline and Nicolas, Christine and Philippe's children represent the sixth. In 1850, Jean-Baptiste Laroze started a vineyard operation in Gevrey Chambertin. He was later succeeded by Felix LarozeAROZE.
In 1919, Suzanne, the daughter of Félix, married Alexandre Drouhin, who owned vines in Chambolle Musigny and the estate was henceforth called Drouhin-Laroze. The Estate is currently run by Philippe and Christine Drouhin, assisted by their children Caroline and Nicolas.
Each successive generation continued to develop the Estate with the sole objective of investing in hillside vineyards, which was a visionary and risky choice. At the time, those vineyards were already very expensive and not very productive. The bet paid off and today, thanks to the sacrifices and risk-taking of the previous generations, the 11.50 hectare Estate is one of the most prestigious in terms of diversity, quality and the surface area of its appellations.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Containing the largest Grand Cru in all of the Côte d’Or, Vougeot, the village, takes its name from the small stream flowing through it, called Vouge. Over three quarters of the village retains Grand Cru status, and a single vineyard at that: Clos de Vougeot (or simply, Clos Vougeot). Its mass—over 50 ha—retains the single name chiefly for historic reasons.
But today, Clos de Vougeot contains over 80 owners and shows significant soil and slope variations within its boundaries. The top, bordering Musigny and Grands Echezeaux, is calcareous and gravelly on oolitic limestone and exhibits wonderful drainage. The middle sections are limestone, gravel and clay with less of a slope. The lower part has little slant and is mostly made of clay. Historically the diverse parcels were blended but today the abundance of owners means that everyone has his own style. Exploring and understanding them is part of the allure of Clos de Vougeot.
In general a fine Clos de Vougeot when young will be dense and dark but juicy, with a pronounced austerity, and needs a good ten years to bring it to its full potential.