Our visit was scheduled for two in the afternoon and would take two hours including a tour of the original wine press still used for special occasions and a walking tour under the old city of Beaune passing by Roman walls, the cellars of the 13th century parliament, the 13th century Notre Dame collegiate church, and the cellars of the 15th century Dukes of Burgundy and Kings of France.
Our guide Elisa knew her history as well as her viticulture and we were in safe hands deep down underground in the semi darkness for the first thirty minutes of our tour. She recounted the extraordinary history and architecture and archeological interest of these 13th and 15th century cellars which sit on the relics of Roman cellars in the 3rd century and forward to their continued storage use in our present times.
All wines are stored here for at least a year in oak barrels ( the oak forest is owned by the family and they make their own barrels even for their vineyards in Oregon Portland!
As you walk through the labyrinth of almost 1 hectare you get an insight into what an extensive rare collection lies under the house of Maison Drouhin. They only account for 0.2% of the wine produced in France yet next week they will hold the most expensive wine auction here in the world!!
Soon it was time for some actual wine tasting and we were in for a treat! We were offered three Chardonnay’s and then three Pinot Noirs all of course from the same wine house.
We started left to right. Our first was a Chablis premiere cru 2021. We were the first members of the public to taste this vintage! It was beautifully light and crisp. Would pair well with oysters and mussels.
The second bottle was a Meursault 2019. It was exceedingly rich with intense oaky buttery flavours. Our third white was a 2019 Meursault Charme première cru. This was pure joy. Richer in flavour and more full bodied than the previous bottle and our favorite of the three.
It was time to taste the reds. We started with a light 2018 Cote de Beaune. Fruity and delicate it was a natural wine for drinking anytime. We moved on to the 2019 Clos dés Mouches ( Enclosure of the Honeybees)! This was a much more powerful wine with structure and finesse. Finally our third red was the 2019 Nuits Saint Georges premier cru. This was an extraordinary wine which held its fragrance in the mouth long after we had imbibed! A winner and the best red but of course the most expensive too! At €61 it was one for Christmas. Funnily enough thé clos des mouches was more expensive as it is much more limited in production ( at €91). The Cote de Beaune was €41.
We were also offered an opportunity to taste the Marc de Bourgogne, the house eau de vie! This is made once the grapes are pressed and distilled in oak barrels. It was more like a brandy than a snaps and I will definitely be on the look out for another glass of Marc de Bourgogne later this evening!
All in all an exceptional wine tasting experience and we have no hesitation recommending this house wines for your collection. They deliver all over the world free for accounts over €400! Email elisaerrier@drouhin.com.
www. drouhin-oenotheque.com
No comments:
Post a Comment