Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche Grand Cru 2013

Viticulture

Plantation density: from 10,000 stocks/ha in order to extract all possible nuances from the terroir.

Pruning: Guyot.

Yield: 48hl/ha. Low on purpose to limit the production of each vine stock.

 

 

Vinification

Harvesting: by hand, in small open crates in order to preserve the integrity of the fruit.

Sorting: if necessary, the grapes are sorted twice : once when being picked, the second time on the sorting table at the winery.

Pressing: very slow so as to respect fruit.  Juices from the very last pressings are not retained

The wine goes directly into barrels after débourbage (decanting of white wine to reduce sediment).

 

Ageing

Type: in barrels (0% in new oak).

Length: 15 to 18 months.

Origin of the wood: French oak forests.

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 the wine.

 

Throughout the ageing process, decisions are taken only after careful tasting evaluation. The data obtained is then completed through technical analysis. As with every other Joseph Drouhin wine, absolute priority is given to the true expression of terroir and character of the vintage.

 

Tasting note by Véronique Boss-Drouhin

"An authentic masterpiece! This wine should be regarded as the yardstick by which all other Burgundies should be judged. The colour has a splendid golden sheen. On the nose, a multitude of aromas are a pleasure to discover: floral notes of lily of the valley, peach blossom, exotic fruit, honey, grilled almonds, even exotic woods at times. On the palate, the structure is dominated by a harmonious roundness which never imparts any heaviness. The aftertaste is exceptionally long and enhances the finesse of the whole. A glorious symphony of sensations!".

 

 

Serving

Temperature: 14-15°C (58-60°F).

Cellaring: 10 to 40 years.

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Reviews:

A dense and tight white with a compressed palate and super refined texture. Full body plus bright apple and pear with hints of vanilla cream. Goes on for a long, long time. Tiny production, about half of normal. Better in 2017.

-James Suckling 95 Points

(from a blend of parcels picked during the first five days of October): Pale bright yellow. Peach, pear, tangerine peel and stony, iodiney minerality on the captivating nose. Dense, extremely young and penetrating, with a touch of youthful austerity and strong acidity to the peach and stony mineral flavors. More floral, elegant and fine-grained than the Batard. Best today on the long, stony, rising finish. Drouhin farms these vines and chooses the harvest dates.

-Tanzer 92-95 Points

 

Perfumed and floral, this is a wine with weight and richness. There is a lot of structure here, concentrated rich yellow and white fruits giving a textured and mineral wine. It comes from a property vinified by Drouhin for 70 years. The wine is for aging; drink from 2019.

Being able to express the exact character of each terroir is our foremost concern; therefore we have chosen the organic and biodynamic approach.  Our credo is "to bring natural answers to natural problems".

 

"We respect and ensure the quality of our soils: plowing by horse, allowing the grass to grow between the vines and using natural compost".

 

"We grow our vine stocks in our own nursery to preserve their genetic heritage and remain in control of quality".

 

"We let our vines thrive using natural methods only; treatments are based on herb infusions and natural predators are used instead of synthetic products".

 

"We opted for densely planted vines (up to12 500 per hectare-5000 per acre) and let them take root as deep as possible (as older vines do). The grapes will therefore be receptive to the faintest message emanating from each soil".

 

"We deliberately favour low yields to allow our grapes to enhance the true type of each soil".

 

"We pick the grapes in small perforated crates in order to protect and preserve the integrity of the fruit".