Puligny-Montrachet Joseph Drouhin 2003

Lot presentation

Puligny-Montrachet Joseph Drouhin 2003

The wine

Renowned for producing prestigious white wines, the Côte de Beaune includes the Côte des Blancs, with the iconic commune of Puligny-Montrachet. The Chardonnay vines grow on limestone soils, a mixture of ochre and pebbles. To avoid damaging the fruit, the grapes are harvested by hand before being meticulously sorted. In the winery, the whole clusters are crushed in a pneumatic press, which then separates the juice from the last press from the free-run juice. After settling, the alcoholic and malolactic fermentations are carried out in oak barrels, before the wines are matured between 14 and 16 months prior to bottling.
The bright, golden colour unveils an elegant nose combining floral fragrances and notes of white-fleshed fruit. In the mouth, an explosion of freshness leads to a rich, floral and fruity finish. After a few years' cellaring, the aromas evolve towards notes of grilled almonds.

In 1880 Joseph Drouhin founded the eponymous wine merchant, but it was his son, Maurice, who after the First World War, started to buy some of the good parcels around Beaune, including the famous Clos des Mouches. Maurice's nephew, Robert, continued his uncle's good work and expanded the domain in to certain prestigious terrroirs, such as Musigny, Griotte-Chambertin, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, Bonnes Mares, Grands Échézeaux, etc. A pioneer in vinification methods, he was one of the first winemakers in Burgundy to move towards sustainable farming principles: limited fertilisers and treatments, yield management, etc. The Joseph Drouhin house has been managed by Robert Drouhin's four children since 2003. This famous house in Beaune is internationally renowned and consists of 72 hectares of vineyard, divided in to 26 ha of red and 46 ha of white. It spreads from north to south between Chablis (38 hectares), Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune (30 hectares). In 1987 the Domaine also acquired vines in Orégon.