2021 Beaune Rouge, Clos des Mouches, 1er Cru, Joseph Drouhin, Burgundy
Critics reviews
Fortunately, the yield was better in red than white! A solid red crimson colour. Peppery notes, the whole bunches more evident than on the Cras. Good supple tannins here and then with a livelier finish, perhaps thanks to the stems. Fine, persistent red fruit.
Drink 2025 - 2030
Jasper Morris MW, InsideBurgundy.com (January 2023)
Drouhin noted that this had just been bottled a few days before I tasted it, and not surprisingly, it was much more aromatically restrained, with its nose markedly floral and spicy red pinot fruit scents. The texture of the medium-bodied and less mineral-driven flavours is quite similar to that of the Les Cras, though the supporting tannins are even finer in the beautifully balanced and sneaky long finale. This is a Clos des Mouches of generosity and finesse.
Drink from 2031 onward
Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (April 2023)
The 2021 Beaune Clos des Mouches Rouge 1er Cru is one of my picks from Drouhin this year. Wonderful, vivacious red fruit leap from the glass, hints of sous-bois and dried rose petal. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine mineralité, demonstrating more complexity than the preceding Beaune Cras with more grip on the finish. Superb.
Drink 2025 - 2045
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (January 2023)
Cask sample
Lightish crimson. Intense, lifted, vibrant red fruit with a hint of oak adding a more savoury aspect. Beaune’s red-fruit purity showing through. That savoury side is more apparent on the palate. Firm, gently chewy, but smoothed, tannins. Succulent and long. Embryonic but showing its ready harmony and likely longevity.
Drink 2028 - 2040
Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com (January 2023)
Beautiful nose of wild raspberries, cherries, sandalwood, cloves, orange fruit and cardamom. It is so harmonious on the palate, with very fine, seamless tannins and fresh acidity, all integrated. Medium-bodied, long and full of energy.
Drink or hold
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (August 2023)
Drouhin makes both red and white wine from the Clos des Mouches; the red is particularly good value. The 2021 vintage has good colour and ripe black cherry aromas, liquorice, and earth. The texture is velvety and rich, with firm tannins and good length. The grapes come from 6.82 hectares of vines at the southern end of Beaune. The grapes are partly destemmed and fermented on native yeast before ageing in cask. The supple nature of the wine will make it approachable in a few years, and it should age for another twenty beyond that in a proper cellar.
Drink 2025 - 2040
Charles Curtis MW, Decanter.com (November 2022)
About this WINE
Maison Joseph Drouhin
Located in Burgundy, France, Maison Joseph Drouhin is one of the region’s most renowned and historic wineries and has a legacy dating back to 1880 when it was founded in the town of Beaune by Joseph Drouhin.
The winery is managed by the fourth generation of the Drouhin family, who are known for their commitment to quality and tradition. The vineyards are in some of Burgundy’s most prestigious appellations, including Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Chablis, and Côte Chalonnaise.
Maison Joseph Drouhin produces many red, white, and rosé wines but is mainly known for its exceptional Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Some of their most renowned wines include Clos des Mouches, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, Musigny, Beaune Clos des Ursules, and Chassagne-Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche.
Beaune
The wines of Beaune are usually on the lighter side, especially if from the flatter vineyards on the Pommard side, or the sandier soils towards Savigny. The sturdiest wines with the greatest depth of flavour come from the steeper slopes overlooking the town itself.
The Hospices de Beaune charity auction on the third Sunday in November is one of the highlights of the year. The Hospices building, known as l'Hôtel-Dieu, is well worth visiting. Beaune is also home to several of the region’s best known merchants such as Maisons Louis Jadot and Joseph Drouhin.- 128 hectares of village Beaune and 52 hectares of Côte de Beaune
- 322 hectares of Premier Cru vineyards. The finest vineyards include Les Grèves, Clos des Mouches
- Recommended producers: Germain, Devevey, Domaine des Croix, Jadot, Drouhin, Camille Giroud.
- Recommended restaurants: Ma Cuisine (not least for the wine list), Le Conty
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating, and at times infuriating, wine grape in the world. However when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape which grows in small, tight bunches performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone based subsoils as are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or.
Pinot Noir is more susceptible than other varieties to over cropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of the Côte d`Or.
Because of the thinness of the skins, Pinot Noir wines are lighter in colour, body and tannins. However the best wines have grip, complexity and an intensity of fruit seldom found in wine from other grapes. Young Pinot Noir can smell almost sweet, redolent with freshly crushed raspberries, cherries and redcurrants. When mature, the best wines develop a sensuous, silky mouth feel with the fruit flavours deepening and gamey "sous-bois" nuances emerging.
The best examples are still found in Burgundy, although Pinot Noir`s key role in Champagne should not be forgotten. It is grown throughout the world with notable success in the Carneros and Russian River Valley districts of California, and the Martinborough and Central Otago regions of New Zealand.
Buying options
Add to wishlist
Description
Drouhin noted that this had just been bottled a few days before I tasted it, and not surprisingly, it was much more aromatically restrained, with its nose markedly floral and spicy red pinot fruit scents. The texture of the medium-bodied and less mineral-driven flavours is quite similar to that of the Les Cras, though the supporting tannins are even finer in the beautifully balanced and sneaky long finale. This is a Clos des Mouches of generosity and finesse.
Drink from 2031 onward
Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (April 2023)
wine at a glance
Delivery and quality guarantee