2017 Joseph Drouhin Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits

A wealth of wet-earth notes and an array of red and dark cherries, as well as a gently smoky edge. The palate is beautifully plush and long and delivers a very striking array of juicy, rich and sweet cherries that hold pure and fresh. Silky tannins have the final word. Great Vougeot. Try from 2022.

94 points jamessuckling.com Jan 2019

The 2017 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru was picked between September 8 and 11 from a parcel in the middle of the clos and includes 30% whole clusters. Véronique Drouhin said that because it was a warm season, the blend includes a parcel from the lower part of the Grand Cru that they usually sell off. This has quite a sumptuous bouquet of copious red cherries, kirsch and subtle blueberry aromas, becoming more and more floral in the glass. The lightly spiced palate is medium-bodied on the entry, offering gentle grip, although I feel it does not quite deliver the precision on the finish compared directly with the superlative Clos-de-Bèze.

90-92 points Neal Martin vinous.com 

2017 Joseph Drouhin Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru is a beautifully poised and quietly authoritative expression of one of Burgundy’s most historic vineyards, shaped by both the complexity of Clos de Vougeot and the long standing house philosophy of elegance and restraint. Clos de Vougeot is a vast walled Grand Cru founded by Cistercian monks in the twelfth century, stretching from deep clay rich soils at the base of the slope to far stonier limestone higher up. Joseph Drouhin’s holdings are well positioned, giving the wine a balance of structure, aromatic lift and mineral freshness rather than sheer weight alone. The 2017 vintage was warm and early but retained excellent balance in the Côte de Nuits, allowing Clos de Vougeot to show both generosity and precision.

Maison Joseph Drouhin was founded in 1880 and remains family owned, now led by Frédéric Drouhin alongside his children. The house has long been known for its Burgundian sensibility, prioritising purity, finesse and respect for terroir over power or heavy extraction. Drouhin farms organically and biodynamically across its top vineyards, believing that healthy soils are essential to expressing place. In the cellar, winemaking is deliberately gentle, with careful handling of fruit, moderate extraction and restrained oak use, allowing the character of Clos de Vougeot to emerge clearly rather than being shaped by technique.

In the glass the wine shows a deep ruby to garnet colour. Aromas unfold slowly, revealing black cherry, dark plum and redcurrant layered with rose petal, spice, forest floor and subtle savoury notes. The palate is broad yet finely structured, delivering dense red and dark fruit framed by firm but polished tannins and a long, savoury finish driven by limestone minerality. There is a sense of calm authority rather than overt power, a wine that builds gradually and rewards patience. It pairs beautifully with roast duck, beef, game and truffle driven dishes, and it is built to age gracefully for twenty to thirty years, developing leather, dried flowers, earthy spice and depth while retaining its core freshness.

2017 Joseph Drouhin Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru is a refined and classically styled Burgundy, offering a thoughtful, terroir driven interpretation of this legendary vineyard and showcasing the house’s enduring commitment to balance, elegance and longevity.