2019 Joseph Drouhin Beaune Cras 1er Cru, Burgundy

The 2019 Beaune 1er Cru Les Cras is turning out nicely, offering up aromas of sweet berry fruit, licorice and dried flowers. Medium-bodied, bright and mineral, it's an elegant, precise rendition of this superior hillside premier cru, a cuvée Drouhin only recently began bottling separately.

The 2019 vintage has turned out beautifully at this address, delivering wines of immense charm, and it was a pleasure tasting through this selection with Véronique Drouhin. These textural, sumptuous whites will offer considerable immediate appeal—even if Drouhin's two bottlings from the holdings of the Marquis de Laguiche are also built for the cellar—but it's the perfumed, vibrant and enveloping reds that really steal the show this year. To my palate, of all the region's important houses, Drouhin's style places the greatest premium on aromatic range and structural finesse; and the 2019 reds compellingly exemplify those aesthetic priorities.

90-92 points robertparker.com

Elegant and fresh with wonderful delicacy. I love the floral and red-cherry notes. So filigree that it’s hard to believe this has 14% alcohol! Already delicious, but with very good aging potential. Drink or hold.

93 points jamessuckling.com

Joseph Drouhin Beaune Cras 1er Cru is a beautifully expressive Pinot Noir from one of Beaune’s most respected Premier Cru vineyards, offering a classic balance of bright red fruit, savoury depth, and refined structure. Joseph Drouhin, founded in 1880 and still run by the Drouhin family, is renowned for crafting wines that highlight the unique character of each Burgundian terroir with elegance and precision. The Cras vineyard sits on a steep slope just above the town of Beaune, facing east, where its limestone-rich soils and excellent drainage give wines of purity, lift, and subtle power.

The name “Cras” derives from the Burgundian word for “rock,” referencing the vineyard’s stony limestone soils, which are interspersed with marl and clay. This composition encourages deep rooting and produces small, concentrated berries that yield Pinot Noirs with fine tannins and vibrant acidity. The grapes are farmed organically and biodynamically, hand harvested, and sorted meticulously. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts in open-top wooden vats, with gentle extraction to preserve perfume and finesse. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels, around 20 percent new, for 14 to 18 months, allowing subtle spice to integrate harmoniously with the fruit.

In the glass, Beaune Cras 1er Cru has a luminous ruby hue. Aromas of red cherries, wild strawberries, rose petals, and violets are layered with subtle notes of earth, spice, and crushed rock. The palate is medium bodied and beautifully poised, with juicy red fruit, fine-grained tannins, and vibrant acidity giving the wine clarity and length. The finish is long and elegant, marked by a mineral undertone that reflects the vineyard’s rocky soils. It’s a wine that exemplifies Beaune Premier Cru at its best: fragrant, precise, and quietly powerful.

This Pinot Noir pairs superbly with dishes like roast duck, mushroom and thyme risotto, herb-crusted lamb, or charcuterie with soft cheeses. Its finesse also makes it excellent with classic Burgundian fare such as coq au vin or roasted game birds. While approachable after a few years, it has the structure to age gracefully for 10 to 15 years, gaining savoury depth and complexity over time.