THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 9, 1996 TAG: 9606060072
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: THE HUMBLE STEWARD
SOURCE: JIM RAPER
LENGTH: 89 lines
PERHAPS I should be grateful that the international wine media has been stingy with praise for the 1994 vintage of red Burgundy. Otherwise I might not have had the opportunity to meet Frederic Drouhin or sample a wide variety of his family's wines.
Frederic is the son of Robert Drouhin, who is one of the more highly regarded Burgundian negotiants and producers. The affable young man was in Richmond late last month as the guest of The Robins Cellars distributors to promote Maison Robert Drouhin wines, especially the 1994 red Burgundies.
A year ago, near the release of the celebrated 1993 vintage of premium red Burgundy, the Drouhin family didn't need to spread about the globe to push their new wines. The 1993 reds sold themselves, and brought top dollar.
``With the '94 vintage, the critics were not so generous,'' said Frederic Drouhin, ``and I must admit that these may not be great wines to lay down.'' But just because they are not age-worthy does not mean they are not charming, he contended.
Also, he told us - and the tasting confirmed it - that the savvy shopper can find some exceptional wines among the 1994s. Unfortunately, most of those exceptional wines, such as the Drouhin 1994 Musigny Grand Cru, will not come cheap.
``The Musigny is the cap stone of what we can produce in Burgundy,'' young Drouhin said, which helps to explain why it costs $93 a bottle.
The tasting lineup also included a selection of Maison Drouhin's white Burgundies and Cru Beaujolais from 1995. This is a Burgundy vintage that needs no apologies. But although the 1995 white Burgundy is highly rated, the crop was a short one and we won't be seeing much of this wine in Virginia.
Here are tasting notes on a dozen of the Drouhin wines. (The whites are made from chardonnay grapes, the reds from pinot noir and the Beajolais from gamay.) Don't expect to see them in retail stores until fall.
Saint-Veran 1995 ($12) - This is a white wine produced from grapes grown in a group of villages in far southern Burgundy, near Macon and adjoining the Pouilly-Fuisse zone. A clean, appley, spicey example of a refreshing chardonnay, it is not weighted down by vanilla or butter. Also, this is one that was produced in enough quantity to be widely available.
Chablis 1995 Domaine de Vaudon ($25) - A lovely spicey nose gives way to flavors of oranges, lemons, minerals and a trace of vanilla. (The whites we tasted were barrel samples, and this chablis was especially tight.)
Chassagne-Montrachet 1995 Marquis de Laguiche Premier Cru ($45) - This white shows great finesse, with thin layers of apple, toasted almond, allspice and vanilla flavors unfolding in a wine that seems relatively uncomplicated when it first hits the mouth.
Beaune 1995 Clos des Mouches Premier Cru ($62) - Drouhin owns almost all of the Clos des Mouches vineyard, which is planted in pinot noir as well as chardonnay. It is the maison's flagship white, a big, honeyed chardonnay with a clean citrus finish. Tannins are there; it needs bottle aging to mellow out.
Brouilly 1995 Cru Beaujolais ($15) - Most Beaujolais is one-dimensionally juicy. This is different. It has body, a nice raspberry core and a trace of tar. The Morgon and Fleurie (from two other cru villages in the Beaujolais) were almost as tasty.
Maranges 1994 ($18) - This is an unheralded appellation for red Burgundy at the southern tip of Cote de Beaune. It is light-to-medium bodied with modest cherry flavor and characteristic notes of earthiness. This has a measure of Burgundian charm for a reasonable price.
Cote de Beaune 1994 ($21) - It costs a little more than the Maranges, and is a little more interesting. I liked the plum flavor.
Gevrey-Chambertin 1994 ($30) - Cherry, black pepper, spice and mineral notes combine with a long finish to make this a better than average 1994. The appellation is on the northern Cote de Nuits, which generally produces bigger wines than does the Cote de Beaune.
Chambolle-Musigny 1994 Premier Cru ($35) - Another fuller bodied red from the Cote de Nuit; it has tart cherry and spice flavors.
Beaune 1994 Clos de Mouches Premier Cru ($36) - Again, the fruit is tart cherry, but with an hint of prunes. There also are prominent oak-lent notes of vanilla and spice. Overall, okay, but diluted. I've tasted some wonderful Clos de Mouches from vintages such as 1988 and 1990. The 1994 suffers a lot from rowing season.
Clos de Vougeot 1994 Grand Cru ($56) - I enjoyed the raspberry and vanilla flavors, spiced by a bit of clove. This is a multilayered red with a long, warm finish. Vougeot is on the Cote de Nuits between Musigny and Vosne, a high-class neighborhood and good place to hail from even in a modest vintage.
Musigny 1994 Grand Cru ($93) - If you want one of the better red Burgundies of the vintage, dig out a C-note and celebrate with this rich wine. The flavor spectrum is wide, and includes black cherry, mushrooms, allspice, black pepper and minerals. MEMO: The Humble Steward is a biweekly feature of Sunday Flavor. Send
questions or comments to: The Humble Steward, Sunday Flavor, The
Virginian-Pilot, 150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23510. If
possible, give complete label information when naming wines, and list
the vintage year. Please include your name and phone number. by CNB