Late release: Domaine Drouhin-Laroze 2022
A large domaine that is on the ascent now siblings Caroline and Nicolas have taken the helm, Domaine Drouhin-Laroze is a name for collectors and enthusiasts to watch closely and take seriously.
Usefully, for buyers of top Burgundy, Drouhin-Laroze has something of an ‘upside down’ structure! Rather than the usual pyramid model, where a domaine has a broad based of junior wine raising to a pinnacle of Grand Crus, Drouhin-Laroze is blessed with a disproportionate array of Grand Cru vineyards.
Caroline and Nicolas farm the third largest hold of Chambertin Clos de Beze. They are number two in Bonnes Mares, coming between Comtes de Vogue and Roumier, and have just over a hectare of Clos Vougeot! In addition, their wines remain very fairly priced.
For collectors, this means that some of the Cote d’Or’s elite crus are accessible in terms of both price and allocation.
In addition to our selection of Grand Cru wines, Caroline has allowed us to focus on a single 1er Cru wine this year. Lavaux St Jacques is a vineyard I am currently very excited about. Each year, the wines seem to shine at the Burgfest tasting as the cool location, toward the top of the Combe above Clos St Jacques, provides ushered in by climate change. This is definitely the less well known, and less expensive, of Gevrey’s St Jacques vineyards, but Lavaux is a fine source of elegant and sophisticated wines. In 2022 the cru was the focal point of storms in June but, other than restricting the yield, this seems to have had little impact on the Drouhin-Laroze wine.
Gevrey Chambertin En Combes was significantly my favourite of the domaine’s village wines, and received a similar thumbs up from Jasper Morris MW – 90-93pts being the highest rating given to any of the village Gevreys.
Having got to know Caroline over years of visiting the domaine, since about 2007, I was delighted when she agreed to give Vinum an allocation for Singapore. Do let us know if you would like to add any of her delicious 2022s to your cellar.
The Offer:
Available from our Singapore cellars in Q4.
Please note that we request that orders for multiple cases of Grand Cru wines include at least one case of Gevrey Chambertin En Combes.
Domaine Drouhin-Laroze 2022 Offer
Gevrey Chambertin En Combes
SGD $600 ($654.00 inc GST) per case (x6 OCC) – 22 cases available
Sweet raspberry and strawberry fruit. Has a cooler, more mineral profile than the Gevrey Dix Climats village wine. There is a liveliness to the acidity and some crunch on the back palate. The structure is a bit more prominent and this has better shape and thrust. Finishes well.
89-91pts – Matthew Hemming MW
Fresh racy pink purple. Plenty of energy on the nose too. Flowers and raspberries, also elegant though perhaps here graceful is the better expression, as there is a little more density across the palate.
90-93pts – Jasper Morris MW / Inside Burgundy
Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St Jacques
SGD $990 ($1,079.10 inc GST) per case (x6 OC) – 10 cases available
One of the few wines to be 100% de-stemmed, because Lavaux St Jacques rarely lacks for either structure or spice. The aromas are led by lifted red fruit and florals with lots of top notes – it is elegant and very much in the treble register. Lots of energy on the palate, with a raciness that betrays the vineyard’s cool exposition, and a richness at the core. Builds and improves in the glass.
92-94pts – Matthew Hemming MW
No stems here, a reflection of the style of the vineyard rather than a vintage choice. Old vines with millerandage. A much denser purple colour and a much more intense flamboyant yet cool red fruit on the nose. Beautifully structured, with an engagingly long finish. Very well done, given that Lavaux was really in the path of the June storm.
92-95pts – Jasper Morris MW
SGD $1,560 ($1,700.40 inc GST) per case (x6 OC) – 8 cases available
30% whole bunch and 80% new oak.. Has a striking nose. Much more intense, singular and vibrant than Chapelle Chambertin served beforehand. The oak does have an impact but it far from dominates. A huge step up in terms of structure, energy, brightness and definition. Really engaging and lively. Mouth-watering and vivid. Fruit is sappy, crunchy and red.
93-95pts – Matthew Hemming MW
A cool, fresh and beautifully layered nose features notes of kirsch, various dark berries, pretty spice elements and a floral top note. The mouthfeel of the medium-bodied flavors is equally elegant with ample minerality suffusing the lingering finish where the only reproach is a hint of warmth. Even so, the overall balance is such that this should reward a decade plus of keeping.
91-94pts – Allen Meadows / Burghound
Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
SGD $1,500 ($ 1,635.00 inc GST) per case (x6 OC) – 12 cases available
Quite reserved and closed on the nose. Sweet, silky characters flood the mid-palate. This is quietly classy and unlooked for. The natural architecture of the terroir works brilliantly with the richness of 2022. Touch warm on the back end but it’s hardly apparent unless you look for it.
92-94pts – Matthew Hemming MW
The 2022 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru has a refined bouquet that blossoms in the glass with very fine delineation and purity of fruit. The medium-bodied palate with fine tannins, well-judged acidity, and crisp fruit shows more brightness on the finish than other cuvées. This is one of Drouhin-Laroze’s best wines in 2022
95-97pts – Neal Martin / Vinous
Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
SGD $1,800 ($1,962.00 inc GST) per case (x6 OC) – 10 cases available
Has a degree of elegance unexpected in Bonnes Mares, but Drouhin-Laroze’s is always quite a Chambolle-influenced style. The fruit is sweet and floral, with a spicy lift on the back end. The tannins are tamed and supple. Sersiouly good and more precise and focused than some of the earlier wines.
93-95pts – Matthew Hemming MW
25% whole bunch vinification. Still in barrel. A rich saturated purple. The fruit swarms across the palate, yet with a fine sense of balance. Fine grained tannins, not too wild a style of Bonnes Mares, and indeed the holding is on the white soil which explains the elegance.
94-96pts – Jasper Morris
Chambertin Clos de Beze Grand Cru
SGD $1,950 ($ 2,125.50 inc GST) per case (x6 OC) – 10 cases available
Straight away a more stern, Gevrey-accented style. A bit more firm and muscled than even Bonnes Mares or Clos Vougeot. There’s that powdery, musky element to the tannins and structure – surprising given the volume of the wine. Fruit has a freshly-sliced and juicy element bringing freshness and purity.
93-95pts – Matthew Hemming MW
Blended with 25% whole bunches, the 2022 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru takes time to unfurl on the nose. It’s quite backward but well-defined with raspberry, wild strawberry, sous-bois and crushed stone. The palate is well balanced with fine-grain tannins, fresh and lightly spiced, gaining depth towards the finish. Good vigor and persistence – this is a classy Clos-de-Bèze.
94-96pts – Neal Martin
Offer ends on Friday 6th September 2024 l No further discount l Immediate payment required l Delivery fees ($32.72) waived for purchases above $500 before GST excluding airports | Cancellation of orders not allowed l Orders to be collected/delivered within 3 months upon stock availability l Offered Ex-Singapore & subject to remaining unsold
