Pinot Noir from Burgundy is the name, and extraordinary quality at R695 is the game. The Joseph Drouhin Côte de Nuits-Villages 2022 is a suave, exuberant red that brings to life Neal Martin’s description of the vintage: ‘I cannot remember a Burgundy vintage that elicited so much joy from barrel, and I’ve undertaken this exercise for over 20 years.’
From the first swirl, there’s a vibrance and intensity on the nose, with delicious wild cherries, earthy notes and spice. The tannin structure is gorgeous and drives the wine to a salty, citrussy, liquorice and forest-berry finish. The terroir and typicity shine through brightly and, whilst beautiful now, it will be singing in 4-7 years!
Since its founding in 1880, Joseph Drouhin has been considered one of the best and most consistent producers in Burgundy. They have 73 hectares of biodynamically-farmed vines in close to 90 different appellations and offer a fascinating array of Burgundy terroirs.
Their Côte de Nuits-Villages 2022is a blend from five different communes in the southern part of the region. Grown on clay and limestone soils, grapes were hand-picked, fully destemmed and then fermented for 2-3 weeks in small open vats. The wines were aged for 12-16 months in French oak barrels, about 20% new.
