Chambertin Clos de Beze Joseph Drouhin 2017 (750ML)

There are six barrels of the 2017 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru, a wine that was vinified with large amounts of whole cluster once again this year, and its bouquet of orange rind, peony, cinnamon and red berry fruit is strongly marked by stem inclusion. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, ample and delicate, with melting tannins, juicy acids and a sapid finish. Charming and open-knit, to my taste the technique is dominating the terroir here, though readers who live for the distinctive signature of whole-cluster fermentation will want to add a few points to my score.

The 2017 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru includes 40% whole cluster fruit and contains both estate and purchased fruit. It has a lovely bouquet of dark berry fruit laced with bergamot and undergrowth aromas, beautifully defined, with real Pinoté shining through. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red berry fruit. There is wonderful balance here, and a subtle spiciness comes through on the finish. This is one of Drouhin’s best 2017 reds.

Crazy aromas of smoked meat, white pepper, dried fruit, orange peel and flowers. Full body, round and chewy tannins and a flavorful and intense finish. Shows so much richness and depth. A great wine for the vintage.

While not quite as aromatically complex as the GE, it's close as this also features a panoply of spice elements along with exceptionally fresh and dense red currant, violet and plum aromas. Interestingly the mouth feel of the middle weight flavors is super-fine, indeed almost lilting and delicate, with a relatively pliant if sneaky long finish. This is lovely if a bit atypical.

The 2017 Chambertin “Clos de Bèze” from Maison Joseph Drouhin this year is a combination of the domaine’s own fruit and some purchased grapes. The wine includes forty percent whole clusters and was a cask sample at the time of our tasting. The bouquet is nicely reserved in profile and very complex, offering up scents of red and black cherries, gorgeous spice tones, mustard seed, grilled meats, a fine base of soil, a touch of youthful stems, woodsmoke, raw cocoa and smoky new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and pure, with a sappy core, velvety tannins and lovely length and grip on the complex and very promising finish. This is not as overtly sappy and seductive out of the blocks as the stunning 2017 Charmes-Chambertin, but it may well catch up with it in the fullness of time. 2025-2075+.