Joseph Drouhin Clos des Mouches Blanc 2020

Vineyard Notes

Site: at the southern end of the Beaune appellation, next to Pommard. The Drouhin vineyard is at mid-slope, on a mild incline with an east/south east exposure. It is the largest parcel of the Clos des Mouches (14 hectares - 35 acres), one half planted with chardonnay, the other with pinot noir. History & tradition: the name mouches means flies. There were once bee-hives in this sun-drenched clos (vineyard enclosure); the bees in the local dialect were called mouches à miel (honey flies), hence the name Clos des Mouches. It is one of the first vineyards acquired by Maurice Drouhin (the founders son) in the 1920s. Soil: clay and limestone. Rocky soil in the upper part of the vineyard. At the center, the soil is limestone and marl. This light composition favours the great finesse of the wine. Domaine area: 6.82 ha. (17.05 acres). Average age of the vines: 45 years.

Winemaking

Harvesting: by hand, in small open crates in order to preserve the integrity of the fruit. Sorting: if necessary, the grapes are sorted twice : once when being picked, the second time on the sorting table at the winery. Pressing: very slow so as to respect fruit. Juices from the very last pressings are not retained. The wine goes directly into barrels after débourbage (decanting of white wine to reduce sediment).

Ageing

Type: in barrels (25% in new oak). Length: 12 to 15 months. Origin of the wood: French oak forests. Weathering of the wood: Joseph Drouhin insists on total control of the weathering for a period of 3 years, one of the contributing elements to the elegance of the wine.