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Wine Description
The Story
Clos des Mouches is the beating heart of the Drouhin Family’s life in Burgundy. A subtle vineyard mosaic, an essay in terroir, a symbol of hard work and shared joy, Clos des Mouches has been synonymous with Maison Joseph Drouhin since 1921.
Clos des Mouches blanc is revered for its purity of focus and expression. It is a Chardonnay that shines aromatically with intense, complex, and pure notes of white flowers, lush fruits, and gentle spices. This same pure quality manifests as structure and fullness, energy and finesse, elegance, and a remarkable length on the palate.Always at home on a dining table, Clos des Mouches blanc pairs with an exceptional range of cuisines, from grilled lobster to crispy sweetbreads, roasted turbot to saffron scallops, straight through to eggs with truffles, spaghetti alle vongole, or certain cheeses such as Comté, and so much more.
This legendary Premier Cru, which produces elegant, subtle, complex, and sublime white and red wines, is the genesis of the family estate.Today, Maurice Drouhin’s vision and commitment to authentic Burgundy, and his singular approach to a very special place, are upheld by the family’s third, fourth and fifth generations. The incredible stories, emotions, and inspiring vintages are why the family holds Clos des Mouches so dear and why it is so closely linked to the Maison’s identity. The hundredth anniversary is not merely a celebration of the past but a recognition of a living heritage that has survived all manner of human endeavors.
Today, a century later, the Clos des Mouches continues to occupy a unique place among the hundred appellations and the 80 hectares of Maison Joseph Drouhin. While not a monopole, Drouhin produces the lion’s share of the appellation. The vineyard is a geological patchwork of limestone marls, clays, and slabs with varying soil depths, altitudes, and orientations, covering 14 hectares. Most of the vines are between 25 and 50 years old, with some over 85 years old. Massale selection is used when replanting, and horses are a common sight at work in the vineyard. In this ecosystem, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are spread over twenty unique plots. This rich palette is what allows the Drouhin family to express the identity of Clos des Mouches each year in all its complexity. It is an ideal portrait of the place and an embodiment of the Joseph Drouhin style – the marriage of elegance, finesse, complexity, depth, and excellence.
Vintage 2004
2004 VINTAGE in Burgundy
2004 will be remembered as the year of wonderful surprises. The month of September was hot, dry and sunny contributing to an excellent harvest which in turn gave birth to fruity, elegant wines.
The harvest started on the 13th September in Burgundy, the Mâconnais and the Côte Chalonnaise during a long awaited spell of mild weather following a summer characterised by climatic instability.
These conditions slowed down the colouring of the grapes, disturbed the start of ripening and provided ideal conditions for the development of oidium. Luckily the return of a long period of warmth and sun from the beginning of September onwards accelerated the ripening process with a sharp increase in sugars.
This summery weather accompanied by a warm drying wind also allowed for the vines to maintain a satisfactory sanitary state. The hailstorms unfortunately destroyed a number of important parcels in the Mâconnais and in the vineyards of the Côte d?Or at different stages of their vegetative cycle. Contrary to 2003, nature showed herself to be kind and the wine-growers had to go ahead with intensive green harvesting to control the yields, taking off the damaged grapes or leaf-thinning.
In mid-september estimations put the forthcoming harvest at about 10% above that of an average harvest.
Although the particularly successful 2002 and 2003 vintages are tasting beautifully at the moment, it is still to early to define the profile for the 2004 vintage.
We will have to wait until after various tastings in November in Beaune, Chablis and in the Auxerrois region before getting a preliminary idea of the qualities of the 2004 harvest.