Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Rouge 2016 (750ML)

95 JS / 93 WA / 92 BH / 91 VM / 17 JR

Fascinating aromas of dried strawberries, dried meat, spices and dried rose petals. Full body, chewy tannins and a juicy, savory finish. Polished tannins. Pretty length. Drink or hold. James Suckling

Tasted from bottle, the 2016 Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Rouge has deepened and fleshed out since I tasted it from barrel, and today its superb potential is impossible to dispute. Wafting from the glass with a rich bouquet of raspberries, black cherries, rich soil tones and spices and deftly framed by toasty new oak, the wine is medium to full-bodied, fleshy but vibrant, with a layered, textural mid-palate, velvety tannins and a long, precise finish. This is a serious, broad-shouldered Clos des Mouches that will offer a broad drinking window. --William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

Tasting note: In contrast to the nose of the Grèves the reduction is not subtle and I would strongly recommend decanting this if you're tempted to crack a bottle young. Otherwise there is gorgeous detail to the finer tension-filled and ultra-pure flavors that finish with a touch of austerity. I like the balance and transparency and while this is not quite as concentrated, it's more elegant. Note that my rating offers the benefit of the doubt that the firm reduction exhibited by the nose is not permanent. Outstanding – Allen Meadows - Burghound

(average production in this large holding was 28 hectoliters per hectare, with potential alcohol ranging from 12.8% to 13.2% in the various lots; vinified with 25% whole clusters): Healthy medium red. Deep nose displays red and darker berries accented by spices, minerals and flowers; ultimately a bit blacker in character than the Grèves. Also more airy in the mouth, with a very fine-grained texture and harmonious acidity that makes the Grèves seem almost heavy by comparison. Lovely subtle inner-mouth perfume here. Finishes with nicely delineated fruit and spice notes, lively tannins and saliva-inducing minerality.- Stephen Tanzer

Mid crimson with some blue still. Some oak sweetness on the nose and a touch of smoky reduction but this blows off in the glass. Precise and elegant on the nose, very pure. This is beautifully elegant and finely concentrated. Opens up to be expressive. Darker fruited on the palate, with some graphite/mineral notes. Real elegance and subtle length. So moreish. So supple but not lacking structure. (JH) Jancisrobinson.com