Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche 2009 Drouhin, Joseph

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Robert Parker (94)

The 2009 Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche explodes from the glass with intense layers of tropical fruit, passion fruit, butter, spices and vanillin. It is a totally engaging wine, with endless waves of flavors that build towards the dramatic finish. This is a decidedly exotic wine that captures the essence of the year. Is is perhaps the most ‘2009’ wine in this lineup. This parcel, which is just a bit larger than two hectares, sits on the Puligny side. Anticipated maturity: 2014+.

I tasted the 2009s with Jerome Faure-Brac, Drouhin’s head winemaker. Interestingly, Faure-Brac chose to serve these wines a touch on the warm side, so I could observe their strengths and weaknesses more clearly. It was a high stakes move, especially in a warm vintage. I am not sure I would have had the guts to make that decision, but it speaks of great conviction….and the wines came through beautifully. The 2009 harvest began on September 21st, quite late for the year. New oak levels were down sharply, malos were blocked on a number of wines and the estate did no batonnage. The wines were racked once prior to being bottled.