Maison Joseph Drouhin
Encyclopedia
Maison Joseph Drouhin is a French
wine
producer based in Burgundy that was founded in 1880. The estate owns vineyards in Chablis, the Côte de Nuits
, Côte de Beaune
and Côte Chalonnaise
, as well as in the Willamette Valley
in Oregon
. Drouhin is also one of the major négociant
s of Burgundy, and produces wines made from purchased grapes grown in different parts of Burgundy. Today both Maison Joseph Drouhin and Domaine Drouhin Oregon are owned and operated by the great grandchildren of Joseph Drouhin.
The Drouhin family are members of the Primum Familiae Vini
.
of the Côte de Beaune
. Clos de Mouches is a Premier Cru vineyard within the commune of Beaune
, and was purchased by Drouhin in the 19th Century, which produces both red and white wines. White Clos des Mouches from Drouhin generally command a slightly higher price than the red wine.
The 1973 vintage ranked number five in the historic "Judgment of Paris" wine competition between ten French and California wine
s. In the New York Wine Tasting of 1973
, the winery's 1969 was ranked in fifth place after four California Chardonnays. Beaune Clos des Mouches Joseph Drouhin also competed in the "Great Chardonnay Showdown
" wine competition held in 1980.
and Chardonnay
. The gravity-fed winery is in the Red Hills of Dundee
in the Willamette Valley
. It was built in 1988 for $10,000,000 by Maison Joseph Drouhin. Veronique Drouhin is the winemaker.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon, is the result, in part, of the 1979-1980 Paris Wine Olympics
where David Lett's The Eyrie Vineyards of Oregon took second place behind a 1959 Drouhin wine. Robert Drouhin, who had been visiting Oregon since the 1960s, purchased the Oregon property when notified about it by David Adelsheim of Adelsheim Winery.
French wine
French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer...
wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
producer based in Burgundy that was founded in 1880. The estate owns vineyards in Chablis, the Côte de Nuits
Côte de Nuits
The Côte de Nuits is a French wine region located in the northern part of the Côte d'Or, the limestone ridge that is at the heart of the Burgundy wine region. It extends from Dijon to just south of Nuits-Saint-Georges, which gives its name to the district and is the regional center...
, Côte de Beaune
Côte de Beaune
The Côte de Beaune area is the southern part of the Côte d'Or, the limestone ridge that is home to the great names of Burgundy wine. The Côte de Beaune starts between Nuits-Saint-Georges and Beaune, and extends southwards for about 25 km to the River Dheune...
and Côte Chalonnaise
Côte Chalonnaise
Côte Chalonnaise is a subregion of the Burgundy wine region of France. Côte Chalonnaise lies to the south of the Côte d'Or continuing the same geology southward. It is still in the main area of Burgundy wine production but it includes no Grand cru vineyards...
, as well as in the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley AVA
The Willamette Valley AVA , is an American Viticultural Area which lies in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The AVA is the wine growing region which encompasses the drainage basin of the Willamette River...
in Oregon
Oregon wine
The state of Oregon in the United States has established an international reputation for its production of wine. Oregon has several different growing regions within the state's borders which are well-suited to the cultivation of grapes; additional regions straddle the border between Oregon and the...
. Drouhin is also one of the major négociant
Négociant
A négociant is the French term for a wine merchant who assembles the produce of smaller growers and winemakers and sells the result under its own name....
s of Burgundy, and produces wines made from purchased grapes grown in different parts of Burgundy. Today both Maison Joseph Drouhin and Domaine Drouhin Oregon are owned and operated by the great grandchildren of Joseph Drouhin.
The Drouhin family are members of the Primum Familiae Vini
Primum Familiae Vini
Primum Familiae Vini an association of family-owned wineries with a membership limited to twelve families/wineries. The association was established 1993 by Miguel Torres and Robert Drouhin , after they had first come up with the idea in 1990...
.
Clos des Mouches
Beaune Clos des Mouches Joseph Drouhin is made from grapes grown in the Clos des Mouches, a Beaune Premier Cru vineyardVineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
of the Côte de Beaune
Côte de Beaune
The Côte de Beaune area is the southern part of the Côte d'Or, the limestone ridge that is home to the great names of Burgundy wine. The Côte de Beaune starts between Nuits-Saint-Georges and Beaune, and extends southwards for about 25 km to the River Dheune...
. Clos de Mouches is a Premier Cru vineyard within the commune of Beaune
Beaune
Beaune is the wine capital of Burgundy in the Cote d'Or department in eastern France. It is located between Paris and Geneva.Beaune is one of the key wine centers in France and the annual wine auction of the Hospices de Beaune is the primary wine auction in France...
, and was purchased by Drouhin in the 19th Century, which produces both red and white wines. White Clos des Mouches from Drouhin generally command a slightly higher price than the red wine.
The 1973 vintage ranked number five in the historic "Judgment of Paris" wine competition between ten French and California wine
California wine
California wine has a long and continuing history, and in the late twentieth century became recognized as producing some of the world's finest wine. While wine is made in all fifty U.S. states, up to 90% of American wine is produced in the state...
s. In the New York Wine Tasting of 1973
New York Wine Tasting of 1973
The New York Wine Tasting of 1973 was organized by pioneering alcohol journalist Robert Lawrence Balzer. He assembled 14 leading wine experts including France’s Alexis Lichine, who owned two Chateaux in Bordeaux, a manager of the Four Seasons restaurant in New York City, and Sam Aaron, a prominent...
, the winery's 1969 was ranked in fifth place after four California Chardonnays. Beaune Clos des Mouches Joseph Drouhin also competed in the "Great Chardonnay Showdown
Great Chardonnay Showdown
The Great Chardonnay Showdown, held in the spring of 1980, was organized by Craig Goldwyn, the wine columnist for the Chicago Tribune newspaper and the founder of the Beverage Testing Institute, with help from three Chicago wine stores. A total of 221 Chardonnays from around the world were selected...
" wine competition held in 1980.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon
Domaine Drouhin Oregon (DDO) is an American winery in Oregon known for its Pinot noirPinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
and Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
. The gravity-fed winery is in the Red Hills of Dundee
Dundee, Oregon
Dundee is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,598 at the 2000 census. The 2007 estimate is 3,040 residents.-History:...
in the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley AVA
The Willamette Valley AVA , is an American Viticultural Area which lies in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The AVA is the wine growing region which encompasses the drainage basin of the Willamette River...
. It was built in 1988 for $10,000,000 by Maison Joseph Drouhin. Veronique Drouhin is the winemaker.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon, is the result, in part, of the 1979-1980 Paris Wine Olympics
Wine Olympics
A Wine Olympics was organized by the French food and wine magazine GaultMillau in 1979; a total of 330 wines from 33 countries were evaluated by 62 experts from ten nationalities. The 1976 Trefethen Vineyards Chardonnay from the Napa Valley won the Chardonnay tasting and was judged best in the...
where David Lett's The Eyrie Vineyards of Oregon took second place behind a 1959 Drouhin wine. Robert Drouhin, who had been visiting Oregon since the 1960s, purchased the Oregon property when notified about it by David Adelsheim of Adelsheim Winery.