Clos De La Roche Grand Cru

Founded in 1880, Maison Joseph Drouhin has farmed its Grand Cru holdings under full organic and biodynamic certification since 2009 — an extraordinary commitment for a négociant-domaine of 100 hectares, with horse-ploughing and cover crops defining the viticulture at every tier. Clos de la Roche sits on the northern flank of Morey-Saint-Denis, its soils a thin layer of brown limestone debris over hard Bajocian bedrock, producing wines of structural density and iron-edged minerality that distinguish it from the silkier profiles of neighbouring Chambolle. Vinification employs partial to significant whole-cluster inclusion (up to 40–50% in suitable vintages), fermentation in small open vats over 2–3 weeks with pigeage and pumping-over, driven entirely by indigenous yeasts. Élevage proceeds in French high-forest oak barriques and larger formats for 12–18 months, with new oak proportions elevated for Grand Cru relative to the 15–25% used at Premier Cru level. What sets this cuvée apart within the Drouhin portfolio is the house's deliberate restraint: where many producers push Clos de la Roche toward extraction and new wood, Drouhin's finesse-first philosophy keeps the wine's stony, iron-laced character at the fore. The 2017 vintage delivered even ripening after a frost-reduced crop, yielding concentrated, structured fruit with the freshness to reward a decade of cellaring.