Drouhin Laforet Pinot Noir 2017
Revisited this has reinvigorated me to sing its praises once again: Drouhin Laforet Pinot Noir 2011 Burgundy, France | Good grief! This is beautiful red Burgundy with all the great Cote d’Or character one seldom if ever finds at this appellation level Burgundy. How on earth does Drouhin do this? Declassified Pinot Noir from the Côtes de Nuits means they’ve put their best foot forward to treat Laforet as a calling card to lure us into the many varied parcels they own throughout Burgundy. That’s right: while Drouhin does purchase some fruit in the manner of a négociant their family holdings of many parcels run from the northern Côte de Nuits through the Côte de Beaune to the Mâcon in the south –and this is a blend of choice plots so we can taste the delicate touch of the elegant house of Drouhin. A nuance of woodsy duff of sous bois, crunchy red fruit, and that sappy character Pinot only shows when harvested from these ancient hills. This is a total sleeper and well worth drinking –especially if you haven’t tried it since they began declassifying fruit for this blend. Delicious.
Wine review by Nicholas Livingston, February 7, 2014 (Root)
Elegant, restrained, approachable, this freshly packaged Laforet is stunning –predominantly declassified Chablis but with this being the Drouhin calling card there is some declassified Chardonnay from the Cote d’Or and the Maconnais with ample fruit, a mineral bedrock but despite the Chablisienne structure, this is, without going beyond in the realm of lush Chardonnay, pronounced white Burgundy –which much more of the true character of terroir –with no trace of that lean, linear edgy alternatives out there. This but proves that Drouhin is firing on all cylinders and that they have access to such a spice box of broad landholdings that ensures a superior quality and consistency and really serves well as a calling card for a house whose Premier and Grand Cru are just beckoning exploration.
Wine review by Nicholas Livingston, July 2013
Food Pairings
Roasted birds are a preternatural match but Pinot Noir goes with any number of dishes ranging from those incorporating wild game and foraged mushrooms to veal stews or grilled fleshy fish. For a classic cheese pairing hunt down some Epoisse...
