Joseph Drouhin : Gevrey-Chambertin Village 1999

Characteristics and Tasting Notes of the Gevrey-Chambertin Village 1999 Joseph Drouhin

Tasting

Color

This wine shows a ruby hue that has softened with two decades of cellar life, still clear and sound, with the kind of garnet undertones typical of a mature Pinot Noir from the Côte de Nuits.

Nose

The bouquet has moved well into its tertiary phase, releasing notes of beeswax, humus, and undergrowth that speak to the long aging this wine has undergone. Beneath these deeper tones, a quiet echo of dark fruit remains, woven together with the bottle age that defines this stage of the wine's life.

Palate

On the palate, this wine reveals real complexity, built on a sturdy frame that was always meant for extended aging. The tannins, present but never harsh, have softened into a smooth, almost velvety texture, while the structure keeps the wine upright and gives it length on the finish.

Food and wine pairings

This wine pairs naturally with dishes built around wild mushrooms, roasted or braised red meats, and reduced brown sauces. Game birds prepared with root vegetables and a touch of bacon also make a fitting match, as do mature soft-ripened cheeses that can stand up to the wine's depth without overwhelming it.

Serving and cellaring

The Gevrey-Chambertin Village 1999 is best served at around 61-62°F (16°C). Given its age, a short decanting of thirty minutes or so can help open the bouquet without dissipating its more delicate tertiary notes. According to the producer, this vintage was set aside specifically to let it develop fully, and it was built with a sturdy enough frame to support long cellaring.

The Estate

Joseph Drouhin was founded in 1880 in Beaune, Burgundy, when a 22-year-old Joseph Drouhin took over an existing wine business in the historic heart of the town. Today the house is run collectively by the fourth generation, Philippe, Véronique, Laurent, and Frédéric Drouhin, great-grandchildren of the founder. Over the decades, the family built a 100-hectare estate spanning Chablis, the Côte de Nuits, the Côte de Beaune, the Côte Chalonnaise, and the Mâconnais, and has farmed organically since the late 1980s and biodynamically since the 1990s.

The Vineyard

The grapes for this Gevrey-Chambertin come from the communes of Gevrey-Chambertin and Brochon, where the soils are notably lean and shallow, with a layer of reddish-brown clay-limestone marl sitting atop chalky subsoil. Fruit is sourced from partner growers working under a strict set of specifications set by the house, complementing Drouhin's own holdings elsewhere in Burgundy. Grapes are harvested entirely by hand into small perforated crates, with careful sorting applied when needed before the fruit reaches the cellar.

The Vintage

The 1999 vintage in Burgundy is regarded as a genuinely strong year, with certain wines reaching an exceptional level, drawing comparisons to classic years such as 1959, 1961, and 1962. The season combined generous yields with solid ripeness, producing fruit with enough concentration and structure to support long-term cellaring, a rare balance of abundance and quality in the same growing season.

Winemaking and aging

For the Gevrey-Chambertin Village 1999, the grapes were fully destemmed before fermenting in small open vats with indigenous yeasts over two to three weeks, punched down and pumped over regularly to manage extraction gently. Pressing was done on a vertical press, with the press fractions separated and selected by taste. The wine was then aged for fourteen to sixteen months in French oak barrels, 20 to 25% new, crafted from wood sourced from high-forest French oak and air-dried for three years to soften its tannic influence before use.

Grape Varieties

100% Pinot Noir.