Joseph Drouhin : Montrachet Grand cru "Marquis de Laguiche" 1992

Characteristics and Tasting Notes of the Montrachet Grand Cru "Marquis de Laguiche" 1992 by Joseph Drouhin

Food and Wine Pairings

A Montrachet of this stature calls for refined, delicate dishes capable of matching its richness without overwhelming it. It pairs beautifully with fine fish such as turbot, sea bass or sole prepared with light buttery or creamy sauces, as well as with noble shellfish like lobster or langoustine served with a light bisque-style sauce. White meats and poultry in cream and mushroom sauces also find a lovely echo in the wine's generous texture, while a well-aged, nutty hard cheese can offer an interesting accompaniment at the end of a meal.

Serving and Cellaring

The Montrachet Grand Cru "Marquis de Laguiche" 1992 belongs to a cuvée that the estate generally recommends enjoying between 8 and 15 years after the vintage, with an aging potential of up to 20 years in classic years. Serving temperature should be around 14–15°C (57–59°F), allowing the wine's aromatic complexity to unfold fully without being muted by excessive chill.

A Montrachet Grand Cru from Puligny-Montrachet, Vinified by Maison Joseph Drouhin for the Marquis de Laguiche Estate

The Estate

Founded in Beaune in 1880 by Joseph Drouhin, the house of Joseph Drouhin has grown into one of Burgundy's leading négociant-producers, today farming close to 100 hectares spread from Chablis to the Mâconnais. The estate is currently led by the fourth generation of the family: Philippe, Véronique, Laurent and Frédéric Drouhin. Known for its early commitment to organic and biodynamic farming and its philosophy of finesse and terroir expression, the house also oversees the historic Montrachet "Marquis de Laguiche," one of Burgundy's most celebrated white wine parcels.

The Vineyard

The grapes come from the Montrachet Grand Cru, straddling Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet, widely regarded as the world's foremost vineyard for dry white wine. The Marquis de Laguiche parcel lies entirely on the Puligny side, covering 2.06 hectares on a gentle, southeast-facing slope with predominantly limestone soils. This plot has belonged to the de Laguiche family since 1776, while Maison Joseph Drouhin has been responsible for its cultivation, winemaking and aging since 1947.

The Vintage

For the 1992 vintage, overall growing conditions in Burgundy were generally favorable, though no precise meteorological details specific to the Montrachet climat have been documented. At this time, the estate's vineyards, including those farmed for the Marquis de Laguiche cuvée, were already in the early stages of transition toward organic viticulture, a movement initiated at the start of the decade.

Winemaking and Aging

The Montrachet Grand Cru "Marquis de Laguiche" 1992 follows the estate's traditional approach to this cuvée: chardonnay grapes hand-harvested into small perforated crates, then slowly pressed as whole clusters in a pneumatic press, with the final pressings separated from the free-run juice to preserve purity. After settling, the wine is transferred directly into oak barrels for both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, followed by an aging period of 18 to 21 months. The barrels, made from French oak air-dried for several years, represent around 30% new wood, with the process guided throughout by weekly tastings and analytical monitoring.

Grape Varieties

100% chardonnay