Joseph Drouhin (Wine Styles, Best Wines, Prices 2024)

by Anthony Zhang

Joseph Drouhin is one of the largest and most prestigious domaines in Burgundy, producing wines from nearly 90 appellations. The Domaine has been creating a diverse array of delicious wines for over 140 years - from investment-worthy Grand Crus to easy-drinking, affordable village wines.

What makes Joseph Drouhin stand out from other Burgundy wineries?

In this article, we will explore Joseph Drouhin’s winemaking practices, best wines and the investment potential of their most extraordinary wines. We’ll also show you a smart way to invest in fine wines like Drouhin.

Joseph Drouhin at a Glance

This Burgundy wine estate was founded by its namesake, Joseph Drouhin, in the late 1800s. The winery is situated in Beaune, and has vineyards spread across multiple Burgundy communes, including:

Chablis
Côte de Beaune
Côte de Nuits
Côte Chalonnaise

Now let’s see how and when the story of Joseph Drouhin began.

The History of Joseph Drouhin

In 1880, Joseph Drouhin moved from Chablis to Beaune and started trading wine as a negociant. He then bought the rights to a winery in the city of Beaune and named it Maison Joseph Drouhin.

By the early 1900s, his son, Maurice Drouhin, started working with him. He expanded the domaine by buying some of Burgundy’s finest vineyards, such as Clos des Mouches and Clos de Vougeot.

Maurice Drouhin handed the wine estate down to his son, Robert Drouhin, in 1957.

In the 90s, Robert Drouhin founded the prestigious Primum Familiae Vini (an association of the finest family-owned wineries from France, Italy, Germany, Portugal and Spain.)

He bought more land, including noteworthy Chablis vineyards with remarkable terroir. He established natural farming methods, disposing of pesticides and other chemicals.

Robert and Françoise Drouhin had four children - Philippe, Laurent, Frédéric and Véronique Drouhin - who run the winery today. Under them, the Domaine was officially given organic certification in 2009.

Interestingly, the legacy of the Drouhin family doesn’t end in France. They opened a winery in the United States in 1988, and it was named Domaine Drouhin Oregon.

Let’s take a quick look at it before we dive deeper into Joseph Drouhin’s winemaking.

Domaine Drouhin Oregon

This Oregon wine estate owned by Maison Joseph Drouhin is situated in Oregon’s Dundee Hills, looking out to the Willamette Valley.

Of the total 235 acres, 113 acres are planted with the Pinot Noir vine and 11 acres are Chardonnay vines.

All vine plantings in Domaine Drouhin Oregon are farmed sustainably. Also, Domaine Drouhin Oregon has a modern four-level gravity-flow winery which provides a gentler approach to winemaking. This is consistent with Maison Joseph Drouhin’s natural winemaking methods.

Joseph Drouhin Viticulture and Winemaking

Domaine Joseph Drouhin primarily uses Burgundian Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grape varieties in their wines, with the occasional inclusion of a different grape variety.

The winemaker sources grapes from its own vineyards, and from other vineyard plots in the region.

In the Drouhin vineyard plots, there’s an unfailing focus on biodynamic viticulture. The credo of Joseph Drouhin is “to bring natural answers to natural problems."

Some of the eco-friendly practices include using only organic products on the grape vines and the soil, plowing the soil with horses, and allowing grass to between the grapevines.

The 197.5 acres of vineyard holdings are densely planted, with up to 5000 vines per acre. The vines are allowed to take deep root so that the wine can fully express the terroir when it is bottled.

Winemaking

The Drouhin family also keeps their winemaking as natural as possible:

Harvesting is done by hand, and the grapes are sorted twice to ensure high quality.
Maceration takes place over two to three weeks, using exclusively indigenous yeasts.
The wine producers press down the cap once a day in the first half of the fermentation process. Then the grape must is pumped over daily until fermentation is complete. Vinification happens with little outside intervention.
For the aging process, the wine producers choose their own trees to make custom oak barrels. The barrels are then paired with specific wines, taking into account the age of the barrel and the type of wine. Occasionally, steel tanks are used to bring out the terroir’s individual flair in the wine.

Joseph Drouhin Wine Styles

Joseph Drouhin has both single-vineyard wines and wines made from multiple vineyards.

Some of the single-vineyard wines are:

Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche: This Cote de Beaune Grand Cru vineyard is planted entirely with Chardonnay. The white wine from this Grand Cru is floral, with aromas of exotic wood and honey that add to the finesse of the wine.
Corton: TheCorton vineyard is the only red wine Grand Cru in Cote de Beaune. The wine is velvety and pleasantly sharp, with a palate of candy and spice.
Moulin de Vaudon: The Moulin de Vaudon vineyard is one of the finest Chablis vineyards. The Drouhin Vaudon Chablis wine is one of their best Chardonnays and is marketed as Domaine Vaudon. This Burgundian white wine is absolutely divine, with citrus aromas and a subtle salty finesse.
Bâtard Montrachet: The Batard Montrachet vineyard is situated near the celebrated Montrachet vineyard. Bâtard Montrachet is a Grand Cru wine that has an aroma of honey, wood, and almonds.
Clos des Mouches: Clos des Mouches is a Premier Cru vineyard in Côte de Beaune, the northern section of Cote d’Or. Both red and white grape varieties are grown at this Premier Cru vineyard. Beaune Clos des Mouches is the biggest section of the Clos des Mouches vineyard.

These are the multi-vineyard wines from the Drouhin firm:

Meursault AOC: The Drouhin family makes seven different Meursault wines with theBurgundian Chardonnay grape variety from these Cote d’Or vineyards.
Bourgogne AOC: The Joseph Drouhin wines made in the Bourgogne appellation are highly rated. The Maison has both a Drouhin Bourgogne Pinot Noir and a Drouhin Bourgogne Chardonnay.
Beaujolais AOC: Maison Joseph Drouhin produces five Beaujolais wines using Gamay grapes sourced from the Beaujolais appellation.
Macon AOC: In Macon, Joseph Drouhin produces multiple Chardonnays that are light, fresh, and elegant.
Pouilly Fuissé AOC: From the Pouilly Fuissé appellation, Maison Joseph Drouhin produces a delightful Chardonnay.

Other appellations include Puligny Montrachet, Nuits Saint Georges, Chassagne Montrachet, and many more.

Now, we’ve researched over 150 Joseph Drouhin’s wines and picked out the very best bottles for you!

The Best Joseph Drouhin Wines to Buy in 2024

Here’s a list of top ten Joseph Drouhin wines:

1. Joseph Drouhin Musigny Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France, 1978

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This 1978 vintage is well-rounded, powerful, and elegant. On the palate, it is dry and smooth with soft tannins. The wine has distinct red fruit flavors, with notes of red currant and cherry.

Price of Joseph Drouhin Musigny Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France, 1978: $5076

2. Joseph Drouhin Richebourg Grand Cru, Vosne-Romanee, Burgundy, France, 1992

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Here we have a gorgeous Pinot Noir red wine. It is dry, with high acidity and medium tannin levels. This Joseph Drouhin wine has aromas of cherry, vanilla, and spice. Price of Joseph Drouhin Richebourg Grand Cru, Vosne-Romanee, Burgundy, France, 1992: $1261

3. Joseph Drouhin Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, Vosne-Romanée, Burgundy, France, 1997

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This Joseph Drouhin vintage has earthy tasting notes and red fruit flavors. The red wine is smooth with medium tannin levels and sharp acidity. Price of Joseph Drouhin Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, Vosne-Romanée, Burgundy, France, 1997: $1000

4. Joseph Drouhin Amoureuses, Chambolle Musigny Premier Cru, France, 1985

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This fine wine is fresh, supple, and elegant with aromas of strawberry, red currant, and a subtle minerality. It has an excellent long finish, with soft tannin levels and a silky mouthfeel. Price of Joseph Drouhin Amoureuses, Chambolle Musigny Premier Cru, France, 1985: $2609

5. Joseph Drouhin Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France, 1985

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Here we have rich and bold red wine with a lush palate of oak, red fruit, and game. The acidity is sharp and fresh, and the soft tannin levels round it out nicely. Price of Joseph Drouhin Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France, 1985: $985

6. Joseph Drouhin Les Combottes, Gevrey Chambertin Premier Cru, France, 1990

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This is a well-balanced and smooth red wine with tart acidity and gentle tannins. It is dry, with a palate of cherry, oak, and vanilla. Price of Joseph Drouhin Les Combottes, Gevrey Chambertin Premier Cru, France, 1990: $513

7. Joseph Drouhin Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France, 1988

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This Pinot Noir wine is ripe and intense, with a palate of black and red fruit, cassis, and a touch of honey. It is well-rounded and rich, with medium tannin levels and a fresh acidity.

Price of Joseph Drouhin Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France, 1988: $1645

8. Joseph Drouhin Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France, 1976

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Here we have a Joseph Drouhin bottle that is bold, smooth, and elegant. It has sweet tannins, a pleasant acidity, and flavor notes of strawberry, mushroom, and violet. Price of Joseph Drouhin Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France, 1976: $1416

9. Joseph Drouhin Les Beaux Monts, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, France, 1985

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This red wine is supple and smooth with a sweet perfume and a delicate palate of red plum, cassis, red currant, and strawberry. It has high acidity, medium tannin levels, and a long finish. Joseph Drouhin Les Beaux Monts, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, France, 1985: $650

10. Joseph Drouhin Marquis de Laguiche Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France, 2014

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We’re ending off with a coveted Joseph Drouhin white wine. It is a Chardonnay with a palate of honey, peach, and butter. This white wine is well-balanced, rich, and deep.

Price of Joseph Drouhin Marquis de Laguiche Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France, 2014: $945 Next, let’s see whether these delectable wines are also a good investment choice.

Should You Invest in Joseph Drouhin Wine?

Joseph Drouhin is one of the oldest and finest wineries in Burgundy. Many of it’s high-end red wines can age for decades and increase in value as time goes on.

For instance, in two years between 2019 and 2021, Joseph Drouhin Musigny Grand Cru wine prices trended as follows:

The 2014 vintage grew 19% from $948 to $1,134.
The 1998 and 2003 vintages rose by 57% to $1,805 and $854 respectively.

In 2014, the Drouhin firm hosted its own auction and sold around 2000 ex-cellar bottles. All lots were sold and nearly 80% of them exceeded estimates. And, a six bottle case of Joseph Drouhin Musigny 1978 sold for a staggering $19,500+.

In a 2019 Sotheby’s auction, two bottles of Joseph Drouhin Musigny 1978 sold for an impressive $8,680.

All of these are strong indicators of the increasing interest in Maison Joseph Drouhin wines among discerning wine collectors.

So, how do you get hold of the best, authenticated Joseph Drouhin wine bottles?

It can be tough to know where to start.

But, not when you have a wine investment platform like Vinovest to turn to!

Read on.

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Taste the Best of Burgundy with a Joseph Drouhin!

Joseph Drouhin offers a little something for all wine lovers and collectors - investment-worthy, long-lived bottles to delicious dinner-time Chardonnays.

Adding a Joseph Drouhin wine to your cellar is a great way to expand (or start) your wine collection with some exquisite Burgundian wines.

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