Beaune Clos des Mouches Rouge, Joseph Drouhin 2005

After taking a year off in 2004 (it was not released because of hail), the red Clos des Mouches is back and in excellent form with a high-toned and wonderfully seductive nose of raspberry and strawberry aromas nuanced by hints of oak, spice and earth that continues on the rich, sweet and solidly detailed medium full flavors, all wrapped in a delicious, supple and relatively forward finish supported by buried tannins. Like the Grèves, this is so well balanced that it should age effortlessly.

Good full red. Cherry, menthol, leather and licorice on the rather cool nose. Densely packed and a bit medicinal, with a distinctly primary, youthfully tight character. A distinctly rocky wine that has good underlying material but comes off as rather stunted today. This, too, will need patience. The young vines here suffered from drought, said Philippe Drouhin, but the rest did fine.

Representing huge domaine holdings and in effect the Drouhin flag ship, their 2005 Beaune Clos des Mouches displays aromas of roasted meat, wood smoke, black truffles, plum and black raspberry. Persistently meaty in the mouth, with plum pit and wet stone adjuncts, this is archetypal 2005: richly ripe yet with an invigorating tart fresh edge and quite dark, even somber in flavor shadings. The long savory finish, while pouring out a generous helping of top quality fruit and meat juices, also offers a veritable catalog of mineral nuances ... if only one had names for them all. This should be terrific in 5-7 years.