Drouhin-Laroze Ad from 1943 Appellation Encyclopedia
Gevrey-Chambertin
Drouhin-Laroze is a Domaine in Gevrey-Chambertin with a very good reputation and an excellent list of different appellations that includes several Grand Crus. Before going to the Domaine near the end of last month, I had visited on two other occasions, once in the early 1990s while cycling through the village, and a second time in August 2001, cycling again, when I stopped there with a few travelers I was hosting from a large investment firm. On the two previous visits I only saw the caveau/tasting room on the ground level, as the visits were quite impromptu. This time I was stunned by the size of the property. The site is a full hectare in size (2.4 acres) with cellars and outbuildings amidst a beautiful grounds.
The Domaine is now run by Christine and Philippe Drouhin and Christine was our hostess for the visit. We initially visited the bottle storing cellars which are quite beautiful, having been renovated in the early 2000s. The Domaine was busy bottling some 2008s in a different building on site and filling the concrete bins in this cellar with unlabeled bottles. Mme Drouhin then showed us the barrel cellars, a short walk away. These cellars were equally beautiful and quite unique in that they are two levels deep. Barrels aged here are from the Domaine as well as the negociant/broker business that Christine and Philippe’s daughter has recently started.
Our third stop on the visit was the caveau/tasting room where Mme. Drouhin has also started a small table d’hôtes :table d’hotes: n. (French) meaning “table of the host” meal option that offers full meal with limited choice of food for a fixed price.
Moray Tawse, Christine Drouhin, Paul Pender at Domaine Drouhin-Laroze
This allows clients to have a simple, Burgundian meal paired with the wines of the Domaine. A great idea that also exists elsewhere in the Côte d’Or, perhaps most successfully at Maison Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet. Mme. Drouhin said she started this small restaurant because of her love of cooking and as such she does all the cooking herself. It’s open seasonally and I look forward to eating here when it re-opens in the Spring.
1978 Chambertin Clos de Bèze, Domaine Drouhin-Laroze, tasted in March 2008
