Dom. Drouhin-Laroze
Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru
Chambolle Musigny
2020

The producer

Domaine Drouhin-Laroze, a prestigious estate in Burgundy, is managed by Philippe Drouhin, who took over from his father Bernard after many years of working alongside him. The domaine, which cultivates 11 hectares of vines in some of the most renowned vineyards of the Côte d'Or, is dedicated to allowing the vine and terroir to express themselves while respecting traditions and embracing modern techniques. The estate, founded by Jean-Baptiste Laroze in 1850, is now in its 5th and 6th generations, with Philippe's son Nicolas joining to ensure continuity. Known for producing consistently good to very good wines, the domaine excels particularly with its Chambolle-Musigny, a blend of premier cru Les Baudes and a touch of village Verroilles, and its outstanding Bonnes Mares bottling. The premier crus Au Closeau and Craipillot were vinified together until 2004. In terms of aging, the grands crus are matured entirely in new wood, the premier crus in a 50:50 mix, and the village wines in one-year-old barrels.

The wine

The Domaine Drouhin-Laroze Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2020 is an exceptional wine that highlights the estate's substantial 1.5-hectare holding within the esteemed Chambolle-Musigny sector of the Bonnes-Mares appellation. This wine, crafted from 40% whole bunches, is beautifully aromatic, featuring a bouquet of wild fruits, subtle pepper, spice, and hints of cocoa bean. Reflecting its Chambolle origins, the wine is noted for its succulence and generous, plump character. The velvety tannins are seamlessly integrated with the rich fruit, maintaining a sense of freshness throughout. As always, this cuvée is a standout in the Domaine's portfolio, showcasing the finesse and complexity that Bonnes-Mares is known for.

We choose our wines based on a range of criteria (see how we choose our wines) of which critic scores is just one. Rather than simply highlight the best score to promote a wine, our average critic score is calculated from the scores provided by several respected wine critics, who we follow for specific regions. They do not represent all critic scores and, wherever possible, we try and give more weight to more recent reviews. Where appropriate we consider market-based scores like Global Wine Score or Wine Searcher Average scores.

As a rule, we look to offer wines that achieve a 92/100 average critic score or better and frankly a lot of very good wines simply don’t make the cut. As a high-end provider we want to reflect that positioning in the quality of wines we offer. Such wines are only a tiny fraction of those generally on offer in the market. We believe that an average score is a more conservative and representative approach, but it is still subjective and only offered as a guide to our customers, who will (and should) do their own research. We will add individual critic scores to our website in the future.