Size: 750mL
Winemaker Notes:
"An exceptional wine. Beautiful, deep-red ruby colour, with the bright sheen of great Burgundies. Intense and fresh nose for the young wines. Primary notes of red fruit dominate, such as Morello cherry (« griotte », or wild cherry), raspberry, blackberry. There are hints of complexity with smoky flavours evolving towards liquorice. When the wine is maturing, aromas of pepper, tobacco, humus and undergrowth appear. When drinking the wine, the first impression is always clear-cut and the texture fleshy. The body is firm without being rough, well meshed without being heavy. There is great freshness in the younger wines. With age, the wine gets rounder. It takes on « gras » (velvety texture) and a more precise architecture, supported by silky tannins. It is lively and refined at the same time. There remains a final and most pleasing sensation of harmony, fullness and delicate tannins, as the wine lingers on the palate."
Harvest: grapes harvested by hands in open-work crates. If necessary, a careful sorting is proceeded.
Vinification: whole crop harvest of 20 to 50% depending on the vintage. In accordance with the terroir and the profile of the vintage, we do 2 to 3 weeks of fermentation and maceration in small open vats, marked by punching of the cap and pumping-over. The yeasts are indigenous (natural). Pressing in a vertical press. Separation of the ends of the presses based on tasting.
Ageing: in oak barrels including 25% of new barrels.
The ageing lasts between 14 to 18 months.
Origin of the wood: oak grown in French high forest.
Throughout the ageing process, decisions are taken only after careful tasting evaluation. The data obtained is completed through technical analysis. As with every other Joseph Drouhin wine, absolute priority is given to the true expression of terroir and character of the vintage.
History & tradition: the name « mouches » means flies. There were once bee-hives in this sun-drenched « clos » (vineyard enclosure); the bees in the local dialect were called « mouches à miel » (honey flies), hence the name Clos des Mouches. It is one of the first vineyards acquired by Maurice Drouhin (the founder's son) in the 1920's. With great determination, he bought 41 different parcels from 8 proprietors. It is planted out in equal quantities of red and white grapes and both wines have achieved mythical status for the House of Joseph Drouhin.
Celebration of its 100 years of history at Maison Joseph Drouhin in 2021.
Reviews:
97 James Suckling
"This is exactly what Burgundy and pinot-noir freaks around Planet Wine are looking for. Enveloping nose of red and black raspberries that's really hard to resist. So concentrated, suave and sophisticated on the rich but very precisely balanced palate. Extremely long and silky finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold." (7/2022)
94 Vinous
"The 2020 Beaune Clos des Mouches 1er Cru, which comes from deeper soils than the Beaune Grèves, has a mixture of red and black fruit and is a touch more expressive with a discrete marine influence. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, very layered with a gentle but insistent grip on the finish. This is one of the finest Clos des Mouches that I have tasted. (NM)" (5/2022)
92-94 Wine Advocate
"One of the highlights of the range is the 2020 Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches (Domaine), a nicely balanced cuvée that wafts from the glass with aromas of cassis, raspberries, orange rind, loamy soil and peonies. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and elegant, with ripe tannins, lively acids and a saline finish, it will offer a broad drinking window. (WK)" (1/2022)
91-94 Burghound
"A slightly earthier nose reflects ripe and beautifully layered aromas of black cherry, cassis and a plethora of floral nuances, especially violet. The round, delicious and almost tender medium-bodied flavors possess a highly seductive texture before culminating in a youthfully austere, beautifully balanced and hugely long finale. This too could use better depth, but the aging track record of this wine is so good that more will almost certainly develop. *Burghound Sweet Spot! Outstanding!* "(4/2022)
93 John Gilman
"The 2020 Clos des Mouches rouges is every bit as fine as the Grèves this year. Again, stylistic comparisons to the young 1993 are not all that far-fetched for this wine, despite the ’93 vintage being a cool one and 2020 to being a solar year. The nose delivers a lovely constellation of sweet dark berries, black plum, bitter chocolate, grilled venison, dark soil tones, a touch of stems and a nice framing of new oak. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, ripe and tangy, with a rock solid core, fine soil signature hovering on the horizon, buried tannins and a long, vibrant and still quite youthful finish. (Drink between 2033-2085)" (11/2021)