Maison Joseph Drouhin consolidates its wine estate in Burgundy with the acquisition of two new properties in Saint-Romain and Saint-Véran
The Drouhins, a family of pioneers
What a long way since the acquisition of the first parcels of Clos des Mouches by Maurice Drouhin in 1921 ; a wine that has become the emblem of Maison Joseph Drouhin and certainly the most famous of the Beaune Premiers Crus in the world!
A visionary man, his son Robert Drouhin considerably developed the wine estate in the Côte d’Or but also in Chablis (99 acres / 40 hectares), at the end of the 1960s.
On the other side of the Atlantic, he created the Drouhin estate in Oregon which has just celebrated its 35 years.
The 4th generation follows this path and continues to believe in Burgundy wines. They have just acquired two new properties : one in Saint-Romain and the second in Saint-Véran, for a total of more than 49.50 acres / 20 hectares.
The Joseph Drouhin estate now covers all of Burgundy from north to south, from Chablis to the Mâconnais over nearly 100 hectares. It now consists of more than 60 appellations including 14 Grands Crus and 20 Premiers Crus. Joseph Drouhin thus consolidates their supply supplemented by purchases of grapes from loyal partners.
Acquisition of Château de Chasselas in Saint-Véran with the Millésime hotel group
The Drouhin family believed in the Saint-Véran appellation very early on, vinifying grapes from a plot of the Château de Chasselas. They know the quality of this terroir. It was therefore legitimate for them to acquire the entire estate ; a place full of charm with the château surrounded by vines.
They have partnered with the Millésime hotel group, which is taking charge of the historical building to convert it into a hotel, scheduled to open in 2025.
Joseph Drouhin has bought 17.30 acres / 7.5 hectares of vines in AOP Saint-Véran, including a candidate plot for 1er cru classification.
The estate also includes several parcels of Beaujolais and one of the Chasselas grape variety. They will rely on the viticultural team already in place from the 2023 harvest. The wines will be vinified in the Château’s vat room.
The marketing of the first Saint-Véran Joseph Drouhin Château de Chasselas vintage is scheduled for the summer of 2024.
The vines are currently in organic conversion.
This fits perfectly into the philosophy and practices of Joseph Drouhin, who has been growing organically for over 35 years.
For Frédéric Drouhin, President of Maison Joseph Drouhin : « Saint-Véran is an appellation with a very specific terroir, producing wines with a real originality which also makes it possible to seduce young lovers of Burgundy wines. The offer proposed by Millésime is also part of this wine tourism approach to promote this absolutely magnificent site ».
Mr Jean-Marc Veyron la Croix and Mr Jacky Martinon, owners of Château de Chasselas since 1999, have decided to turn the page after bringing this estate back to life with total personal investment and a lot of passion ! « They are delighted that a Burgundian family business is taking over, to write a new chapter in the history of Chateau de Chasselas, which began in the 14th century ».
Joseph Drouhin also anchored in Saint-Romain
The Drouhin family strongly believes in the potential of Saint-Romain wines, due to the particular geology of the location, the limestone of the lias but also the consequences of global warming.
The higher altitude of the location, at 365 metres, was an important argument in the decision to buy these vines. Saint-Romain was also the site where the first Celtic and Gallo-Roman vines were grown in Burgundy.
The acquisition of the Rapet estate in Saint-Romain, a long-time winemaking partner of the Beaune wine-making house, includes 19.80 acres / 8.6 hectares in the Saint-Romain white and red appellations, supplemented by 2.47 acres / 1 hectare in Auxey-Duresses white and red and more than 2.47 acres / 1 hectare in Meursault and Pommard. The estate has just started its conversion to organics.
According to Philippe Drouhin, Domaine Director, « it will be exciting to cultivate these new plots on this particular terroir and climate. Together with the domaines of Saint-Romain, we will collectively work to promote this beautiful appellation. »
Joseph Drouhin at the heart of dynamic Burgundy
When all eyes converge on Burgundy with the opening of the Cités des Climats, the prestigious Beaune house founded in 1880 has to reply present.
Autumn 2023 will see the opening of Maison 1896 opposite the Hospices de Beaune, a hotel and restaurant managed by David Fink, founder and president of the Californian group Mirabel. In addition, American chef Charles Phan will open his restaurant Slanted Door featuring his Vietnamese cuisine.
Wine tourism is booming, Joseph Drouhin along with its partner Mirabel group and Millesime will now be able to provide a hotel offering with the opening of Maison 1896 in Beaune and later with the Château de Chasselas in the Mâconnais.
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