Maison Joseph Drouhin from Burgundy makes several different expressions of Chardonnay. I received four bottles of their various Chardonnay wines, and in this article I will review two for you. According to the winery, their Macon-Villages 2022 comes from a large region in the south end of Burgundy, close to Pouilly-Fuissé, which has clay and chalk soils. The size of this region allows considerable freedom in selecting wines with different characteristics. While their Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis 2023, I think comes from the Valley of Vauvillien, not far from the Grand Crus, between the Premier Crus of Montée de Tonnerre and Mont de Milieu. This area has Kimmeridgian limestone soil, which can be sensed in the wine. Throughout its 100-hectare (247 acres) estate, Maison Joseph Drouhin has adopted organic viticulture practices since the late 1980s and biodynamic viticulture since the 1990s.
Here are my notes for these two wines.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Joseph Drouhin Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis 2023 (BC $49.98 at Everything Wine)
Appearance: A clear, bright, medium-plus lemon colour.
Nose: Medium intensity toasty pineapple aromas. Slightly lighter aromas after decanting.
Palate: This wine is dry, medium-plus body with a thicker, smooth, buttery texture. Light toasty, roasted pineapple and black tea leaves on the palate plus some stoniness and a touch of butterscotch. Medium acidity leaves a light acidic prickle on your tongue. The wine had a less thick and less buttery mouthfeel after decanting, and there was no hint of black tea leaves.
Finish: Medium-plus length finishing dry with light pineapple, butterscotch, and stoniness on the palate, plus some light black tea leaf level tannins. The same flavours on the finish, plus a touch of tartness.
A fuller bodied Chardonnay, showing toast and pineapple aromas and flavours. Decanting does not make a big change so open and enjoy at your leisure.
Rating: 
Joseph Drouhin Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis 2023 shows a clear, bright lemon colour with medium aromas of toasty pineapple that soften slightly with air. Dry, medium-plus in body, it offers a smooth, lightly buttery texture with roasted pineapple, stoniness, touches of butterscotch and a hint of black tea leaves, supported by moderate acidity. The medium-plus finish lingers with pineapple, stony minerality and butterscotch, finishing with a faint tea-like tannins and a touch of tartness.
Joseph Drouhin Macon-Villages 2022 (BC $39.98 at Everything Wine)
Appearance: A clear, bright medium-plus intensity mix of lemon and gold colours in the glass.
Nose: Light, youthful aromas of mostly crisp apple, with lesser amounts of pears, peach, apple blossom, butterscotch, and oak. Same aromas after decanting, but intensity level bumps up to medium.
Palate: Dry, medium body and flavour intensity with a light, smooth, soft mouthfeel. Medium acidity leaves a light acidic prickle in your mouth. Crisp apples and dried apples on the palate along with touches of pears, oak, and pineapple. A touch pepperiness toward the finish and a hint of sweet spice with swirling. Same flavours and body after decanting, but you lose the light acidic prickle.
Finish: Medium-plus to long length finishing with crisp apple flavours, and light touches of oak, pineapple and pepperiness. No change to the finish after decanting.
An elegant, light bodied Chardonnay. No major changes with decanting, so open and enjoy at your leisure.
Rating: 
– Joseph Drouhin Mâcon-Villages 2022 shows a bright lemon-gold colour with youthful aromas of crisp apple supported by pear, peach, apple blossom and light butterscotch and oak that become a little more expressive with air. Dry, medium bodied, it offers a smooth, soft mouthfeel with flavours of crisp and dried apples, touches of pear, pineapple and oak, with a hint of sweet spice and pepperiness toward the finish. The medium-plus to long finish lingers with crisp apple, light oak, pineapple and pepperiness.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
Both wines are listed at Everything Wine stores:
Marquis Wine Cellars sells the Joseph Drouhin Macon-Villages 2022. These wines may be available at other private wine shops, but you will need to check. These wines are not available in BC Liquor Stores.
