2016 domaine drouhin laroze, bonnes mares grand cru (750ml)
Current Price
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The highest and most respected classification for a French vineyard
13.7% of All Fine Wine Top Vintage
Behold! One of the finest vintages of this wine ever made.
61.1% of Vinovest Wines Family-Owned
Family-owned wineries deliver a personal winemaking touch that corporations cannot
18.6% of All Producers of Fine Wine Woman-Owned
Women only account for a fraction of winery owners, making this wine a rarity.
7.8% of All Producers of Fine WineLoading...
Critics Scores
Burghound
A beautifully layered nose offers up notes of liqueur-like plum, warm earth and a lovely array of spice and floral elements. The exceptionally rich and generously proportioned flavors are unusually seductive in the context of what is typical for the appellation, all wrapped in a velvety, sappy and palate coating finish where a hint of wood appears. This too should drink well young. 92-94
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru was perhaps the one grand cru that I felt was a little disjointed and did not quite deliver the vivacity of the Chapelle-Chambertin or Latricières. It includes 40 whole bunch fruit and was depleted by 30 because of the frost, but it just came across a little dolorous at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. This feels a little foursquare and conservative and just needs more of the flamboyance and blue fruit you associate with this vineyard. Maybe this Bonnes-Mares just got stage fright on the day I visited? They’ve done it! “What have they done, exactly," you rightfully ask. Well, Drouhin-Laroze has finally produced a clutch of wines commensurate with their stellar array of holdings. Without wishing any disrespect to Philippe Drouhin, since first encountering their wines in the late nineties, myself and other mavens felt that they were a bit 'over-produced.' Maybe picked too late? Certainly they were often burdened with an excessive use of new oak that obfuscated terroir, and when you have half a dozen grand crus under your wing, that is a shame
Region Summary
Small in size but mighty in influence, Burgundy is home to some of the most sought-after and investment-worthy wines on Earth. Legendary vineyards and centuries of winemaking tradition combine to produce incomparably powerful pinot noirs and subtle chardonnays. Add in extremely low annual yields, and it’s easy to see why Burgundy’s prices are second to none.
Why We're Investing
Pound for pound, Burgundy (or Bourgogne to the locals) produces more expensive, high-appreciating wines than any other wine region. According to Liv-ex, Burgundy is also the best-performing region over the last five years, ten years, and 15 years. There’s no reason to think that will change anytime soon. That’s because Burgundians are obsessed with winegrowing. The fixation on slopes, soil, and sunlight is a way of life. And while demand is high, two historical figures have ensured that this world-class wine is increasingly produced in smaller and smaller quantities. First are the Cistercians, an order of Catholic monks founded in the 11th century who owned extensive property in Burgundy. They noticed that each of their vineyards produced slightly different wines based on the soil and sunlight. This realization laid the foundation for the region’s vineyard lines and its fixation with terroir. Today, French law protects vineyard lines, which prevents the expansion of property. But aren’t other regions like this? Not quite. Châteaux and producers in Bordeaux, Champagne, and elsewhere can source grapes from other vineyards for their wine. That is not the case in Burgundy. A vigneron cannot expand production unless they buy more land in their existing vineyard. That requires finding a willing seller, something that is rarer than most top-shelf Burgundies. The second important figure is Napoleon. (Yes, that Napoleon.) His Napoleonic Code required the equal distribution of inherited property and land amongst heirs. As a result, Burgundy’s vineyards are becoming further fragmented with each generation. Some prestigious winemakers have no more than one row of vines to their name. That’s not all. Burgundy has a semi-continental climate that contributes to low annual yields. A single severe frost or hail can decimate a harvest, even limiting the production of some wines to a single barrel. With unpredictable weather leaving yields in limbo each year, names like Domaine Leroy, Armand Rosseau, and Joseph Drouhin command a premium at auctions. Taken to the extreme, a single bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti once sold for $558,000 at auction, a then-world record.
What's the Latest
Historically, Bordeaux has dominated the secondary wine market, once accounting for 96 of the trade by value. Buyers viewed Burgundy as too risky and fickle because of its semi-continental climate that contributed to inconsistent vintages. Modern technological advances in viticulture and vinification have offset some climate challenges, and Burgundy has rapidly gained market share. In 2022, Burgundy reached its highest percentage of trade by value at 51.0, temporarily eclipsing Bordeaux atop the wine world. People aren’t just investing in more Burgundy. They’re investing in different kinds of Burgundy wine, too. Over the last three years, the number of different Burgundies traded on the secondary market has risen 284. Consumer demand has expanded beyond the top sub-regions like Vosne-Romanée and Gevrey-Chambertin, and there is still room to grow. Perhaps most importantly, Burgundy remains resilient even in bumpy economic times. The iconic French region delivers what collectors and connoisseurs want most – brand equity, liquidity, and an extensive track record of growth. It makes Burgundy an easy asset to appreciate in any economic climate.
Looking Forward
The insatiable demand for Burgundy has taken the region to stratospheric heights. According to Liv-ex, the Burgundy 150 grew 39.3 in 2021. That was the second-best mark of any wine region, behind only Champagne at 41.5. Experts predict that momentum will carry into the coming years. Charles Antin, an auctioneer and head of wine auction sales at Zachys, put it this way, “We’re still setting world records for certain wines, but the graph can’t go up as steeply as it has, forever. My prediction is a cooling off, not a falling, but continuing to rise in the long run.” Even with climbing prices, eagle-eyed Vinovestors can still find remarkable deals. For instance, 2015 Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru was released at $2,000 per bottle. Today, it retails for more than $100,000, if you can find it. Meanwhile, 2020 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet debuted at $1,600 per bottle, a bargain for anyone lucky enough to get their hands on a bottle.