Still in tank this March when I encountered it (following a very late completion of malo) the Drouhin 2008 Cote de Beaune – consisting largely of assorted declassified wine from village and premier cru sites – offered a winsome amalgam of pink grapefruit rind, strawberry, cherry, with a polished texture and a refreshing finish tinged with pepper and smoky Latakia tobacco. This should be a delight for the next 3-5 years. “2008 was very slow in doing its malolactic – which was good, and ended up with a pretty lively impression of acidity” remarked Veronique Boss-Drouhin, “and I think the wines will be slow to evolve in bottle, as well.” Numerous cuvees were still in tank or barrel when I visited in March, which constitutes an unusually late schedule at this address. The 2007s, by contrast, were bottled even earlier than normal, most at age 12 months. In 2008, a 15-25% share of stems and whole clusters was included in the fermenting vat for the Clos des Mouches and for most of the Drouhin grand crus, whereas in 2007 that degree of vendange entier was practically the rule across the entire Drouhin range (by no means all of which I tasted).Importer: Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770