There are very few certainties in life, but one of them is that Joseph Drouhin’s Bourgogne Rouge is going to be good. One of Burgundy’s largest wineries, Drouhin can choose vineyards from nearly every village in Burgundy to blend into this wine. They choose twelve carefully selected organic vineyards, and blend with the object of capturing the essence of the vintage. In 2020, that meant a powerfully aromatic and full throated wine as rich as many village rated Burgundies with aromas of blackberry, blood orange, iron streaked clay and rhubarb. The palate colors well outside the lines, juicy and lush yet bursting with energy and flavors of black fruits, clay soil, and orange oil. Substantial and smooth tannins offer plenty of direction for all this flavor before a finishing kick of acidity. Flavors linger of citrus peel, black cherry, and a touch of vanilla. We’re amazed there’s any of this wine left, as generally Bourgogne Rouge follows just a year or two after the vintage, but we’re certainly happy to have it. This is a sturdy and versatile Pinot Noir for food pairing, but the very best pair would be duck.