Joseph Drouhin Marc de Bourgogne du Clos des Mouches N/V 700ml
VINTAGE : NV
COUNTRY : France
REGION/APPELLATION : Burgundy
VARIETALS : Pinot Noir/ Chardonnay Brandy
VINEYARD : Clos De Mouches
Bottles bearing the “Marc de Bourgogne” label must be at least 40% abv and cannot be labelled with reference to grape variety or geographical indication. It also must be aged after distillation in oak barrels no larger than 60 hl for a minimum of two years.
At the end of the harvest, after all grapes have been pressed, what remains in the « pressoir » is a thick “cake” (called Marc) made of skins and pips still dripping with the juice of either white or red grapes.
By midwinter, the vats emptied, this Marc is sent to distillation. You can still see these black machines spewing out smoke in the cold December evenings like some medieval monster.
What comes out of the still is a liquid as pure and limpid as spring water but extremely high in alcohol.
A good many years in barrel are then needed for this alcohol to diminish in power and undergo a refining process through a slow breathing time in the French oak barrels.
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It's color is intense dark amber. On the nose, there are aromas of gingerbread, tobacco, vanilla and dried fruits. Some tasters actually put a few drops of Marc on the back of their hand and smell it like perfume.
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On the palate, it is well balanced with a “soft” finish and hint of spices.