“2016: The vintage of Morey St. Denis”: 2018 Tasting at Domaine Dujac
Tasted Sunday, January 20, 2019 by HowardNZ with 459 views
Introduction
It is a privilege to be able to taste at Domaine Dujac and this was another wonderful tasting of (mainly) 2016s in half bottle.
The 2016s we tasted were a stunning set of wines. As Jeremy Seysses said, at one stage, “there is a real deliciousness to our 2016s, but they will age”. Later he noted that Morey St. Denis had largely been spared in the 2016 frosts and wondered aloud why wine writers never seem to declare a “Morey vintage”. He suggested that 2016 could be remembered as the “the vintage of Morey St. Denis”. Given the quality here, I’d certainly second that!
It was largely an ANZAC tasting with Aussie David of Andromeda, Hong Kong (and his friend Henry), tasting with our NZ group.
Jeremy talked about his use of stems. Dujac is, of course, well known for the comparatively high percentages of whole cluster used. Jeremy noted that up until 1999 Dujac tended to use 90-100% whole bunch (and often 100% new oak). Since 2000 they have dialled back on both, so that since 2001 typically the average of whole bunch has been about 85%, although this has varied with vintage conditions. For example in the wet, challenging 2013 vintage, Jeremy said, the average whole percentage was “much lower” than typical. For 2016, whole cluster was up to an average of 90%, he noted.
Jeremy said that stem inclusion tends to increase the pHs of his wines and their ageability.
I asked Jeremy about Domaine Dujac’s 2017s. He noted, “2017 was a lot like 2000 or 2007. For Dujac, it is quite red fruited”. He also mentioned that “2018 is looking good so far”.
When I asked him about favourite, older Dujac vintages he said “I like 1997, every bottle is delicious”.
Flight 1 - Bottle tasting (10 Notes)
We began with a couple of whites:
2016 Domaine Dujac Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
From vines planted in the 1960s. Jeremy said “Combettes was not too frosted in 2016”. After some flinty reduction, a precise mineral bouquet of citrus, wet granite and chalk. In the mouth, well balanced with real focus and precision. Good body and volume. Racy acidity but very much in proportion. A lovely Puligny 1er.
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2016 Domaine Dujac Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Monts-Luisants Blanc
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru
On the nose, fresher still with wet limestone, lime and lemon zest and traces of greengage. On palate, seemingly higher, piercing acid (“a post-malo pH of 3.0” said Jeremy). I really liked this 1er. It is very mineral – rocky and chalky – with crisp green apple, lime juice and lemon. Taut and pleasingly austere but dense with good volume. This Morey St. Denis could use three or four years in the cellar, at least.
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2016 Domaine Dujac Morey St. Denis
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis
Bright ruby colour. Also bright, mainly red fruit on the nose. Cherries, spices, some raspberries and earth. On palate, fine, refined and, again, well balanced. “There is a deliciousness here”, as Jeremy noted. Silky with suave, sweet-seeming tannins. “This wine will age” confirmed Jeremy.
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2016 Domaine Dujac Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Clean, bright perfumes of red cherries, plums, raspberries and Vosne spice rack. Crunchy, juicy red fruit on palate. A Chambolle-like Gevrey, I thought. Fine chalky tannins and fresh acidity. Pure and clean with no Gevrey wild or funky element. Supple. Graceful and symmetrical. Very good.
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2016 Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Just a beautiful, perfumed nose of black fruit and subtle dark florals. Very fine, satiny and seductive on palate. Mainly dark cherries, cassis and minerals. Beautifully integrated spherical tannins. I noted some iron-like austerity at the core of the Malconsorts. Jeremy described “a little hardness on the finish”. Notwithstanding its superficial sexiness, this Malconsorts needs serious cellar time. A star of a wine.
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2016 Domaine Dujac Clos St. Denis
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos St. Denis Grand Cru
About 70% oak on the Grand Crus in 2016. Compared with the Malconsorts, spicier, earthier and more robustly dark fruited on bouquet. To drink, a wonderful, very complete wine. All of the elements – serious structure and fruit weight, power, acidity and suave tannins – needed for long-term cellaring. Notes of black fruit, soil, spices and minerals. Lovely mouthfeel and presence. Real gravitas. A brilliant Clos St. Denis!
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2016 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Jeremy said the wine was “90-100% whole bunch”. From vines of an average age of more than 50 years. A more serious-seeming, brooding bouquet of black cherries, blackberries and other dark fruit, musk, cassis and dark spice. In the mouth, real matière with power and grace. Silky but powerful and earthy, with that dark spice. Another brilliant wine to have in your cellar. This vintage will need more than 10 years cellaring, I'd think.
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2006 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Jeremy then moved to a mini-vertical of three older Clos de la Roche. He mentioned that the whole bunch in the 2006 was 90-100%. The earthy, spicy bouquet showed this with a little fresh and some dried herbs. Very earthy and somewhat stemmy on palate, I was happy with the bottle, albeit thinking it quite a bit behind the 1996 and the 2007 we tasted next. Jeremy was not however entirely happy saying the next day that the “half did not feel representative. So it goes …”.
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2007 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
A lovely, bright bouquet here. Primary red cherries and berries, spices and floral perfumes. In the mouth, brilliant, vivid red cherry and redcurrant fruit. Pristine, elegant and pure with some earthy, savoury secondary development and complexity. Energetic and vibrant. “The ‘07s are beautiful”, noted Jeremy. The second best wine at the tasting. Drinking so well now but no hurry needed.
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1996 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Ochre, developed colour. Lovely, evolved nose of tobacco, dried herb, dry clay, spices and black tea. Poignant and gentle, with some fragility on palate. Also precise, focussed acidity that lent it an austerity and tension I really enjoyed. There was not though, I thought, typical 1996 ripping acidity (I think Jeremy said that the pH was 3.53 here). The tannins were also not obtrusive, being melded and aligned. Jeremy said it “could use a little more flesh” and I could see what he meant. However, for my palate, I would not agree. Wine of the day and one of the best wines tasted on the trip.
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