Wine Advisor
Domaine Dujac, Clos St Denis Grand Cru 2016
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2016 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru really delivers on the nose. It is just as ebullient in bottle as it showed in barrel with vivacious red cherries, crushed strawberry and mineral scents. A subtle touch of pressed rose petals emerges with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a fine structure that grips the mouth, quite dense with a mixture of red and black fruit laced with tobacco and a light marine/saline note that becomes more accentuated with time. Superb. Tasted at Flint Wines Domaine Dujac tasting in London.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Good dark red. Deeper-pitched and more reticent on the nose than the Clos de la Roche, hinting at darker fruits and mocha; I would almost certainly have confused these two wines if they had been served blind. Very ripe and concentrated but medicinal and tightly wrapped, even a bit compact today. I don't find the usual definition and delicacy of young Clos Saint-Denis but this impressively thick wine finishes ripe, spicy and long, with a repeating medicinal aspect. Hard to taste today: I wanted a bit more verve.
About the Producer
Domaine Dujac is managed by the Seysses family. It was founded in 1967 by Jacque Seyesses. At the beginning, Château Dujac had only 4.5 hectares of vineyards in Morey-Saint-Denis. The vineyards were expanded with the purchase of Echezeaux, Bonnes MaresChambertin, Romanee St Vivant and Vosene-Romanee. The estate also owns 1.95 hectares of vineyards in the Clos de la Roche, where the vines are on average 45 to 50 years old. The estate also has 1.45 hectares of vineyards in Clos Saint-Denis, with vines of an average age of 45 to 50 years. In 2005, Château Dujac, together with Chateau de Puligny-Montrachet, acquired Domaine Charles Thomas, acquiring Charles Thomas' shares in the vineyards of Chambertin, Vosne- Romanee and other vineyards. However, the estate sold some of its vineyards after the purchase in order to finance the purchase. However, this acquisition allowed the estate to expand to around 15.5 hectares. Under Jacques' leadership, Château Dujac has developed very well. The grapes were pressed whole and the must was fermented in new oak barrels, and in 1999, when Jacques handed over the running of the estate to his son, the way the estate was made changed dramatically: the grapes were sometimes destemmed and the barrels used for fermentation were probably only 25% new oak. However, the estate's Grand Cru wines are still matured in new oak barrels, while the Grand Cru wines are matured in 60% to 80% new oak barrels. Bottling usually takes place in February or March of the following year. The estate produces around 4,650 bottles/hectare of wine.
