Wine Advisor
Bernard Dugat-Py, Mazoyeres Chambertin Grand Cru 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2018 Mazoyères-Chambertin Grand Cru comes from two parcels of 45- and 80-year-old vines on much stonier soils than the Charmes-Chambertin. This has a knockout nose of brambly black fruit, cassis and crushed stone aromas that gain intensity with every swirl of the glass. The palate is silky-smooth on the entry and very precise and focused, with great tension toward the shimmering vintage. This is definitely one of the best Mazoyères-Chambertins I have tasted in over ten years of coming to this domaine.
About the Producer
Domaine Dugat-Py is located in the Gevrey-Chambertin appellation and has been rated by Robert Parker as one of the best châteaux in Burgundy. The Dugat family, the founders of Château Dugat, have been making wine for generations and began growing grapes in Gevrey-Chambertin in the early 17th century. The current owner, Bernard Dugat-Py, is the twelfth generation of the family to have dedicated himself to using his unique knowledge of winemaking to work in the vineyards and offer wines in the spirit and style of his ancestors for over four centuries. Château Duga's philosophy in winemaking is to "minimise human intervention", to preserve the original quality of the grapes and to allow the wine to develop fully in the bottle. The majority of vintages in the vineyard are 100% destemmed, but there are exceptions (such as the 2002 vintage). After destemming, the grapes are fermented in concrete or wooden fermenters for 3-4 weeks. The percentage of new oak barrels is renewed depending on the year's production, with a minimum of 20%. After fermentation, the wine is usually aged in wooden barrels for 14-20 months, without clarification or filtration before bottling. The main wines produced by Château Duga include Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin, Mazis-Chambertin and Gevrey-Chambertin wines. For almost 10 years, this 10-hectare estate has been releasing a succession of great wines, a testament to the Duggar family's constant quest for excellence. The wines produced here, like most Burgundy wines, are intense and full-bodied, none of which are meant to be enjoyed in a short period of time. Even in the lighter vintages, the wines still require 4-6 years of cellaring. In the case of fine wines, even 10-12 years of bottle ageing is required.
