Dujac Morey St Denis Rouge 2023

Even very casual consumers of Burgundy have likely heard of Domaine Dujac, considered one of the very best producers in Morey-Saint-Denis. This is a rather astounding fact given that the Domaine is only 50 years old, a blink in the eye given the region's winemaking history.

When Jacques Seysses purchased the estate of Marcel Graillet in 1967, it was in disrepair and had been selling fruit off in bulk for some years. In less then a decade he had invested heavily in the property and found customers for his domaine bottled wines. The Dujac name begin to be seen at top restaurants in France and beyond.

Fast forward 20 years and you have Jacques' sons, Alec and Jeremy, taking over the reigns of the now expanded Domaine, with holdings in Gevrey, Chambolle, Vosne, Nuits and Puligny. Today Jeremy and his wife Diana Snowden (herself from a prominent wine-making family in Napa) are largely responsible for the operations.

The winemaking has evolved. Jacques was famous for using 100% whole clusters and 100% new oak. Jeremy and Diana are the first to tell you that adaptation is key. The climate is changing dramatically in Burgundy, and every vintage presents new challenges. Stem use is between 20% and 100%, depending on the vintage and the vineyard. Same goes for oak use. On a visit there last spring Jeremy was excited to show us his concrete egg tanks that were aging the Puligny-Montrachets.

The 2023 Morey St. Denis AC from Domaine Dujac is also excellent in this vintage. It shares the same aromatic purity as the Chambolle, wafting from the glass in a mix of red and black cherries, plums, cocoa powder, a fine base of dark soil tones, pigeon, woodsmoke and a nice touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, fine-grained and full, with a lovely core of fruit, excellent soil signature and grip, suave tannins and a long, complex and seamlessly balanced finish. Good juice.