Charmes Chambertin, Domaine Dujac 2005

This is notably ripe yet still fresh and quite pretty with violet, plum and black cherry liqueur aromas that are trimmed in plenty of earth. The big, powerful and solid-concentrated middle weight plus flavors have really deepened and broadened since I last saw this in barrel. While I would stop short of describing it as robust the tannic structure is quite firm and this is clearly built to last for another 20 years. An impressive effort that it best left in the cellar for another 7 to 10 years as it will require at least that long for the tannic spine to mellow. This is definitely a lovely effort with excellent potential because despite all of the size, weight and punch, there is an impeccable sense of balance.

The parade of Dujac grand crus begins with their 2005 Charmes-Chambertin, assembled from several parcels in both Mazoyeres and “Ur-“ Charmes. Especially coming after the striking contrast of the two Vosne crus, this smells and tastes like the proverbial bowl of cherries. Polished and incipiently creamy, it’s like a pillow after the firm mattresses offered by the two Vosnes for long resting in the cellar. Licorice, chalk dust, and slight hints of game lend complexity to this wine’s forward fruit and inform a finish of refined structure and imposing length that should drink well early. The already rich array of crus at Domaine Dujac has recently been augmented on two fronts. The purchase (along with de Montille) of the Societe Civile du Clos de Thorey (Thomas-Moillard) has brought them a raft of choice parcels including three new grand cru holdings (for a staggering total of eight). Meanwhile, they have expanded their negociant arm (with control over harvest and green harvest a prerequisite) to supplement in particular their volumes of village-level wine. (Those wines – labeled “Dujac Fils & Pere” – are signified in the above listing with “FP”. In fact, due to a legal technicality, the 2005 vintage wines from the properties newly acquired by the domaine – but not subsequent vintages – will also read “Fils & Pere” rather than “Domaine”.) Even with California-trained oenologist Diana Seysses (nee Snowden) joining her husband Jeremy and in-laws Jacques and Alec, and with a new winery (though at the old address) I wonder at how they are able to keep up with the magnitude of their responsibilities. Yet despite so many parcels and vines new to them this year, the results are consistently outstanding and at times astounding. Much of the vinification – increasingly as one goes up the hierarchy of crus – was of whole clusters. Malos finished (finally) by November and the wines were bottle in December and January.

An elegantly airy and densely fruited nose of red and blue berries, earth, game and subtle smoke and spice hints give way to sweet and rich flavors that offer good size and a real sense of volume in the mouth. This is a wine of finesse rather than power and I like the textured feel of the flavors and finish as there is a stylish generosity here.

Bright, saturated red-ruby. Sappy aromas of black cherry and smoked meat; this needs a racking. Fat, chewy and sweet, with a black cherry flavor currently overshadowed by toasty, gamey reduction. Finishes dense and broad, with ripe tannins coating every surface of the mouth. Less minerally and more monolithic than the Combottes. Jeremy Seysses says this wine has gained in weight in recent years but is never fine. About 60% of the blend is from the top and bottom portions of Mazoyeres, while the other 40% is ideally situated "true Charmes."