2008 Domaine Dujac Charmes-Chambertin

Domaine Dujac in Morey Saint Denis is relatively young by the standards of Burgundy estates. It was founded in 1967 when Louis Seysses, a food manufacturer who enjoyed good food and wine, bought an existing domaine so his son Jacques could try his hand at winemaking. Jacques had already apprenticed at other Burgundy estates, and Domaine Dujac’s first vintage was 1968. Dujac wines quickly earned acclaim and today they are, in the words of Burgundy expert Clive Coates, “intense, perfumed, silky-smooth and impeccably balanced.” The domaine remains a family operation which includes roles for Jacques’ wife, two sons and a daughter-in-law. The estate is comprised of 28 acres including prime parcels in the Grand Cru vineyards Clos de la Roche and Clos Saint-Denis. There are also parcels in Charmes-Chambertin, Bonnes-Mares, Echezeaux, Chambertin and Romanee-Saint-Vivant.

Charmes-Chambertin is a 78-acre Grand Cru vineyard in Gevrey-Chambertin that traditionally includes the acreage of nearby Mazoyeres-Chambertin. For nearly 200 years the growers of Mazoyeres have been legally allowed to sell their wines under the more famous name of Charmes-Chambertin, and virtually all of them do. Charmes-Chambertin is the largest of the Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Crus, and it generally has an excellent reputation. The slope of the vineyard is gentle and the surface soil poor. But producers including Joseph Roty, Christian Serafin, Domaine Dujac, Faiveley and Joseph Drouhin are acclaimed for their Charmes Chambertin. Principal landholders are Camus, with 14.75 acres; Perrot-Minot, 4 acres; and Armand Rousseau, 3.5 acres.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.