2005 Domaine Dujac Vosne Romanee Aux Malconsorts

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.

Aux Malconsorts is an 14.6-acre Premier Cru vineyard in the Vosne-Romanee appellation of Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits. It is on the appellation’s southern boundary with Nuits-Saints-Georges. The vineyard abuts La Tache, which is just to the north and has similar soil composition. Burgundy writer Clive Coates notes that Aux Malconsorts “can have flair, fat, finesse and a fine perfume.”

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.