2008 Clos de la Roche

The 2008 Clos de la Roche is particularly refined in this vintage. The wine literally floats on the palate with weightless elegance in its intensely perfumed fruit. Crushed flowers and red berries linger on the silky, impossibly fine finish. This is a fabulous effort from Dujac. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2033. This is a beautiful set of wines from Dujac. The harvest started on September 10 and ended on the 17th. Jeremy Seysses told me he wanted to pick on the early side in order to preserve freshness. In a similar vein, Seysses kept the fermentations short and gentle to avoid over-extracting. I also tasted a handful of 2008s, which are beautiful wines that are true to type and site. In 2008 the estate finished its conversion to fully organic farming originally started in 2001. Dujac fans have a lot to look forward to in these two vintages. Importers: The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (415) 491-4724; Martin Scott Wines, Little Neck, NY; tel. (516) 327-0808; Chambers & Chambers, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 642-5500

Good medium red. Knockout nose combines dark raspberry, licorice and a peppery complexity. Fatter, sweeter and richer than the Clos Saint-Denis, with a positive peppery/herbal component from the vinification with the stems contributing to the wine's impression of energy. Wonderfully intense and sharply delineated. Finishes very long, with palate-staining density, firm tannins and a terrific combination of breadth and energy.