2011 Domaine Dujac Charmes-Chambertin

The 2011 Charmes-Chambertin comes across as immediate and wonderfully expressive, even at this early stage. What the Charmes lacks in structure or pure visceral thrill it more than makes up for with its supple, engaging personality. Dark blue/purplish fruit, spices, violets and mint meld together in a layered, vibrant Charmes that is intense yet also very much medium in body and approachable for a Grand Cru. In this vintages, proprietor Jeremy Seysses used 70% whole clusters, all of which are integrated quite nicely.

The 2011 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru has a well-defined, transparent bouquet that is atypically reserved and is missing a little exuberance exhibited by say, Rousseau’s, that I encountered earlier the same day. The palate is medium-bodied with a very grippy entry. This is a stern, serious Charmes-Chambertin that needs to develop more –”charm.” Drink 2015-2022. I have been visiting Jeremy and Alec Seysses at Domaine Dujac for several years now, and it is always one of my favorite ports of call. Alec, looking surprisingly chipper for a new dad had taken time off nappy duty to guide me through the 2011s this year. I have to confess that I was concerned by the conspicuous nature of the new oak on both their negociant label wines and the entry Village Crus. I felt that 35% new oak tended to overwhelm the fruit and terroir and occasionally impart drying finishes, which is why my scores are parsimonious here. As I tasted through the range toward the flock of Grand Crus the oak seemed better assimilated, although I would still maintain that the wine is of such quality that the present level of oak risks being superfluous to requirements. All the negociant label wines were bottled before Christmas. Importers: The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (415) 491-4724; Chambers & Chambers Wine Merchants, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 642-5500