Domaine Dujac, Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France, 2017

Vault Wine: This wine is stored in our vault.

Slightly Soiled Label

Overview of the Wine
Jacques Seysses started Domaine Dujac in 1968. He was not born in Burgundy, but winemaking is his true vocation. His love for wine comes from his father, a gourmet with a passion for fine wines. Even as a young boy, Jacques would meet the greatest winegrowers of the time in the company of his father.

At the age of 25, after a few years working for the family-owned biscuit manufacturing company, he decided to move on from the business world. During the 1966 and 1967 harvests, he learned winemaking with Gérard Potel at the Domaine de la Pousse d'Or in Volnay. In 1968, he bought the Domaine Graillet in Morey-Saint-Denis, which he renamed Domaine Dujac (a pun on his first name, meaning the Estate that Jacques owns). In 1973, he married Rosalind, who quickly became a key member of the team.

Jeremy Seysses started working with his parents at the estate in 1998. His wife Diana joined them in 2001, followed by his brother Alec in 2003. Together the three of them are the new generation, watching over the estate’s destiny, under the benevolent eye of Jacques and Rosalind. Committed to the same quality approach as their elders, they have sought to develop the vineyard: particularly through responsible vineyard techniques, which among other things led to the certification for organic farming in 2011.

From only 5 hectares in 1968, the estate gradually expanded to 11 hectares in 1977, and then reached 15.5 hectares in 2005. Over the years, the estate has expanded beyond the historic site of Morey-Saint-Denis. In 2014, with the acquisition of leased vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet (the Premier Crus Folatières and Combettes), the Domaine produces wines in both Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune.

Winemaker
Jeremy Seysses

Grape / Blend
Pinot Noir

Origin
Cote de Nuits, Burgundy, France

Tasting Notes
Dark red fruit, cranberry and raspberry aromas reveal scents of crushed stone and damp autumn leaves. The nicely structured, medium-bodied palate features tea leaf and bay leaf on the entry.

95 Points - Wine Advocate
Unwinding in the glass with notes of cassis, wild plums and red berries that are complemented by nuances of peonies, heather and dark chocolate, Dujac's 2017 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru is full-bodied, deep and incisive, its tight-knit core structured around fine but chalky tannins and tangy acids. Firm and introverted, as is so often the case, it has superb potential and will reward the patient, but readers considering purchasing this serious Bonnes-Mares should count on exercising over a decade's patience before opening bottles. 

95 Points - John Gilman
After several grand crus in the lineup that were simply singing, the 2017 Dujac Bonnes- Mares was a bit grumpier and not fully back on form after its recent racking. There is clearly a great wine lurking in wait here, but patience will be needed. With some coaxing, the wine offers up a sappy blend of red and black cherries, red plums, gamebird, chalky soil tones, woodsmoke and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, closed and rock solid at the core, with lovely transparency, fine-grained tannins and a very long, very primary finish. I am sure this is going to be a great wine, but I did not catch it on the best of days. 2029-2080.

95 Points - Burghound
An exceptionally pretty nose combines nose of lavender, rose petal, violet, red currant and a whiff of orange pekoe tea. The big-bodied, muscular and overtly intense flavors terminate in a driving, austere and very powerful finish where the tannic spine is very prominent. This is terrific but plenty of patience will be necessary.

94 Points - Decanter
This vintage has a pretty good balance to it,' Jeremy Seysses says as he pours a sample. Not made in 2016 because of the frost, the key to the success of this wine is that yields were reasonable rather than excessive. Showing subtle reduction in barrel, 85% whole-bunch fermentation and 33% new wood contribute to a juicy, sappy, well-defined Chambolle with good texture and notes of white pepper and raspberry coulis. Drinking Window 2023 - 2028. (TA)

94 Points - Vinous
The 2017 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru is quite closed and broody on the nose, or at least it was on the day of my visit to the _ domaine_. Dark red fruit, cranberry and raspberry aromas reveal scents of crushed stone and damp autumn leaves. The nicely structured, medium-bodied palate features tea leaf and bay leaf on the entry. Midway through, it delivers the precision and openness you expect from this vineyard, then goes on to demonstrate superb clarity on the aftertaste. This is a lighter style of Bonnes-Mares and yet it will still need time in bottle.(NM)

Product size: 750ml