2016 Domaine Dujac, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

(the estate made a full crop of 40 hectoliters per hectare, as there was no frost here): Full, dark red. Captivating aromas of raspberry, strawberry, spices, flowers and sweet new oak. Juicy, intense and aromatic on the palate--youthfully imploded in a positive way. Projects compelling energy and subtle sweetness to its red berry and spice flavors. Finishes very long and tight, with an exhilarating wild berry element. A knockout sharply delineated Clos de la Roche that offers terrific intensity without any sense of weight.

The 2016 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru from Dujac has a muted nose. The fruit here is obscured by the heavy-handed use of new oak. The palate is chewy on the entry with, what seems like more extraction than its peers. As a consequence, it is lacking requisite breeding and complexity towards the finish that feels simple at the moment. Is there more to come? I hope so and knowing this producer, there probably is. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting.

They have 1.95 ha here. No frost in 2016. Barrel sample. Deep crimson. Really very sumptuous on the nose. Rather glorious. Very headily and obviously a grand cru. Dense and thick with a heavy tannic charge than most but thick. Massive. Impressive. Lots of ‘microbial life’ here! (JR)