2005 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru

According to Jeremy Seysses, the family began the harvest on September 23rd and proceeded slowly. Ultimately, he told me, the fruit was riper than in 2004 and 2001 but less ripe than in 2005, 2002 or 1999. "Two thousand six is a reasonably ripe, stylish vintage," he said, "but with plenty of charm. The wines will age on their balance more than on their structure. And they're very harmonious: no single feature dominates." Most of the vinifications were done with about 70% whole clusters in '06, but the Chambolle-Musigny Les Gruenchers and Romanee-Saint-Vivant were vendange entier, and the Clos Saint-Denis and Clos de la Roche were made with nearly all of their stems. Seysses added that he expected the Dujac 2005s to be the domain's longest-lived wines, which, as veteran collectors of these wines must know, suggests that they will go on in bottle for decades.

Even before the complicated purchase of vineyards from Domaine Thomas-Moillard, a visit here allowed the lucky taster to sample five grand crus. Add Romanee-Saint-Vivant, Chambertin and Chambertin-Clos de Beze, plus some more Bonnes-Mares, to the mix, and Domaine Dujac now provides one-stop shopping for those interested in the top sites of the Cote de Nuits. There are some sensational wines here in 2005. Jeremy Seysses told me the team vinified mostly whole clusters, especially for the grand crus, did slightly fewer pigeages than usual, and racked the wines early as the lees were very reductive. This was one of the more spectacular visits of my annual tour. (The Sorting Table, Napa, CA) Also recommended: Morey-Saint-Denis (86).