Few domaines possess the breadth of wines from rare vineyards across Burgundy as that of Domaine Dujac. Even fewer are producers who have risen as swiftly as the domaine did to the ranks of revered Burgundian elites whose names are spoken with reverence by collectors.

One of modern Burgundy’s most inspiring stories of ascent, Domaine Dujac was founded in 1967 by Jacques Seysses, who was something of a Burgundy outsider. He came from a successful biscuit-making family but had no inherited vines. However, inspired by his and his father’s love for wine, Jacques left the biscuit business and apprenticed under winemaker Gérard Potel at Volnay’s Domaine de la Pousse d’Or, which kindled his passion and honed his skills. Then, at just 25 years old, he took a leap: he purchased the dilapidated Domaine Grailletin Morey-Saint-Denis.

Seysses simply renamed the property Domaine Dujac, a contraction of “du Jacques” (meaning “of Jacques”).

Founder, Jacques Seysses, and his family.

The first years were challenging. The previous owner had been selling mediocre wine to négociants, so Seysses not only had to improve quality but also find a market for his unknown label.

A stroke of good fortune arrived when American importer Frederick Wildman visited, tasted the nascent wines, and was so impressed he offered to buy the entire inaugural vintage (Jacques prudently sold him half). By the early 1970s, the Burgundy establishment took notice: Dujac wines were winning blind tastings and garnering acclaim for punching above their weight. The name Dujac quickly moved from curiosity to“renowned estate”, proof that a newcomer could join the ranks of Burgundy’s best through talent and sheer will.

The core of Dujac's holdings has always been two prestigious Grand Cru vineyards in Morey, being Clos de la Roche (about 2 hectares) and Clos Saint-Denis (about 1.5 ha).

But over the decades, Domaine Dujac steadily expanded beyond Morey, acquiring plots in Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts, Echezeaux Grand Cru, and portions of Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin, Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, and Malconsorts. It also has a slice of Bonnes Mares (0.55 ha) and even ventured into white wine with Puligny-Montrachet 1er Crus (Folatières and Combettes). The domaine’s holding now stands at 17+ hectares.

Viticulture and Winemaking Practices

When Seysses first took over the fondering estate, he also had to bring in an innovative mindset in a bid to switch things up.

Drawing inspiration from traditionalists like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (who often ferment with stems), Seysses embraced 100% whole cluster fermentation at a time when it was trendy to practice destemming in Burgundy. The result was distinctive wines that are often deeper in colour, exotically spiced and richly textured. He also embraced modern techniques like aging wines in new oak barrels – uncommon in Burgundy at the time – to add complexity and depth. Indigenous yeasts are often used in open-top vessels, and a portion of grapes might even be foot-crushed to get the juices flowing.

That being said, their approach to stems have been refined over the decades – the percentage of whole clusters are adjusted based on vineyard and vintage ripeness. More stems are included to add freshness and roundness in very ripe years or in high-acid years, and fewer stems are used in less ripe years.

Aging then takes place in French oak barrels, with a moderate-to-high proportion of new oak for the Grand Crus (often ~50-75% new). Notably, the use of new oak by Dujac was a more novel choice in its early years, although this has become standard amongst top producers today. 

The vines at some Dujac parcels are quite old (they have 60-80+ year old vines in Clos St-Denis and others); when replanting is necessary, they favour massal selection cuttings from their best old vines rather than commercial clones, so as to preserve genetic diversity and, by their belief, the soul of the site.

The domaine is entirely organically farmed today, and have also integrated many biodynamic principles (treating the vineyard as a holistic ecosystem, using natural preparations, and following lunar cycles for some tasks). Chemical herbicides are avoided in favour of plowing or hand-hoeing to control weeds; cover crops and compost teas are thus used to maintain soil health. 

Yields are kept low to concentrate fruit quality, and the team conducts green harvesting (dropping excess unripe clusters) if needed, though early pruning is often used to naturally balance yield (“so the vine regulates itself”). 

All these practices aim for ripe, healthy grapes that truly reflect their terroir. 

The Wines of Domaine Dujac

Given the impressive breadth of Dujac's portfolio that spans a diverse range of appellations, there is no one signature house style that defines Domaine Dujac.

That said, Dujac's wines are frequently noted for their aromatic purity, complexity, and ability to showcase terroir. Importantly, Dujac achieves a consistency of excellence across a diverse range of appellations from some of Burgundy’s greatest terroirs. This ranges from its home village of Morey-Saint-Denis to Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée and renowned white Burgundy appellations in Puligny-Montrachet. 

View of Morey-Saint-Denis over Clos Saint-Denis.

The prestigious Morey wines of Dujac's original Grand Cru sites Clos de la Roche and Clos Saint-Denis remain the flagship of the domaine. Dujac‘s Clos de la Roche is typically masculine, powerful and dense – brimming with dark fruits, forest floor, with a sturdy structure that demands aging. 

In contrast, Dujac’s Clos Saint-Denis – indisputably the house favourite of many critics – is often described to be more perfumed, elegant, sap-filled, floral with high-toned red fruits. It is also often described to contain much more structure and tannins, offering serious depth that rewards patience. 

It is this wine that we're today tasting along with Burgundy expert Jasper Morris MW.

2013 Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru – Review

Jasper remarked thoughtfully during the tasting that Clos Saint-Denis and Clos des Lambrays are remarkably similar Grand Crus. Still, subtle nuances do exist: the Clos des Lambrays typically presents a more structured, blue-fruited, savoury, and brooding personality, while Clos Saint-Denis is closer to the delicate, silky character reminiscent of Chambolle-Musigny and its esteemed Grand Cru Musigny—more perfumed, elegant, and graceful.

Our tasting experience reflected some of these observations.

Tasting Notes

On the nose, the wine was strikingly fresh and intensely fruity. An enticing depth of concentrated brambly acidic red fruits – raspberries, redcurrants – punctuated by notable earthiness and a mild savoury undertone that reminds me of some black truffles. Touch of potpourri 

The palate revealed how effectively 12 years of careful aging had allowed the fruit to evolve and flourish. It was expressive, showcasing a harmonious blend of the same red fruits with a darker finish of dark cherries, intertwined with appealing notes of mint and slate-like minerality. There's power and an excellent acidity, with a polished structure, though the tannins are impressively soft, silky and well-integrated.

The finish was comforting and warm, lingering with delicate red fruit and vanilla, underscored noticeably by hints of liquorice.

Thoughts

Overall, the 2013 Clos Saint-Denis stands out for its remarkable clarity and precision. Everything seemed presented in high definition, vividly evocative. I'm most impressed by its finesse on the palate and that long spice-laden finish.

To me, it felt mature and beautifully developed, though Jasper insisted that it still possessing the potential to continue evolving for several more years.

Jasper highlighted an important point about the vintage. Notably, 2013 has been considered one of the weakest vintages of the past two decades. It suffered due to an unusually late growing season and challenging harvest conditions. Grapes weren't fully ripe until early October, and heavy rainfall on October 4th forced growers to allow vineyards extra time to dry out. This delayed harvest contrasts with recent vintages harvested as early as August, marking nearly a one-and-a-half-month difference.

Initially, wines from 2013 were viewed as somewhat light and lacking in depth. However, as our tasting vividly demonstrated, after extended cellar aging, the fruit has bloomed beautifully, along with beautiful complexity and elegance.

@CharsiuCharlie