Wine Critic
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2018 Domaine Dugat-Py Chambertin Grand Cru Tres Vieilles Vignes, Cote de Nuits, France
From 2003 Organic Wine. Depending on the vintage, this wine may be labelled 'Vieilles Vignes'.
Vineyard notes:
"Age of the plot over 90 years old. Clay-limestone geology. Treatment of the vine only with organic preparations since 1999."
Robert Parker The Wine Advocate (95/100)
The 2018 Chambertin Grand Cru was quite closed on this showing, unwinding in the glass with notes of sweet cherries, dark berries, petals and spices that are notably reserved at this juncture. Full-bodied, layered and youthfully structured, all the elements are there, but at least this particular bottle was quite shut down.
Small isn't always beautiful—but it certainly is in the case of Domaine Dugat-Py's 0.05-hectare parcel of Le Chambertin. The Dugat family has farmed this tiny parcel of old vines, planted north-south toward the top of the slope, since 1997, and it's invariably one of the very smallest cuvées produced in the Côte d'Or, ranging from a 114-liter feuillette to a custom-made barrel of around 200 liters. This is one of the later-ripening sites in the domaine's portfolio, and one of the most consistent. Since the inaugural vintage, it ferments in a small wooden vat, invariably with some 90% or more of whole bunches (with a few buckets of destemmed fruit to ensure there's some juice to get the vinification started). Macerations typically last around 20 days, with little in the way of intervention, just a few punch-downs by hand. The combination of the inherent characteristics of the site and the very gentle vinification mean that the Chambertin is invariably the most elegant wine in the cellar. What was interesting to observe during this vertical tasting was that it's also one of the most consistent, despite the small size of the parcel and the difficulties inherent in micro-vinifications of this kind. Of course, this vertical—a tasting unlikely ever to be repeated—also showed Dugat-Py's gradual transition toward a somewhat more elegant style, without losing any of the intensity of flavor that's such a calling card at this address. I'm conscious that few readers are likely to have an opportunity to taste this wine, but it really does offer a very special experience if one has the opportunity to cross paths with a bottle. The accompanying tasting notes describe how the wines were performing when I tasted them.
- Reviewed by: William Kelley
