2021 Domaine Claude Dugat, Bourgogne Rouge, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France.
The bright and herbal scented Claude Dugat Bourgogne Rouge opens up to a very vintage driven wine with a lighter and earthier style, but with its pedigreed Gevrey-Chambertin fruit giving depth and complexity, making for a lovely red fruited and mineral toned Pinot Noir. The medium framed palate delivers fresh and vibrant cherry, cranberry, spiced raspberry and blood orange fruits, along with hints of smoky wood, loamy earth, hints of amaro, rosewater and baking spices. Opens nicely, and almost fills out the gaps left from a less concentrated year, giving a satisfying silken performance and this 2021 is a Burgundy that might best be enjoyed now rather than later. Founded originally in 1955, the domaine does three grand cru reds from Griotte-Chambertin, Chapelle-Chambertin and Charmes-Chambertin, two highly sought after Premier Cru Gevrey wines, a Gevrey-Chambertin Villages and this Bourgogne Rouge.

Coming from selected parcels within the Gevrey-Chambertin zone, this Domaine Claude Dugat Bourgogne Rouge 2021 is a more serious example of Burgundy’s basic red. The grapes, I’m told, are meticulously sorted, de-stemmed and gently fermented in concrete vats with daily manual punch downs. Similar to what you see at Mèo-Camuzet, another favorite of mine, this method was chosen, as the winery notes, to preserve the purity of the fruit and avoid excessive oxygen exposure during this crucial stage of maceration and fermentation. After the primary fermentation, the wine matures in used wood for 14 months, in this case it was aged exclusively in one time filled medium plus toast Francois Frères barrels, adding to the luxurious nature of the wine. Certainly, if you can find the 2020 and the upcoming 2022, you’ll be better served, but this was still a delicious Burgundy and will entertain best served with simple cuisine. If you get a chance to try these Dugat wines, don’t pass it up, especially the Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Crus and ultra rare Grand Crus.
($60 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive

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