By: AJ McClellan
There are some wine producers out there that have never let me down, among those are Dujac, Pichon, and Gaja. We had a great impromptu tasting yesterday that put up some of my favorite wines next to each other. First we had a compare and contrast of the 2005 Domaine Dujac Morey Saint Denis Rouge and the 2001 Domaine Dujac Morey Saint Denis 1er Monts Luisants Blanc.
The Dujac Blanc was mind blowing with big limestone minerality and tons of perfectly ripe apricots and oranges. There was a slight caramel nose backed by white summer flowers and a hint of toasty popcorn. This wine was beautifully unique combining the honey and caramel of Montrachet with the toast and fruit of Corton. The Dujac Rouge was served side by side with the Blanc but it was untouchable due to a tightness that closed down the wine right out of the bottle. I let this bad boy sit while moved onto the next wine on the table.
Next we had a new favorite of mine – the 1998 Vieux Telegraphe La Crau. I was first exposed to Vieux Telegraphe earlier in the year with the 2007 vintage which got #3 wine of the year by Wine Spectator. Vieux Telegraphe is a great little producer that has gone through their rough patch and emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the Sothern Rhone. So far every bottle that I have had has been phenomenal. The 98 was a rustic beast with dark raspberries and prunes pounding down the door of a barn house with fresh straw and well trampled earth. The palate was as forceful as the nose with a brutish combination of overripe and stewed fruits combined with old world spice and a touch of liquorish on the back end.
By the time I came back to the 05 Dujac it was singing with bright red currants and raspberries backed by velvety tannins and a great combination of Asian spices, soy sauce, and a rich blueberry reduction sauce. The finish was a combination of bed rock and muddy soil with a sprout or two of dried grass peeking out from under the damp soil.