Domaine Dujac Morey-St-Denis Premier Cru 2022
(Cote de Nuits, Burgundy, France) - [DM 95] [JM 92-95] [WA 92-94]

About the Winery:
Domaine Dujac was founded by 26-year-old Jacques Seysses, son of a successful biscuit manufacturer, Louis Seysses. Jacques first developed his winemaking career as an apprentice to Gérard Potel at Domaine de la Pousse d’Or. After two harvests at this domaine, he learned the essentials of their winemaking style and met some of Burgundy’s most revered winemakers. In 1967, he purchased 4.5 ha (11 acres) at Domaine Marcel Graillet in Morey-Saint-Denis and renamed the winery after himself as the “Domaine of Jac”, or Domaine Dujac. 

From the start, Jacques set his mission on blending modern techniques with traditional winemaking, while also refining a style that he could call his own. In 1978, Jacques obtained a degree in oenology and, overtime, provided guidance to interns including Ted Lemon of Littorai and Jean-Pierre de Smet, former owner and winemaker of Domaine de l`Arlot. As Dujac’s holdings expanded – from 5 ha in 1968 to nearly 16 ha today – Jacques and his wife Rosalind looked beyond local markets and exported nearly 80% of their production to 18 countries around the world. 

Today, the estate is transitioning to the next generation with son Alec, assuming many of his father’s administrative duties, son Jeremy who is heavily involved in winemaking & marketing, and Jeremy’s wife Diana Snowden, a UC Davis graduate in enology in charge of managing the cellar. 

Ratings & Reviews

95 Points - Decanter Magazine:
According to Jeremey Seysses: 'If you wanted to make something impenetrable, you could in 2022'. This wine is hardly impenetrable, but it is firm and tannic. There is a pleasantly ripe blackberry fruit aroma with notes of earth and mint, and the grippy texture brings lovely length to the wine. According to Seysses, they were trying to slow down extraction here. In 2022, the team did one pigeage every two days and a total maceration of 11 – 12 days instead of 15 – 18 days. The results are convincing indeed.(CC)

92-95 Points - Jasper Morris' Inside Burgundy:
From the usual four vineyards. Deep crimson. The bouquet has quite an elegant style even if the individual fruits are not yet quite with us. Quite a firm structure behind but sitting well with the deep red fruit. Balanced and stylish, with good ageing potential. Drink from 2031-2038.

92-94 Points - Wine Advocate:
Revealing aromas of dark plums and cherries mingled with baking spices and orange zest, the 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru is medium to full-bodied, supple and charming, with a velvety attack that segues into a rich core of fruit that's framed by powdery tannins and lively acids. As ever, it's the sleeper of the Dujac portfolio. Harvest at Domaine Dujac began on August 29. At the time, Jeremy Seysses thought of the vintage as potentially reminiscent of 2018—tasting the wines this winter, he feels that they're more delicate, while also admitting that he was even more cautious about extraction in 2022. Whatever the apposite analogy, the result is clear: a superb portfolio of beautifully balanced wines that unite charm and density. Readers, of course, will be familiar with the outlines of the Dujac approach to producing red Burgundy: organic farming, fermentation with a predominance of whole clusters and élevage in barrels largely sourced from Tonnellerie Rémond. None of that seems to have changed in 2022, despite a new winery where stainless steel vats have replaced concrete. The wines retain, nay exalt in, their distinctive identity.(WK)

91-93 Points - Allen Medows' Burghound:
Note: the blend is <70% Ruchots with the balance in Clos Sorbé, Millandes and Charrières, all of which totals .79 ha. Moderate reduction is enough to blur the nuances of what are clearly ripe fruit. On the plus side, there is more size, weight and power to the bigger-bodied flavors that coat the palate with sappy dry extract that helps to buffer the noticeably firmer and moderately rustic finale. Patience strongly advised.

91-93 Points - Vinous:
The 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru comes from three or four different lieux-dits that are vinified together. This is a significant step up from the Village Cru: much more depth and vigor, blackberry and wild hedgerow, bilberry and just a hint of black olive. The medium-bodied palate has quite firm tannins on the entry with mainly black fruit plus cracked black pepper and sage. There’s fine grip, and it is quite dense, but it conveys precision on the sustained finish. I can see 15 to 20 years of drinking pleasure, but it needs four or five years in bottle.(NM)