Tasting Notes
Robert Parker 94-96
There are only 205 liters of 2013 Chambertin Grand Cru this year, mostly whole-bunch fruit. It has some reduction on the nose that makes it difficult to comment here. The palate is very harmonious with smooth, velvety tannins and well-judged acidity. At present it feels quite dense in the mouth, but there is an elegance pervading the powerful finish. This is very refined, perhaps especially for this domaine, and it is endowed with bracing girth and length. Good luck finding one of these gems. Bernard Dugat escorted me down to his cozy, vaulted cellar that remains one of the most visually arresting in Burgundy. You wonder how many vintages have been raised in these solemn quarters over the centuries. Bernard was chipper as usual and it was a pleasure to meet his son. “Loïc is always in the vineyard,” Bernard told me, “which is why you probably never see him.” He was typically enthused by his roster of 2013s, which were picked from September 28, perhaps a little earlier than I might have anticipated, not that this is reflected in the wines. Yields were modest as usual at 28 hectoliters per hectare, and the wines underwent a long malolactic fermentation, often with a chaptalization of around 0.5 degrees. The Dugat-Py style remains one of generous use of new oak that may put off some more “traditionalist” Burgundy-lovers, although Bernard is adamant that it is absorbed with time and that his wines are not made for the short-term. Occasionally, I did feel that the wines would have been better if partially disrobed of their 100% new oak, other time it seemed more in sync…it just depends on the cru. As usual, quantities are miniscule so that you can normally count the number of barrels on one hand, and in the case of the elusive Chambertin, one finger. Readers should also note that in 2013 Bernard elected to vinify his Gevrey Perrières and Fonteny parcels separately in single 350-liter barrels instead of blending them together as he did last year.
Anticipated maturity: 2019-2040
