Collection: Domain Dujac 2022 Pre-Release

We are delighted to offer the 2022 release of Domaine Dujac. These wines are all offered In Bond, with duty and VAT payable on receipt.

The wines are expected to ship to the UK in Summer 2025.

Domaine Dujac

Jacques Seysses created Domaine Dujac in 1967 having decided to turn his passion into his vocation. He purchased, a somewhat rundown, Domaine Graillet in Morey-St Denis and quickly turned things around to make a showstopping debut with the 1969 vintage.
 
This is every bit the family business. Jacques’ wife Rosalind arrived from California to work the harvest and never left. They married in 1974 and today their sons Jeremy and Alec, together with Jeremy’s wife Diana, run the estate day to day. They remain under the watchful eye of their parents.
 
In the vineyard
Jacques first purchase was a small estate of 5ha, which today has grown to around 17ha. The jewels of the domaine are the seven plots in Grand Crus. Away from these exalted sites there are impeccable village vineyards and magnificent 1er crus, including Aux Combottes in Gevrey and Les Malconsorts in Vosne. Both of which are immediate neighbours of Grand Crus and produce extraordinary wines.
 
Sustainability
Jacques and Rosalind began running the vineyards according to the principles of lutte raisonée (where minimal chemicals are used) in 1987. Working consistently towards a more natural approach, in 2001 they experimented with organic viticulture in 4ha of their prime sites. Then adding biodynamic farming principles to the repertoire in 2003. They were so encouraged by the results in the bottle they made the switch to organic for the entire estate in 2008, earning certification in 2011. Their intensive work to create a natural and varied ecosystem is driven by their belief that the health of the soil is the key to unlocking great quality and producing more expressive wines.
 
In the winery
The evolution of the winemaking at Dujac has been guided by the principle that the largest imprint on the wines should be from the vineyards themselves. The approach is all about simplicity. The use of whole bunches in fermentation is a distinctive feature here and something for which Jacques has been a leading advocate. Jeremy feels that they add complexity and give silkier tannins, but they must be ripe so the approach is carefully adjusted according to the vintage.
 
In the winery they have sought to reduce manipulation wherever possible. After crushing the must is gravity fed into the cellar, avoiding the need for pumping which can exert too much force on the nascent wine. They have also been able to regulate alcohol and malolactic fermentations more precisely with improved temperature control. Dujac’s wines are not renowned as the most powerful and nor do they want them to be. These are wines of polished finesse and restraint, elegant aromatics, and depth of fruit. They are nothing short of beguiling.

2022 Dujac Vintage Report

The 2022 winter was dry and mild. February and March followed this trend but with a little more sunshine, leading to an early budbreak in late March. The temperature dropped alarmingly in the first ten days or so of April, causing concern over frost. Fortunately, the risk passed with no damage done and was followed by warmer weather. The vines grew quickly, putting pressure on our vineyard crew to keep up. However, compared to the difficulties of the 2021 growing season, these were much simpler and easier conditions. There was little pressure from downy mildew, and oïdium, though requiring a lot of attention early on, was well managed and eventually easily contained.

Flowering began mid-May in splendid weather. It progressed rapidly and smoothly, promising a good crop and an early harvest. This fine climate continued until mid-June when storms gathered and brought spectacular amounts of much needed rain. This water was a blessing that helped sustain the vineyards through a warm, dry summer, particularly in July. August was more even, cooler with the occasional small rain shower, particularly towards the end of the month. After a prolonged veraison due to some hydric stress, the rain allowed the crop to mature very quickly.

We began to harvest the whites on 29th August and moved on to the reds a couple of days later. The quality of grapes was excellent. Very little sorting was necessary beyond the now common dried berries to be removed. Sugar levels were good without being excessive, as were acidity levels, with low levels of malic acid and a high proportion of tartaric acid. Gentle extraction has been the norm for some time now, and so it was again in 2022. We did very few punch-downs, preferring gentler pumping-over. With thick skins, there was little need to push extraction.

This is a great wine vintage in both colors. Despite the warm summer, the 2022s have plenty of freshness as well as great terroir expression. The whites are elegant, floral, fruity but with a light touch. The reds are beautifully balanced with intense fruit and a very expressive character. The tannins are perfectly ripe, silky, and long. The acidity is good, bringing precision and a fine texture to the wines.