2020 Domaine Dujac Puligny Montrachet Blanc 1er Cru Les Combettes, Burgundy, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

60-year-old vines deliver plenty of richness, but there is also a very fresh side here, with a lemony fruit, a mineral edge and a hint of smoke - very 'Puligny'. The texture recalls the density of a Meursault with the crisp nature of a typical Puligny and it's a charming balance. Dujac farms a parcel of 0.62ha in Puligny Combettes near the border with Meursault. The grapes are lightly crushed and fermented in cask (20% new), where it will stay for 16 months, with a further six in tank.

Situated on the slope to the north of the village of Puligny-Montrachet, the premier cru Les Combettes neighbors the appellation of Meursault. The altitude varies from 246 to 264 meters, with an average gradient of 9% and the parcel is facing southeast. The soil contains angular stones of light-coloured limestone. The soil is 50 centimeters thick and is rich in silt, sand and clay. The Dujac parcel lies on the “Pierre de Chassagne,” or “Stone of Chassagne,” a very light and hard limestone that has been used for centuries as a stone for building as well as for a marble quarry in the neighboring village of Chassagne- Montrachet.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Jacques Seysses started Domaine Dujac in 1968. He was not born in Burgundy, but winemaking is his true vocation. His love for wine comes from his father, a gourmet with a passion for fine wines. Even as a young boy, Jacques would meet the greatest winegrowers of the time in the company of his father. At the age of 25, after a few years working for the family-owned biscuit manufacturing company, he decided to move on from the business world. During the 1966 and 1967 harvests, he learned winemaking with Gérard Potel at the Domaine de la Pousse d'Or in Volnay. In 1968, he bought the Domaine Graillet in Morey-Saint-Denis, which he renamed Domaine Dujac (a pun on his first name, meaning the Estate that Jacques owns). In 1973, he married Rosalind, who quickly became a key member of the team. Jeremy Seysses started working with his parents at the estate in 1998. His wife Diana joined them in 2001, followed by his brother Alec in 2003. Together the three of them are the new generation, watching over the estate's destiny, under the benevolent eye of Jacques and Rosalind. Committed to the same quality approach as their elders, they have sought to develop the vineyard: particularly through responsible vineyard techniques, which among other things led to the certification for organic farming in 2011.

From only 5 hectares in 1968, the estate gradually expanded to 11 hectares in 1977, and then reached 15.5 hectares in 2005. Over the years, the estate has expanded beyond the historic site of Morey-Saint-Denis. In 2014, with the acquisition of leased vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet (the Premier Crus Folatières and Combettes), the Domaine produces wines in both Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune.