Bonnes-Mares GC 2009 - domaine Dujac

Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2009 — Domaine Dujac

This Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2009 from Domaine Dujac expresses one of the most powerful, profound and fascinating terroirs of the Côte de Nuits. Situated between Chambolle-Musigny and Morey-Saint-Denis, Bonnes-Mares combines the floral nobility of Chambolle with a darker, earthier and more structured dimension. The 2009 offers a Pinot Noir of great stature: vibrant red fruits, black cherry, dark berries, cassis, plum, earth, minerals, spices, violet, bramble, fine leather and a long, firm and deeply mineral finish.

Domaine Dujac, founded by Jacques Seysses in Morey-Saint-Denis in the late 1960s, is one of Burgundy’s major domaines. Its style combines perfume, finesse, energy, measured use of whole bunches depending on the cuvée and very precise ageing. In Bonnes-Mares, Dujac produces a Grand Cru of great stature, more muscular than some Chambolle climats, yet always carried by aromatic elegance and the purity of Pinot Noir.

Terroir: Bonnes-Mares, between Chambolle-Musigny and Morey-Saint-Denis

Bonnes-Mares is a singular Grand Cru, shared between the communes of Chambolle-Musigny and Morey-Saint-Denis. It lies mid-slope, in a position that unites two temperaments: the floral, sensual finesse of Chambolle and the darker, spicier and more structured depth of Morey. This duality explains the often firmer, denser and earthier character of Bonnes-Mares compared with the most ethereal expressions of Chambolle.

The Grand Cru is often described through the complementarity of red soils and white soils. The red soils bring power, breadth, black fruit, depth and gravity; the white soils reinforce tension, finesse, limestone character and length. Dujac’s holdings are reputed to lean slightly towards the red soils, which can be felt in the intensity, density and structure of the 2009.

Tasting notes

Appearance: deep ruby with garnet and purple reflections, dense, bright and still sustained. The colour retains an impression of controlled maturity and fine concentration, while preserving the noble transparency of Pinot Noir.

Nose: fresh, expressive and deep, with energetic red fruits, black cherry, raspberry, cassis, plum, dark berries, earth, minerals and spices. With aeration, nuances of violet, bramble, forest floor, fine leather, sweet pepper, liquorice, black tea, noble oak and lightly smoky notes may appear.

Palate: broad, powerful and highly structured, with dense, serious substance carried by fine freshness. Red and black fruit mingle with notes of earth, spice, minerality and liquorice, supported by firm, noble and persistent tannins. The finish is long, energetic, mineral and still slightly tight, with an impression of remarkable depth and ageing potential.

Expression of the 2009 vintage

The 2009 vintage in Burgundy produced rich, ripe and generous wines, yet the great terroirs were able to preserve freshness and definition. In Dujac’s Bonnes-Mares, the year translates into explosive substance, an important core of black fruit, marked depth and serious tannic structure. Several tastings underline the freshness of the nose, the expression of red fruits, earth and minerals, as well as a large, firm, energetic and almost endless palate.

Today, this Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2009 is beginning to reveal more developed complexity, but remains a wine of great patience. Measured aeration can help release its bouquet while respecting its structure. With time, the red and black fruits should evolve towards more truffle, forest floor, fine leather, melted spices, noble earth, black tea and mineral complexity, without losing the force of the Grand Cru.