Domaine Dujac

It was back in the formative years of Flint Wines that Alec and Jeremy Seysses very kindly offered us a small allocation of Domaine Dujac. Not only was this incredibly supportive, but it was also very exciting as the domaine had long been one of my personal favourites. Seventeen years on and the domaine is, arguably, even more sought after than it was back then. 2022 was the domaine’s 54th vintage; the brothers’ father, Jacques, having sold off his first harvest of grapes to negociants in 1968 as the vintage was so disastrous, deciding to make his debut with the fantastic ’69 vintage.

Although only in his mid-twenties at the time, Jacques had taken the bold step the year before of buying a complete domaine, that of Marcel Graillet in Morey St Denis whose 4.5 hectares included more than a hectare of the sublime Grand Cru of Clos St Denis. It didn’t take him long to establish himself and his new domaine as one of the Côte de Nuits’ shining lights and with the wines winning plaudits and lifelong fans all over the world, Jacques added to his holdings whenever he could, so that the domaine totalled more than double its original numberof hectares by the end of the seventies.

Jacques was a big advocate of both whole bunch and new oak, the former adding a wonderfully aromatic and sensual florality to the wines, the latter a hefty dose of sex appeal. The use of whole bunch meant colours were often lighter than many of their peers, but in terms of concentration this was deceptive as the wines always had a gorgeously seductive intensity of fruit and always aged with great charm and grace.

Thirty years on from the start of his adventure, Jacques was joined by his eldest son Jeremy in 1998 who had just returned with a degree from Oxford and a clear understanding of the UK wine trade. Jeremy was later joined by his brother, Alec, and by his oenologist wife, Diana Snowden, whose Napa-based family know a thing or two about making wine!

With the new generation in place, the family joined forces with Etienne de Montille in 2005 and made an ambitious acquisition of the vineyards of Domaine Moillard, including a stunning plot of 1.5 hectares of Vosne Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts. The two families divided up the spoils as equally and as fairly as they could, with the Seysses adding a further 4 hectares to their total holdings. Shortly afterwards they also completed the purchase of two small parcels of Puligny 1er Cru, Les Folatières and Les Combettes, giving them a fascinating presence in the Côte de Beaune.

A couple of years after Jeremy joined the domaine, he and his father started experimenting with organic farming by cultivating 4 hectares in that method. So happy were they with the results that the whole domaine was moved to organic farming in 2008 and then certified accordingly in 2011. Today, the domaine also embraces many biodynamic approaches, but for the moment, it’s not looking for official certification.

In terms of vinification, the percentages of whole bunch and new oak have been reduced a little over the last few years and extraction has become still gentler, in keeping with the general trend in Burgundy in these warmer, more mature vintage.