1996 Domaine Claude Dugat Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru
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Tasting notes
It would take a writer of Shakespeare's eloquence to do justice to this wine. It has a deep ruby/purple color and spiritual aromas of raspberry and cherry jam, violets, perfume, and Asian spices. Its aromatic purity, definition, and depth were so captivating that I feared the palate could not match up. Wrong! An explosion of satin-laced fruit greeted my tongue. Layer upon layer of perfectly ripened, sweet and jammy cherries, candied violets, roses, and blueberries provided a levitating experience. For minutes I could neither see nor feel my surroundings - nor did I care to - as this wine took my senses hostage. It is velvety, supple, powerful, stylish, refined, concentrated, and possesses the backbone (as silky as can be imagined!) to allow this heavenly offering to evolve magnificently. Its awesomely long finish has loads of fruit-drowned, soft, and round tannins. As I looked across the room (he had gone off to stand with some friends), my eyes met Claude Dugat's - he smiled. What remains to be said about this wine crafted by the shy, self-effacing, and ever-smiling Claude Dugat? Well, it might be getting even better. While still having the opulence of fruit and suppleness that have made his wines renowned throughout the world, this wine appears to have more structure. My instincts have, in the past, been that Dugat's wines were best drunk young, but this wine displays the necessary balance between fruit, acidity, and backbone for extended cellaring. Perhaps Jean-Marc Joblot, the extremely talented Givry producer, said it best: "Claude Dugat's 1996s are the most beautiful expression of Pinot Noir I've ever had." A taster would have to be dead not to fall in love with these wines. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083.
Critic scores
Allen Meadows, Burghound
The Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
This has gone from superby elegant when in was first in bottle to somber and over oaked with distinctly woody aromas and moderately one-dimensional flavors that offer good punch and persistence but not the harmony and overall class that the best examples of this wine show. I would be inclined to drink this now even though it's not ready from a structure standpoint but I don't like where the balance suggests this is going. Tasted three times, consistent notes. Allen Meadows, Burghound , Apr, 2006
It would take a writer of Shakespeare's eloquence to do justice to this wine. It has a deep ruby/purple color and spiritual aromas of raspberry and cherry jam, violets, perfume, and Asian spices. Its aromatic purity, definition, and depth were so captivating that I feared the palate could not match up. Wrong! An explosion of satin-laced fruit greeted my tongue. Layer upon layer of perfectly ripened, sweet and jammy cherries, candied violets, roses, and blueberries provided a levitating experience. For minutes I could neither see nor feel my surroundings - nor did I care to - as this wine took my senses hostage. It is velvety, supple, powerful, stylish, refined, concentrated, and possesses the backbone (as silky as can be imagined!) to allow this heavenly offering to evolve magnificently. Its awesomely long finish has loads of fruit-drowned, soft, and round tannins. As I looked across the room (he had gone off to stand with some friends), my eyes met Claude Dugat's - he smiled. Pierre Rovani, Wine Advocate # 118 Aug 1998
It would take a writer of Shakespeare's eloquence to do justice to this wine. It has a deep ruby/purple color and spiritual aromas of raspberry and cherry jam, violets, perfume, and Asian spices. Its aromatic purity, definition, and depth were so captivating that I feared the palate could not match up. Wrong! An explosion of satin-laced fruit greeted my tongue. Layer upon layer of perfectly ripened, sweet and jammy cherries, candied violets, roses, and blueberries provided a levitating experience. For minutes I could neither see nor feel my surroundings - nor did I care to - as this wine took my senses hostage. It is velvety, supple, powerful, stylish, refined, concentrated, and possesses the backbone (as silky as can be imagined!) to allow this heavenly offering to evolve magnificently. Its awesomely long finish has loads of fruit-drowned, soft, and round tannins. As I looked across the room (he had gone off to stand with some friends), my eyes met Claude Dugat's - he smiled. Aug 1998, www.robertparker.com