Domaine Dujac Romanee Saint Vivant Grand Cru 2007
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Possibly Jacques' greatest contribution to the Domaine has been to instill his desire to search for new ways to improve the wine and the way wine is made. Though his vinification style looks relatively simple and non interventionist, it is result of much thought and experimentation. The style of wines must be elegance and finesse, with supple and well integrated tannins. The search is for equilibrium, harmony, length and complexity! This is why the grapes are vinifed with little or no destemming, Jacques being convinced that experience has shown that, despite certain inconveniences, such as loss of color, this give the wines greater complexity.
His style is influenced by his great respect for Burgundy's terroir. His complete trust in the terroir means he tries interfere as little as possible in order to allow the fruit to fully express itself and its origins. Burgundy made great wines far before the arrival of oenology and modern equipment. Experience, knowledge and technology are here to help us remedy the imperfections of the year, but if all is well there is no reason to tamper or intervene.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
This is the village for the most die-hard Burgundy fanatics. Vosne-Romanée has for many hundreds of years been the source of the most sought-after Pinot Noir in Burgundy. The village claims six Grands Crus—and some of the most famous at that—but in other villages where owners manage tiny parcels or a few rows of any one vineyard, monopolies dominate the Grands Crus of Vosne-Romanee.
Of these monopolies, Domaine Romanee-Conti (DRC) reigns supreme, claiming not only more total vineyard area than any other producer, but outright owning the entirety of two of the Grands Crus and a majority of two others. In its full possession are naturally Romanée-Conti, as well as La Tâche. DRC also owns most of Richebourg and Romanée-St-Vivant. The final two, La Grande Rue and La Romanée are completely owned by other other produers: François Lamarche and Comte Liger Belair, respectively.
While one could spend a lifetime on the puzzles of land ownership in Burgundy, the point is that Vosne-Romanee contains the most valuable pieces of vineyard real estate in the world. Pinot Noir from any of its vineyards—especially from within its 27ha of Grand Cru or 58 ha of Premier Cru land—is going to rank among the best.
The most outstanding wines from this village have everything: finesse and elegance coupled with the body and sturdiness for incredibly long aging ability. They are intensely floral and exotically spiced. Beautifully ripe, complex and ephemeral throughout, they are robust, yet fine-grained in texture. These wines will stay gorgeous for the long haul.