2014 Domaine Claude Dugat La Gibryotte Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru 750 ml

Anyone Who Owns Them Has True Treasures in the Cellar

Many argue that Domaine Claude Dugat is the greatest producer in Gevrey-Chambertin; its place among the top 10 producers in Burgundy goes without question. The estate releases “profoundly great red Burgundies, and anyone who owns them has true treasures in the cellar,” writes Robert Parker, whose Wine Advocate has poured 11 97-100 point reviews on Dugat’s wines, known for their “tremendous fruit concentration … monumental proportions and a cult reputation.” Winemaker Claude Dugat and his children, Bertrand and Laetitia, farm some of the oldest vines throughout Gevrey-Chambertin, up to 70 years in age, with the stated goal of producing berries half the size of their neighbors. Their Grands Crus are waiting-list only, and retail anywhere from $600 to $2,000 a bottle. We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have acquired 300 bottles of the Premier Cru, of which only 360 bottles made it into the States. An absolutely riveting 2014 Gevrey-Chambertin that Burgundy collectors will be salivating over for years to come.

Claude is a modest but legendary figure in Burgundy whose absorbing, magnificent Pinots are known to send a hush over tasting tables. He and his children work their vines rigorously, with yields typically under one ton per acre, and berries tiny and ultra-concentrated. Everything is farmed organically, and naturally fertilized once every four years. In some parcels they still employ horse and plow.

Vinous was hot on 2014’s red Burgundies, ranking the year among the best of the last 25, “a vintage for Burgundy purists” with wines that are “succulent and easy to drink.” The growing season showed beautifully for the 1er cru climats used in this wine, a little under an acre total of parcels from both the stone-studded, limestone-rich Craipillot and the gently sloping La Perriere, situated just beneath the appellation’s Grand Cru vineyards (you could literally throw a rock or a frisbee from this site right into Clos de Bèze — the "Queen Bee" of Gevrey vineyards). This is a rare opportunity to buy wine from one of Burgundy’s greatest domaines — don’t miss out.