Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru

When Bernard Dugat formally separated the domaine from Domaine Claude Dugat in 1994, he carried with him a winemaking lineage documented to 1645 and a cellar — L'Aumônerie — built in the 11th century beneath the Abbey of Saint-Bénigne. That depth of continuity is not incidental: it shapes the patience with which these vines, averaging 65 years of age and propagated exclusively through massal selection of Pinot Fin genetics, are tended. The Charmes-Chambertin parcel sits on the clay-limestone soils of the Côte de Nuits, where the heavier clay fraction relative to the upper Grands Crus delivers a rounder, more voluptuous texture while retaining the mineral backbone that defines the appellation. Horse-ploughing preserves soil structure, and canopies are left untrimmed to 7–8 feet — a practice shared with Domaine Leroy and Château Rayas — concentrating photosynthetic energy into already low-yielding old vines. Fermentation proceeds with indigenous yeasts only, no chaptalization, no acidification, and partial whole-cluster inclusion; aging takes place in François Frères barrels, with new-oak proportions reduced significantly since Loïc assumed full control around 2014. Bottled unfined and unfiltered at naturally restrained alcohol, rarely above 13.5%. The 2014 vintage in Burgundy delivered cool-season precision — firm acidity, taut structure, and slow-developing aromatic complexity — making it a cellar candidate that rewards patience through the late 2020s and beyond.