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By Anthony Hanson MW, 16 Feb 2021

The charming Claude Dugat has perhaps the best smile in Burgundy, and it is reflected in his approach to his beloved Gevrey-Chambertin, which aims to express Pinot Noir’s “amiability”. The domaine is small. All the vineyards which Bertrand and Laetitia, Claude’s son and daughter, now work, alongside their father, are a short walk from their ancient cellars – the 13th Century ‘Celliers des Dimes’ (built 
on a Roman base) . There is always enormous intensity in the Claude Dugat wines – low yields, and immaculate fruit are then aged in a high proportion of new oak which the wines swallow completely. The wines age brilliantly, but recent vertical tastings also reveal how appealing they can be young too. Fragrance, fruit richness, and a lush supple texture are the hallmarks here. Every label is a benchmark for quality. Quantity is always the limitation. 

This domaine is always among the first to harvest in the village. “Freshness goes well with Pinot,” says Bertrand. “With my sister, we pay great attention to maturity of the grapes. Sugars here were similar in 2019 to 2018, but we held on to more acidity.“ The wines were 100% de-stemmed, as Claude has always done. “My wine is good, I like it and it pleases others,” says Bertrand. There was no pumping over in 2019, but mixing and pushing down, twice a day. The Gevrey-Chambertin cuvée comes from 8 or 10 different plots, ageing 40% in new oak. The 1er Cru is about 55% from Perrières, the balance from Craipillot (75% new barrels). Lavaux Saint Jacques and the Grands Crus all age in 100% new barrels. 

The wines spend their 1st winter in the historic, semi-underground Cellier des Dîmes, then the barrels are taken below, to cooler cellarage. There they pass a summer and 2nd winter in oak, then, without fining or filtration, the wines are bottled after a full 15 or 16 months barrel-ageing. Don’t be surprised if some natural deposit clings to the inside of the bottles, or falls into the punt. This is a totally natural part of the ageing process, and a normal occurrence, given how sensitively the wines have been handled. Bottles just need to settle before serving, and to be poured carefully.