Claude Dugat : Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru 2023

Tasting Notes and Characteristics of the Claude Dugat Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru 2023

Tasting

Color

The Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru 2023 presents a deep ruby red color with garnet highlights, a hue that reflects both the ripeness of the fruit and the gentle extraction practiced at the estate.

Nose

The nose opens on bright red and black fruit, with cherry and raspberry notes intertwined with subtle smoky and spicy accents. Hints of freshly turned earth add a savory dimension to the aromatic profile.

Palate

On the palate, this wine shows a medium to full body, built around a fleshy core of fruit, soft tannins, and lively acidity. The finish is long and mineral, giving the wine remarkable definition and precision, with a slightly austere edge in its youth that should soften with time.

Serving and cellaring

The Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru 2023 is best served at a temperature of 16 to 18°C. Given its youthful intensity, decanting is recommended to allow its aromatic richness to fully unfold. While it can already be enjoyed, this wine is expected to reach its peak between 2028 and 2040, confirming its ability to age gracefully over the next two decades.

Other characteristics

This wine reaches an alcohol content of approximately 12.5%, a moderate level consistent with the estate's philosophy of harvesting grapes at just the right ripeness rather than seeking excessive sugar accumulation. It is bottled without fining or filtration, preserving its natural texture and aromatic depth.

A Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Marked by Precision and Freshness

The Estate

Domaine Claude Dugat is a small family-run property located in Gevrey-Chambertin, in the heart of Burgundy's Côte de Nuits. Although the family's roots in the village date back to the 19th century, the estate was established in its current form in 1991. It is now run by Claude Dugat's children, Bertrand, Laetitia, and Jeanne, who continue the house's tradition of tiny yields, minimal intervention, and careful attention to each parcel. Claude Dugat is recognized internationally for the rarity and precision of its wines.

The Vineyard

The grapes for this Gevrey-Chambertin come from two premier cru parcels, Craipillot and La Perrière, blended in equal parts and totaling just 0.40 hectares. The vines grow on clay-limestone soils typical of the Côte de Nuits, a combination that favors balanced ripening and brings both structure and minerality to the wine. The estate farms its vines organically and biodynamically, limiting treatments to what is strictly necessary and avoiding synthetic fertilizers and herbicides.

The Vintage

The 2023 growing season in Burgundy began with a milder than average winter, followed by an early flowering at the start of June. The summer allowed for steady ripening, and the grapes reached maturity by early September, resulting in a generous crop that required careful sorting in both the vineyard and the cellar to retain only perfectly healthy fruit.

Winemaking and aging

For the Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru 2023, the grapes are fully destemmed before a controlled fermentation with gentle extraction. The wine is then aged for 15 to 16 months in oak barrels, of which approximately 20% are new, an approach that favors purity of fruit over the influence of wood. In keeping with the estate's philosophy, the wine is bottled without fining or filtration.

Grape Varieties

This wine is made from 100% pinot noir, the sole red grape variety used across the Claude Dugat estate.