Dujac Fils & Père

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Winemaker

Jeremy Seysses

History

Not long after purchasing vineyards in the late 1960s and releasing his first wines in the early 1970s Jacques Seysses became an international icon. His ability to coax the utmost flavor and texture from his grapes set him apart from his Burgundian brethren. Jacques respect for the terroir of the Côte d’Or is still on display in his viticultural practices and innovative winemaking methods. Dujac wines are more than just varietally correct – they are intimate travelogues of some of the most celebrated sites on earth.

Louis Seysses, biscuit manufacturer and gastronome, had a taste for good food and fine wines. So did his son Jacques who decided in his mid-twenties to leave his dreary job in the banking industry to pursue the exciting life of a winemaker.

Jacques began his new career auspiciously enough as an apprentice to Gérard Potel at Domaine de la Pousse d’Or. Two harvests there taught him the essentials of his craft and introduced him to some of Burgundy’s most revered winemakers.

In 1967, he purchased Domaine Graillet and renamed it Domaine Dujac. Trying to blend what he admired in traditional winemaking with modern techniques, Jacques developed his own proprietary protocol that was considered revolutionary at the time. In the vineyard Jacques’ goal was to maximize the unique terroir of each site. In the winery Jacques explored innovative methods to preserve the exceptional fruit his vineyards had begun to produce.

Dujac’s wines did not go unnoticed for long. In 1974, they were discovered by Gault & Millau and soon began gracing wine lists in the toniest starred restaurants throughout France. As Dujac’s holdings expanded (from 5 hectares in 1968 to nearly 12 hectares today), Jacques, along with his wife Rosalind, looked beyond local markets and began exporting nearly 80% of their production to 18 countries around the world.

Since 1986, in keeping with Jacques desire to protect terroir and improve quality, Domaine Dujac has been in lutte integer, a viticultural regime that combines practices from organic farming, biodynamics and IPM. This philosophy of planned minimal intervention allows each vineyard to produce the finest fruit possible (varietally accurate and site specific) while preserving organic balance and the integrity of the land.

Today, the estate is transitioning from one generation to the next. Son Jeremy is heavily involved in winemaking and marketing; Diana Snowden, Jeremy’s wife and a U. C. Davis graduate in enology, has taken over cellar management; and son Alec, is assuming many of his father’s administrative duties. The infusion of new blood has proved a boon, allowing this remarkable estate to maintain its position as one of Burgundy’s most elite producers.

Practices & Techniques

In 1967, Jacques purchased Domaine Graillet, a small domaine in the village of Morey-St-Denis. He renamed the winery whimsically after himself as the domaine of Jac, or Domaine Dujac. He became a leading advocate of including a good amount of stems in the fermentation process, His belief was that the mature stems actually reduced the amount of hard tannins in the resulting wine. In addition he wanted to avoid bruising the grapes during the destemming process. The cellars are underground and modest. They have been extended recently to achieve cooler temperatures which enable the malolactic fermentation to happen later thus reducing the number of rackings required.

Estate Vineyards / AVA

Clos de la Roche Grand Cru and Clos St. Denis Grand Cru were the first two vineyard parcels Jacques Seysses purchased in 1968. They remain benchmark examples of wine made from these vineyards. As time went on, the domaine continued to expand when other parcels became available. Further holdings of Clos de la Roche were added in 1977 and 1990. In 1977, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru parcels were added, a few small parcels in Mazoyères-Chambertin and one in the upper part of Charmes. In 2005 a number of outstanding vineyards were acquired from Domaine Thomas-Moillard. From “lutte raisonée” management beginning in 1987, the vineyard practices moved to organic farming in 2001. Approximately 75% of the vineyards are now farmed organically with a toe here or there in biodynamic practices.

The full list of holdings:

Bonnes Mares Grand Cru, Chambolle Musigny Les Gruenchers 1er Cru, Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, Clos Saint Denis Grand Cru, Echezeaux Grand Cru, Gevery-Chambertin aux Combottes 1er Cru, Gevery-Chambertin aux Combottes 1er Cru, Morey St. Denis Blanc, Morey St. Denis Monts Luisants 1er Cru Blanc, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Rouge, Vosne Romanee Les Beaux Monts1 er Cru, Vosne Romanee aux Malconsorts 1 er Cru

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Address

7, rue de Bussière
Morey-Saint-Denis, Côte d’Or 21220
France

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