2018 Domaine Dujac, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

The 2018 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru is probably now just a step ahead of the Clos Saint-Denis on the nose: stunning violet-infused red fruit with veins of blueberry that unfold exquisitely. The palate is silky smooth in texture, lightly spiced with a cornucopia of mineral-driven red fruit that convey just the right degree of flamboyance. Outstanding. - Neal Martin

The 2018 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru is a beautiful young wine, built for the ages. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis, cherries, rose petals, orange rind, woodsmoke, cinnamon and rich soil tones, it's full-bodied, muscular and introverted, with prodigious concentration, lively acids and a long, ripely tannic finish. While I suspect my visit to Domaine Dujac coincided with an especially brooding evolutionary phase, this will be a Clos de la Roche for the patient.

The 2018 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru is a different animal from the Clos Saint-Denis, offering sumptuous black cherries, kirsch, cassis and pressed violet aromas that burst from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, more flesh and substance than the Clos Saint-Denis and a multifaceted, persistent, black-pepper-tinged finish that lingers tenderly.

They have 1.95 ha here (4.8 acres). Five blocks from Mont Luisants across to Les Chabiots, average age 50 years. Barrel sample. A light note of smoky reduction. Ripe and dark. Sweet and sour. Intense and not yet integrated. Some baking spice and a touch of chocolate. Hard to judge this at the moment bit it certainly has massive fruit depth and richness and yet also a chalky mineral finish that pulls it in at the end. Embryonic but I think it will be a great wine. (JH)