Medium red. Wild aromas of cherry, herbs and leather. Fresh and savory, with a sour cherry flavor and a slightly raw peppery note. A bit dry on the finish. Not bad.

The 2011 Morey St. Denis is laced with dried cherries, herbs and crushed flowers. The mid-weight style is attractive, but also at times a bit fragile, with hints of underripeness that are not uncommon in 2011.

The 2011 Morey-St-Denis Village is a little green on the nose to be honest. The tannins feel a little raw on the entry and it needs to develop more weight and flesh toward the finish. Drink now. I have been visiting Jeremy and Alec Seysses at Domaine Dujac for several years now, and it is always one of my favorite ports of call. Alec, looking surprisingly chipper for a new dad had taken time off nappy duty to guide me through the 2011s this year. I have to confess that I was concerned by the conspicuous nature of the new oak on both their negociant label wines and the entry Village Crus. I felt that 35% new oak tended to overwhelm the fruit and terroir and occasionally impart drying finishes, which is why my scores are parsimonious here. As I tasted through the range toward the flock of Grand Crus the oak seemed better assimilated, although I would still maintain that the wine is of such quality that the present level of oak risks being superfluous to requirements. All the negociant label wines were bottled before Christmas. Importers: The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (415) 491-4724; Chambers & Chambers Wine Merchants, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 642-5500