Domaine Dugat-Py Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 2016

Domaine Dugat-Py Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 2016 is a sensational, highly structured village-level Burgundy possessing the depth and seriousness of a Premier Cru. The 2016 vintage is widely celebrated for its remarkable freshness, purity of fruit, and classic structural framing. Sourced from ancient massal-selection vines between 30 and 60 years old, this wine pours a deep ruby color. The nose is highly complex, revealing precise aromas of crisp blackberry, wild raspberry, and licorice, seamlessly interwoven with undertones of rich soil, grilled meat, and fine wood smoke. On the palate, it is full-bodied and incredibly dense, balancing its compact, old-vine concentration with a spine of vibrant, mouth-watering acidity. Its firm, muscular chassis of tannin provides a strong structural foundation that carries into an exceptionally long, chalky, and beautifully linear finish. While beginning to show great complexity now, it has the stamina for extensive cellaring.

Food Pairing: Slow-cooked beef bourguignon, roasted duck breast, pan-seared squab, or wild mushroom tart.

The 2016 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes, which comes from vines between 30 and 50 years old and matured in 30% to 40% new oak with a small amount of whole cluster, has a crisp stony, blackberry and bilberry-scented bouquet, not powerful but precise. The palate is marked by slight chalky tannin, linear and strict, full of energy with a smudge of raspberry preserve hanging around on the aftertaste. Give this Vieilles Vignes three or four years in bottle just to abrade those tannins.