Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2022

From a 1.95 ha holding in 5 different climate. An expressive, ripe and airy nose features the relatively primary essence of plum liqueur, kirsch, spice and earth notes. The strikingly intense and sleek larger-bodied flavors possess only average concentration yet there is impressive power on the moderately austere and beautifully long finish that tightens up noticeably as it sits on the palate. I suspect that this will flesh out and add richness with time in bottle though like several wines in the range, this is going to require extended patience. Don’t miss, Drink: 2037+

Rich dense purple. Gorgeously attractive if a little more restrained than the Clos St-Denis. Some of the traditional blueberry. So much in reserve. I prefer the weave of the texture here especially if keeping for the longer term. On the cusp of red and black fruit at the finish, and with excellent persistence. Drink: 2032+

The 2022 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru on this encounter was so pure and suave that one might have mistaken it for the Clos Saint-Denis. Offering up aromas of raspberries, cherries, sweet spices, orange zest and peony, it's full bodied, supple and seamless, with a deep core of fruit, sweet, powdery tannins and a long, sapid finish. There is more underlying muscle and tannin here, however, and I would be surprised to see that assert itself a little more obviously in bottle.

The 2022 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru has a little more intensity on the nose than the Clos Saint-Denis: principally black fruit laced with hints of licorice and clove and veins of blueberry and cassis. The aromatics expand with aeration, gaining vigor all the time. The medium-bodied palate has grippy tannins and quite a bold structure but may not have the precision of the very best that I have encountered. Very saline on the aftertaste - this will require time to shave its edges in bottle. Drink: 2028-2052.

The 2022 Clos de la Roche from Dujac is a wine of impressive concentration, even if it is not so loveable at this point. It seems (along with the Clos Saint-Denis) to be a bit austere, but a ripe, plummy fruit opens up on the palate with nuances of smoke, earth and spice. Despite the slight austerity at this stage, this is impressively long, powerful, and nuanced, and one imagines sweet fruit will develop with time. The grapes are from their six parcels scattered throughout the climat, accounting for almost two hectares; the wine is now doing its second winter ageing in cask. Drink: 2030-2065.