1995 Gevrey Chambertin

In 1995 Dugat fashioned one of the finest village wines produced in the Cote d'Or. Deep ruby/purple-colored, the Gevrey-Chambertin reveals a sweet, enticing nose of perfumed flowers and red fruits. In the mouth, this medium-bodied, concentrated, silky-textured wine is packed with ripe, fresh, lively, crisp, clean and pure cherries. This gorgeous offering will be delicious from release to 2002+. This note is the result of tastings I did in Burgundy between January 7 and January 29. The wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. Pinot Noir, a fragile varietal, reacts poorly to fining, filtration, and careless bottling techniques, I recommend caution when considering buying a red burgundy based on cask samples. I called it as I tasted it, and hope the bottled wine reflects the quality of the samples I was provided. At my tasting of the Robert Kacher portfolio, where all the Burgundy winemakers he represents were present, a hush fell over the room when Dugat's wines were poured. A self-effacing, modest man, Dugat smiled uncomfortably as each of the winemakers, all stars in their own right, came to congratulate him on the spectacular quality of his wines. Importer Kacher feels Dugat's 1995s are slightly better than his 1993s, including the otherworldly Griotte Chambertin. I believe they are stunning, benchmark wines. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083.