TN: 1997 Dujac Bonnes-Mares

WINE TALK
1

Bonnes-Mares to me is a bit like Antony from Antony and The Johnsons, you’re not quite sure if its a boy or a girl but when it sings a thing of great beauty is emitted. This started off with a wonderful ethereal, sweet perfume coupled with notes of pine needle sap, dark cherries, menthol, moss, hung game and earth. The palate is plush velvet that has been hammered down with iron nails. With air it becomes evident that the sweet and lush blood plum fruits don’t have a huge amount of acid support but are underpinned by some scorched earth (all very pleasant mind you). It is reminiscent of the wonderful 76 Dujac Bonnes-Mares and if my remaining botts end up like the 76 I’ll be a very pleased chap.
Cheers
Jeremy

2

Hi Jeremy. I have pretty much avoided 1997’s. But have a few from Louis Jadot, bought a few years ago for very little money. Had the Jadot '97 Bonnes Mares last week, and was really good, with many years to go IMO. My TN is somewhere in that Chambolle-Musigny thread.

3

Jeremy-- You’ve inspired me to test it out – 1997 Rouget Echézeaux tonight, one of the very, very few 1997s I own (like only that and his Cros Parantoux, if I recall correctly).

4

Nice tasting note Jeremy! Little careful when it comes to purchasing 1997 Burgundy, but would now be a little less concerned if it is combined with “Dujac” and “Bonnes-Mares”!

5

Thanks for the note Jeremy. I think Dujac was really successful in '97. It’s interesting to see how much variability there was in that vintage even between the better producers. The keys seemed to be to later picking and temperature control in the cuverie (so the ferments didn’t take off too quickly).

6

Must admit that I have been a little down on the 97 red Burg vintage as a whole up until about 2 years ago when the wines started to really shine. I don’t have a lot in the cellar but will certainly back-fill if they come up at auction at the right price.

7

Thanks for the note. Made me really regret not getting a half-case of 1997 Dujac Grand Cru on auction last year. Ended up getting a magnum of 1999 Cathiard RSV for the same price instead, which I promptly proceeded to drop on the floor and break!

Interesting to see Jadot mentioned in the same thread - I think both houses (Jadot and Dujac) did really well in 1997 actually.

8

Claude,

Had the '97 Cros a few months ago, was very good indeed. I also own very few '97’s, not sure if I’m happy about that or not…

Jeremy,

Are you are going through a Dujac phase??? Don’t forget we have to drink an old one together soon…

9

Previous bottles of the Echézeaux have been enjoyable but not exceptional. Last one I had must have been about 3-4 years ago. Last night it was a transformed wine with amazing complexity and super silky texture – pure Jayer. Rouget fell ill on the second day of harvest in 1997 and had to be hospitalized, so Uncle Henri took over harvest supervision and the making of the wine. He said back in 1998 that 1997 was like 1947 – something that just seemed like bluster until last night, at least for qualitative level, but this wine was much more elegant than I imagine the 1947s were in 1960.

10

great note and update. i think Dujac did very well in 1997 across the board, in fact they are among the best.

we had a few 1997s blind last night…

Some 1997 Red Burgs from Last Night - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

11

Hmmmm,

Thanks for this Claude, I didn’t know that, very interesting…

12

Thanks for the info Claude, I certainly feel that many 97’s will eventually be a lot better than I first thought (maybe the same thing will happen with 03?).

Paul I have a brace of 85 Dujac just waiting for you.

Best Regards
Jeremy

13

1997 red Burgundies aren’t the only wines from that vintage to surprise. The whites turned out better and more durable than originally thought, too. But perhaps the biggest surprise was the German wines which EVERYONE – producers, importers, critics, consumers – thought at first were too soft. However, the quality of the 1997 vintage in the various German regions has been evident for quite a number of years, now.

OTOH, I think most people now would say that original estimates of the 1997 Barolo and Barbaresco vintages were overblown.

14

Oooohhh, nice!! [drinkers.gif]

15

Yaacov,

Go to Hell.

Oops - sorry wrong thread.




16

that’s classic!!

[welldone.gif]

17

Thanks for the note. I personally find Dujac to be very strong in ‘weaker’ years. This gives me the opportunity to aquire Dujac at more reasonable prices in general, but also they drink better at an earlier age. 97 BM is a baby now, but what a treat.

A friend of mine just opened a Dujac Clos St Denis 93 (not a weak year), and it was ethereal.

18

Good to see so many notes on the '97s–a vintage I enjoy, generally.
I’ve not drunk the Dujac Bonnes Mares, but had several other of the Dujac '97s that are very good, including an exceptional Clos St Denis.

Very informative to read the above notes, too. I opened a '97 Rouget Echezeaux a few years ago and was not overly impressed, but was willing to sit for several years on a second bottle. It sounds as if I could open it now with pleasure, or potentially hold it for several more years.