The wines of Claude seem to have passed me by; they have a great reputation and they may be far from cheap but they tend to be harder to find than to afford!  So here’s a villages at a little under twice the price of the average bottle of villages Gevrey, it’s also my first from Claude!
2005 Claude Dugat, Gevrey-Chambertin
Medium-plus cherry-red colour. Wow, what a nose; a beautiful and rather haunting perfume of hedge-row flowers, elderflower and soft red fruits with a suggestion of oak. A soft entry with understated concentration, velvety tannin and a creamy oak coating to the finishing flavours – it’s also very long for a villages. It’s not perfect though, the flavours have just a little oaky bitterness, but the sour-cherry fruit coupled to wonderful aromatics make this a compelling glass.
Rebuy – Yes – even at the price of some Clos de Vougeot!