Tasted with David Duband in Chevannes 18 May 2018.
SARL David Duband
12 Rue du Lavoir
21220 Chevannes
www.domaine-duband.com
Link to Latricières-Chambertin profile
David Duband has a nice slice of Latricières-Chambertin, 0.31 hectares of (average) 55 year-old vines sitting between those of Leroy and Chantal Remy. The vines were purchased by David Duband’s longtime business partner François Feuillet, a transaction with the Remy family that also brought some Chambertin. The first vintage produced by the domaine was the 2009 and the wine has always been sold with 2 labels; Domaine François Feuillet and Domaine David Duband.
David comments “I haven’t really noted a great difference in harvest time versus other parcels, though that’s probably because I’ve 23 appellations at the domaine – and that’s over 70 parcels and 60 pickers – I think our harvesting time is similar to that of our Chambertin – of course it depends on the weather too! In 2016 I was lucky to have vines in Morey, because there was plenty of frost elsewhere.”
The wines…
We first looked at a range of David’s 2016s – all are now bottled – DIAM5 for the first wines, 10s for 1ers and 30 for grand crus – it’s the whole range today.
David explains “80% was lost in Latricières, Chambertin and Nuits. I lost 25% in my Chambolle Les Sentiers – I was quite lucky that the northern part of Chambolle was less touched by the frost. I also lost 50% in the Hautes Côtes – but I have to say that the quality is exceptional, with a little more balance today than the 2015s – probably because they are closing a little. Hopefully too, the market will be on form for the 2017s as there’s a lot of wine!”
2016 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Cuvée Louis Auguste
This from the big hillside that faces the domaine.
Reticent aromatics but with depth and a faint strawberry fruit escaping the glass. Hmm, this is juicy, layered and absolutely open – delicious!
2016 Côte de Nuits Villages
Comes from Brochon, bought since 08 with some Gevrey-Chambertin from the same producer too…
More depth and certainly a more overt nose. Extra concentration but still with freshness and energy. The flavour is excellent, today less-so the nose. But such a great mouthful of wine. Super finishing!
2016 Chambolle-Musigny
More a stone fruit nose than fruit. Bright, fresh, juicy but also with plenty of structure. I wouldn’t guess Chambolle but the finishing energy and intensity rock. Lovely! David agrees – “Yes, this always needs two to three years to look like a Chambolle!”
2016 Gevrey-Chambertin
80% from Brochon.
Some stone fruit but a fine soft strawberry fruit too. Hmm, luxurious texture, a hint of tannin on the tip of the tongue, layers of flavour, good energy. Such a super wine… A very faint whole-cluster note on this one.
2016 Morey St.Denis
A bit of everything in here at least 6 vineyards…
A width and a slight smokiness of aroma. Freshness and lots of cushioned energy, less instantly attractive vs the Gevrey but there’s more here, a more haunting finish too. Excellent…
2016 Vosne-Romanée
Two parcels; Barreaux and Ormes – top of the hill and the flat combined
A little perfume, some spice, not full force but still a very attractive nose. Ooh, deep and fresh, a little edge of modest tannin, width and a cushioned intensity. Excellent…little finishing waves of flavour radiating from the core.
2016 Nuits St.Georges
Two hectares, Charmottes, St.Julien and old vines in Les Plateau
A silky width of aroma. Ooh, bright, weighty, juicy – really super wine. More overt fruit than the Vosne and I would say a better wine too.
2016 Morey St.Denis 1er ‘les Broc’
The name is the mnemonic of the 4 small 1ers that are blended – A mix of Truchot and Louis Remy vines
A little more freshness and a strawberry fruit too. A hint of reduction, but super depth of flavour, modestly structural, modestly textured with tannin. Long perhaps with a transient hint of vanilla.
2016 Morey St.Denis 1er 1er Clos Sorbet
A finer, less forceful nose, a faint fruit stone in the mix. More volume, rounder, a little more tannin – lovely. Fine as it is I prefer the line of the Broc today.
2016 Nuits St.Georges 1er Aux Thorey
Wide and a little floral. Lots of volume, more structure, floral infused – this is lovely. But be more patient here.
2016 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Sentiers
A quieter nose but still with understated prettiness. A little extra sucrosity and depth to the texture. Still a nice structure and another with a faint reduction but this is über-classy wine! With the best finish so far!
2016 Echézeaux
From Rouges du Bas – but it’s not on the label.
Ooh that’s a big change of both volume and register – a complex super-inviting nose – excellent. Supple, fabulously textured, with depth of flavour, not the most energy but plenty. Maybe the Sentiers is longer, but this has extra dimensions elsewhere.
2016 Clos de la Roche
A little narrower but certainly a more concentrated nose. More direction, more deep flavoured – but not reductive. Concentrated and holding on tight until the finish – here it’s a mix of flowers and mineral elements. “Always wait 10 years – I opened a 09 Jero recently for a masterclass and they had to work!”
There’s not much of the following, so we jump a vintage. “I think 2005 and 2015 will be the best old vintages with both freshness, roundness of tannins but importantly perfectly ripe fruit. People talk of acidity being necessary, but put a 96 and 97 on the table and almost everyone will drink the 97 today – because wine is also about pleasure!”
2015 Latricières-Chambertin
Less colour vs the 16s. An open, yet compact nose – there’s a redness of fruit and a very faint spice. More richness of texture and flavour – completely mouth-filling, more visible structure than the 2016s. Littles finishing waves of flavour – carafe! Hmm – contemplative and showing a little espresso in the finish.
2015 Chambertin
Intermediate colour to the last and the 16s. Round, more open and with more volume – this needs air to diss-assemble. More fresh, more width, an extra structural impression – again intermediate in structure. Little hints of complexity everywhere. Really very wide in the finish. It will be super.