Tasted with David Duband in Chevannes 21 June 2016.

SARL David Duband
12 Rue du Lavoir
21220 Chevannes
www.domaine-duband.com

David took over from his father in 1991, his father previously selling the produce to the cave-cooperative. David, with the help of business partner, Francois Feuillet, added to vines to his portfolio through fermage (the old Morey domaine of Truchot) and the purchase of some great grand crus from the Louis Remy estate. Today the domaine is 17 hectares, with 5 hectares in the Hautes Côtes near to the winery. Talking of the winery, it’s quite a modern looking operation in the heart of old, sleep Chevannes – two updates in 2008 and 2012 bring the modern impression – certainly he has a lovely tasting room that looks towards their Hautes Côtes vines on a nearby hillside.

David works ‘organically’ – Ecocert labelling – in the vines and is now known for using a high percentage of whole clusters in his fermentations – 40-80% whole clusters are used, depending on the cuvée. It’s common knowledge that I didn’t really the enjoy the wines from this domaine, pre-2008, as I found a very commercial style, but since that time I’m a much bigger fan.

France biggest market for this producer – almost 60% – the next largest market is Japan.

David on 2014:
“I love the vintage in the sense that its got purity with a nice balance of acidity and concentration – you can easily see the difference between the different vineyards. It’s a little on the lighter side when you compare to 15 or 05 but wine is for drinking not selling and reselling. My father sold grapes to the cave co-operative and in comparison to the 60s and 70s when he was doing that, there are no bad vintages today!”

The wines…

All 14s bottled, all halves (our samples) are DIAM, the bottles are 80% DIAM. I found the samples just a little warm for my (tasting) taste, probably about 20°, but I loved the ‘honesty’ that they showed – there was just a hint of harshness to the structures though without any dryness to the tannins. But that structure was intertwined with very fine clarity and line of fruit with a lovely energy. I found these very tasty wines…

2014 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits
Hcdn can be made from 16 villages around Chevannes, this is an assembly of parcels on the hillside that face the winery – from 50+yo old vines.
Powdery red fruit. Supple, round, nice growing intensity of pinot fruit with a pretty line of acidity. Gets better and better in the glass.

2014 Chambolle-Musigny
40 year-old vines from 2 parcels; Les Chardannes and Les Herbues, low down near Bonnes Mares.
A more jammy red fruited core but with good freshness to support it. More layers, a little drag of tannin, and a long line of very modestly accented oak in the finish. Very tasty wine.

2014 Gevrey-Chambertin
80% coming from the village of Brochon (north of Gevrey) with an average age of over 65 years old.
Her another nose that is fruity and accessible – round with floral inflection. A little barrel at the start of the palate, more energy and width, here with ingraining flavour.

2014 Nuits St.Georges
Hmm, now this is a nice nose, fine, focused, maybe a hint of toast. Bright, round, fresh flavour – really mouth-filling. More tannin, oak tannin too in the finish. Fresh and tasty wine though!

2014 Morey St.Denis 1er Clos Sorbet
A bright nose, bramble, dark fruit, an undertow of almost almond. More structured in the mouth but really with flavour that adheres to your mouth – super stuff!

2014 Nuits St.Georges 1er Aux Thorey
From 60 year-old vines on the Vosne-side of the town.
A wide nose, a hint of herb and red fruit – mixed. Structure but bright flavours coupled to great acidity. A baby wine but full of flavour. No soft texture here – it needs time.

2014 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Sentiers
From 45 year-old vines sitting just under Bonnes Mares.
Again a little jamminess, but also highly attractive for all that – tempered with some whole cluster perfume. Plenty of tannin, a little more depth of texture, beautiful mouth-watering mid-palate flavour. Excellent wine – super!

2014 Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Proces
From 30 year-old vines. Just three producers of this, here, Arnoux-Lachaux and Joseph Drouhin – I finally have the full set 😉
A deep nose with just a suggestion of toast. A fine core of fruit but some reduction too. A little more fat and roundness but never a hint of ‘plush’ – a really super finish. Yum!

2014 Echézeaux
From 70 year-old vines as Rouges du Bas
A round and very attractive nose. Round, rather fine tannin for texture, a complex wine. I like very much the line here, its very persistent.

2014 Clos de la Roche
From 65 year-old vines in the centre of the appellation.
Medium colour – not so medium aroma! Round, and very complex – not full-power today but it remains impressive enough. Very wide, a little drag from the tannin but no real grain – a burst of mid-palate flavour. Yum!

2014 Charmes-Chambertin
From 90-year-old vines in Mazoyères.
A wide nose, a faint herb, but really of modest intensity. Here it is about a core of flavour and fresh, almost sizzling flavour. Then it widens into the finish – again baby wine here – all these will be better in 2-10 years. Very tasty still!

2014 Chambertin
Also domaine, indeed this, the Latricières, Charmes, Clos de la Roche and Echezeaux all come from the former Louis Remy estate. Here 0.22 hectares of 50+ year-old vines.
A glass-filling, silky red fruited note – very subtly something below too – perhaps a little mineral note. Not massive, but very, very complex, with refined tannin. Keeps its shape – and size! – in the finish. Super wine.

2011 Morey St.Denis 1er Clos Sorbet
Ooh, that’s nice, a very pretty floral note, supple, silky, mouth-filling wine. A little oak in the finish still but…