Domaine Dujac

One of the great domaines of Burgundy, Dujac is now in its second generation. Jacques Seysses, who founded the domaine in 1967, is still involved, but his two sons, Alec and Jérémy, are in charge.

The domaine wines, from Echezeaux, Bonnes Mares Chambertin, Romanée St. Vivant, and Vosné-Romanée 1er Cru have become some of the most celebrated and pricey Burgundy wines.

In response, in 2000, Jérémy established Dujac Fils et Père, the négociant business. “I realized that we had great wines from great parcels in famous locations,” he says. “But we didn’t have any entry-level wines. And I saw that Burgundy drinkers were getting older, and we needed to attract the millennials with affordable wine. So I persuaded my father that we should set up a business on the side to buy the fruit to make these wines.

“The problem is what was true when we started isn’t true any more. Grape prices went up by 50 percent in 2012. So we are now selling our négociant wines at cost.”

Dujac has three red and two white négociant wines: Pinot Noirs from Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny and Morey-Saint-Denis; and Chardonnays from Mersault and Puligny-Montrachet. They’re not cheap, but they represent good value.

In the cellar, they have village wines from Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny in two vintages. The family has vines in both villages for their estate wines, so this is home turf to them. And, they possess the local knowledge of where to find quality grapes for these wines. They’re made with the same attention to detail as the domaine wines: perfumed, elegant and able to age many years.

Though domaine wines can sell for hundreds of dollars, Jérémy says the négociant business won’t stop. “I think it is important to keep Burgundy democratic,” he says. “That’s why we started, and that hasn’t changed, even if the wine is harder to find.”