La Paulée Recap: Domaine Dujac Clos Saint-Denis Dinner at 63 Clinton
3/8/2023
Raj Vaidya
Daniel has been dreaming of hosting a focused Clos Saint-Denis dinner with Jeremy Seysses for quite some time, as it has long been a favorite appellation of his (and mine also…) and is somewhat overshadowed in the eyes of many collectors and enthusiasts by the Clos de la Roche from Dujac. Indeed, Clos de la Roche tends to be a richer, more structured and generally larger wine than the Clos Saint-Denis, which perhaps is more akin in style to Grand Crus from the Chambolle side of Morey-Saint-Denis.
This fantastic retrospective ran us from the 2017 vintage back to 1990 and provided some really exceptional experiences and some surprises to boot. Jeremy was keen on having the restaurant be a bit more modern and inventive than a very classic French place so we tapped the skills and warm hospitality of 63 Clinton, a jewel box of a restaurant on the Lower East Side with Michelin pedigree (and a star of its own.)
Chef Samuel Clonts of 63 Clinton with Diana and Jeremy Seysses and the Paulée team: Raj Vaidya and Jaime Dutton
After starting with some 2014 whites (Puligny Folatières stole that show) we dove into Clos Saint-Denis fully, leading with younger vintages and moving chronologically back to 1990. The 2017 was the standout in the first flight, superbly open and singing, with great salinity already noticeable and yet a core of ripe and balanced fruit. I had fully expected the 2010 to be a stunner and indeed it was, though in the same flight the 2012 stood out as a surprise, much fuller than I’d experienced previously and with tremendous energy and length.
As we entered into some older wines, Jeremy spoke about ‘famous’ vintages in Burgundy and a belief he has that many heralded vintages create the scenario where a collector comments upon drinking 10 out of the 12 bottles in a case, “…this is going to be really great, someday!” The concern over so called ‘great’ vintages is that they’ll fail to offer actual pleasure during consumption…
2005 certainly could be accused of this, and even though we double decanted this vintage quite early, the wine still showed somewhat closed and burly, fine but without elegance or pleasure. The 1999 on the other hand proved to be a 'great’ vintage which is also a GREAT wine, and a delicious experience.
The last flight proved Jeremy’s point well also, with the 1990 showing very well (as expected) but the ‘98 and the ‘95 exceeding most guests’ expectations. 1998 had a lovely brooding savory quality to it, yet because of Jeremy’s dad Jacques’ light touch and inclusion of whole clusters, the wine had a balancing effect of very light body and tremendous aromatic complexity.
The 1995 was my wine of the night, classic Dujac spicy nose, salty mineral notes throughout, very light in color and body yet superbly long on the palate. Truly an expression of mastery.
The Menu and Wine Line Up
Razor clam tostada, white bean puree, calabrian chilies and lime zest
Domaine Dujac, Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Monts Luisants 2014 en magnum
Domaine Dujac, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières 2014 en magnum
Domaine Dujac, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes 2014
Grilled prawns, foie gras and house furikake
Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2017
Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2015
Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2014
Wild caught turbot, nantua sauce and grilled spring onions
Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2012
Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2010
Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2008
Roasted squab, braised and spiced red cabbage
Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2005
Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2002
Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 1999
Black truffle stuffed lamb chop with black pepper and comte cheese potato gratin, lamb jus
Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 1998
Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 1995
Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 1990
Mignardise
Orange and raspberry mignardise
