Domaine Dubois
THE WINE
Maximum allocation: 4 cases (2 of each). Next option available: March 2009. Vineyard code: XDUBO
About The Vineyards
We have been rather wary of the tag 'flying winemaker' ever since a chance encounter with one in a large Bordeaux winery some years ago. We were being shown round by the manager, who was expecting this flying winemaker to work miracles in their cellars. This sounded impressive (most miracles are) and indeed we had already seen the new stainless steel vats glinting in the sunshine outside. Inside there was evidence of deforestation on a large scale - hundreds of new oak barrels. We heard the noise of honest toil (loud swearing actually) and at the other side of the former forest we were introduced to the aforementioned flying winemaker.
Greg was large, Australian and only partly dressed. He had a very nice tan and a very large monkey wrench, which he was brandishing alarmingly. Greg, a 22-year old wine student, was a flying winemaker - and he was in charge. We learnt a lot from Greg, including the fact that the French were idle so-and-so's who hadn't a clue how to make decent wine. If our guide understood Greg's English he didn't take offence - mind you Greg was still holding the monkey wrench.
This story has little relevance to Domaine Dubois, save that Béatrice Dubois is also a flying winemaker and regularly jets off to help make wine in Chile - and Australia! There the resemblance ends. We were introduced to Béatrice and her brother Raphaël by a friend who lives in Burgundy and it was only after meeting them for the first time that we learnt that Raphaël is also a friend of Jean-Michel Jacob, our winemaker from Échevronne.
This was our first domaine in the Côte de Nuits in Burgundy, situated in the village of Premeaux-Prissey between Beaune and Nuits-Saint-Georges and Béatrice and Raphaël are now taking over the running of this family domaine from their father Régis. They are making two wines for Partners - a Nuits-St-Georges and a Côte de Nuits-Villages - both red burgundies and both exclusive cuvées. Béatrice and Raphaël both speak English, but it will normally be Raphaël who will look after Partners.