Sigfried Pic from Maison Louis Jadot presents a selection of wines
Early after the harvest 2011 in Burgundy the wines were said to be of mixed quality, some outstanding, others of more modest quality. What is assessment today? BKWine recently had the opportunity to taste a range of wines from 2011 from the big Burgundy producer Louis Jadot together with their export manager Sigfried Pic. BKWine’s Roland Eriksson tastes and reports.
Louis Jadot, founded in 1859, is one of Burgundy’s bigger producers with over 150 different wines on offer, in all price ranges. Everything from communal wines for 10-15 euros up to 400 euros for the most exclusive grand cru wines. Jadot owns vineyards throughout Burgundy but they also buy grapes from selected growers. Today they are expanding substantially in the Beaujolais area, which has an undeservedly bad reputation due to the often uninteresting and acidic plonk sold as Beaujolais Nouveau. Jadot is instead investing in “cru” vineyards in Moulin-à-Vent and Morgon where the gamay grape really comes into its own with powerful wines that can be aged for many years.
Many wines from Jadot are made in large volumes, but for some smaller cru denominations they only produces 600-800 bottles! In charge of the quality of the production since 1970 is chief winemaker Jacques Lardière. The goal is that every vineyard shall express its own character, that of the soil and location, and not a “Jadot style”.
After the two great vintages of 2009 and 2010, 2011 began with early flowering and fairly dry weather, resulting in rather small grapes that ripened quickly so that the harvest could begin in early September. 2011 yielded a relatively small harvest with grapes with more acidity and tighter wines than the previous two years. A friend who last spring tasted through a lot barrel samples from 2012, told me that he was impressed and that this will be the next great year in Burgundy.
But now we shall see what 2011 and Jadot has to offer.
Saint Veran 2011
Pale yellow colour.
Young, tight, mineral-rich aroma, with hints of citrus and tropical fruit.
The palate is medium bodied, quite dry, with crisp acidity, mineral and pretty good length.
78p
Savigny les Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Guettes Domaine Gagey 2011
Pale yellow colour.
Young, medium weight on the nose, with notes of citrus, tropical fruit, mineral and toasted barrel.
The taste is quite full, with hints of citrus, tropical fruit and minerals, long.
82p.
Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières Domain Louis Jadot 2011
Yellow.
Young, big nose, mineral, mango, citrus and barrel.
The taste is full-bodied and concentrated with notes of citrus and toasted barrel, good length.
85p.
Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Referts, Domain Louis Jadot 2011
Yellow.
Young, medium nose, with citrus, grapefruit and mango.
Quite full-bodied, with tropical fruit, citrus and mineral, long.
84P.
Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot 2011
Yellow.
Young, medium nose, slightly closed, elegant bouquet, with minerals and citrus.
On the palate it is young, quite full-bodied, very fresh acidity and elegant, with good balanced acidity, mineral and length.
Does not currently show its true self; needs ageing.
85p.
Beaujolais Villages ” Combe aux Jacques ” 2011
Blue-purple colour.
The nose is young, jammy with berries, with hints of wild strawberry and (regular) strawberry.
The taste is young, medium-bodied and fairly light-bodied with some berries.
77p.
Chateau des Jacques Moulin-à-Vent 2011
Blue-purple colour.
Young, medium nose, with very wild raspberries and red berries.
The flavour is quite full-bodied, with wild raspberries, blackberries and a slight barrel character.
81P.
Chateau des Jacques Moulin-à-Vent Clos du Grand Carquelin 2011
Bluish-red colour.
Young, medium-weight nose, with strawberries, blueberries and a little barrel character.
The taste is young, medium-bodied, with strawberry, raspberry, red berries and a little barrel character.
82p.
Beaune 1er Cru “Les Toussaints” Domaine Gagey 2011
Bluish red colour.
Young, quite big, red fruit fragrance, with hints of barrel, pepper and minerals.
The palate is medium bodied, red fruits, with notes of barrels, raspberry and minerality, good length.
82p.
Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Couchereaux Domain des Héritiers Louis Jadot 2011
Bluish red colour.
Young, medium nose and red fruit fragrance, with wild raspberries, some barrels and bay leaf.
The palate is medium-bodied, quite concentrated, red fruits, with wild raspberries, bay leaves and a balanced barrels.
84p.
Gevrey Chambertin Combe aux Moines 1er Cru Domaine Louis Jadot 2011
Bluish red colour.
Young, big, floral and red fruit fragrance, with wild raspberries, blackberries and barrels.
The taste is young, medium-bodied, red fruits and berries, with wild raspberries, minerals, barrel notes and good length.
85p.
Echezeaux Grand Cru Domaine Gagey 2011
Bluish red colour.
Young, medium nose, spicy, red fruit fragrance, with wild raspberries, barrels and minerals.
The taste is quite full-bodied, red fruits, quite spicy, with wild raspberries, cherries and a little barrel character, very good length.
Should be aged.
86p.
Clos Vougeot Grand Cru Domaine Louis Jadot 2011
Bluish red colour.
Young, pretty big and spicy, red fruits aroma, with wild raspberries, blackberries and mint.
The flavour is rich and full-bodied, red fruits and spicy, with wild raspberries, good barrel character and mint, long.
Should be stored.
87p.
Bonnes Mares Grand Cru Domaine Louis Jadot 2011
Bluish red colour.
Young powerful nose, red and sweet fruits, with wild raspberries, barrels and minerals.
The taste is quite full-bodied, red fruits, with wild raspberries, red berries, bay leaves, minerals and nice barrel character, long.
Should be aged.
87p.
Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru Domain Louis Jadot 2011
Bluish red colour.
Young, quite big, red fruits and elegant aromas, with wild raspberries, lingonberries, a slight smokiness and toasted barrel.
The taste is quite full-bodied, elegant, red fruits, with wild raspberries, mineral, very well balanced and concentrated and nice barrel character, long.
Should be aged.
90p.
The tasting was arranged by the importer VinUnic over a lunch in PA & Co’s cozy dining room at Östermalm. Sigfried Pic, the export manager, presented the wines in connection with an excellent lunch where we tasted only a portion of what the Burgundy firm Louis Jadot has to offer from the vintage 2011.
Roland Eriksson writes on BKWine Magazine on wine tastings with wine merchants and importers in Sweden. Roland is the author of a book on cognac (A Handbook: Cognac, 2007, published in Swedish) and one on rum as well as one on tea.
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Another way to get a good insight into the quality of the vintages in Burgundy is to go there: you will taste many vintages and wines at the vineyards on a wine tour to Burgundy with BKWine.
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