I have always been impressed by the consistency, right across the range, of Burgundy wines and Beaujolais from Louis Jadot. They are good, often very good, and though seldom the very best wines of their appellation are always fair and typical expressions of it and of their vintage. They are also easy to find in the UK – distributed in the major supermarkets and Majestic, as well as high-end independents.Their entry levels are benchmarks for Burgundy – excellently made and true to type.
My account of a visit to the cellars in Beaune in June is in today’s Journal
I tasted the following wines with Dominique Mounier, Jadot’s general manager.
Macon Villages 2010
Clean, melony Chardonnay, vinified in stainless steel. Crisply, citrus and fresh with some concentration of fruit.
Bourgogne Chardonnay 2009
Richer and nuttier than the Macon, with lemony fruit and fresh acidity – a blend of Cote d’Or and Maconnais fruit, very well put together.
Saint Aubin 2007 (Blanc)
Surprisingly floral, the ripe fruit is well supported by just enough oak. It has tangy acidity and a little minerality – a very attractive wine.
Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot 2001 (Blanc)
Now quite a deep gold, this is a big, soft and quite powerful wine, and just a little oxidative, with a smell of walnuts. Again it’s oxidative on the palate, rich and a little bitter/phenolic. I don’t think it will improve. I asked Dominique Mounier if sulphur levels have been diminished in recent years – a moot question in Burgundy. He told me that they have been increased at Jadot and attempted to put me in my place by adding that most wine writers have recognised the folly of too low sulphur levels … I am obviously not in the mainstream.
Beaujolais Villages 2010
‘We believe in Beaujolais’ affirms Mounier and this is a fine result: full of bright, crunchy red cherry fruit with a hint of something darker and more concentrated.
Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2008
Not too deep, but beautifully perfumed and with nicely balanced redcurrant and raspberry fruit – a very good effort.
Nuits Saint Georges Premier Cru, Aux Boudots, 2005
From a superb site, on the border with Vosne-Romanée, this has something of the exciting perfume of its neighbour – violets with ripe black fruit. It is splendidly complex and rich, with lingering silky tannins.
Corton-Les Pougets Grand Cru 1999
Fabulous aroma of bitter cherries in alcohol with darker fruit underneath; rich, still quite chewy and powerful, it seems young. A great mouthful of fruit, long and fine, Jadot at its very best.
