Wine Advisor
Louis Jadot, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru 2016
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(a blend of two-thirds brown soil and one-third white): Full, deep red. Distinctly darker and more medicinal on the nose than the Musigny, hinting at blueberry, blackberry and licorice. Then very ripe and densely packed on the palate, with its flavors of black fruits, medicinal cherry, brown spices and crushed rock lifted by a floral topnote and framed by insidious ripe acidity. Finishes with broad, dusty tannins and terrific lift. This wonderfully savory, super-concentrated Bonnes-Mares is actually remarkably sweet and sexy today, but it's hard to believe that it won't shut down in bottle at some point.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2016 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a light bouquet with fragrant red cherry and strawberry fruit, nicely defined but I would be seeking more vigor, more gumption considering the vineyard. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, elegant and quite feminine, but like the nose it feels like it does not want to go that extra mile and deliver the amplitude you expect from a Bonnes-Mares. The 2015 was outstanding but this feels as if it is resigned to standing in its shadow.
About the Producer
Situated in the heart of Burgundy, Maison Louis Jadot is one of the most prestigious estates representing the spirit of Burgundian wine. It was founded by the Jadot family in 1859 when they bought the Clos des Ursules, a prestigious first growth in the Beaune region. In 1954, the then owner Louis Auguste Jadot asked Andre Gagey to become the winemaker of Château Louis Jadot. In 1984, Madam Jadot transferred the ownership of Château Louis Jadot to the Kopf Family, an American family dedicated to acquiring the finest vineyards, but there was no change in the management of the estate. Pierre-Henry Gagey has been in charge of the estate since 1992. The estate covers 154 hectares of vineyards throughout Burgundy, more than half of which are in the Grand Cru and Grand Cru categories. It is surprising that there are only two winemakers in this large vineyard. The main grape varieties planted in the vineyard are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay. The average age of the vines is between 20 and 80 years. In terms of winemaking, Louisiadour uses grapes from its own vineyards or buys them under contract from the winegrowers, a practice that is rare in other wineries. The barrels are all homemade and a skilled craftsman can make five barrels a day. While oak is usually left for around two years before barrel making, Château Louisiade prefers to wait patiently for an extra year. In their opinion, the barrels made from oak that has been exposed to the elements will not overshadow the aromas of the wine, thus ensuring the high quality of the wine. For Château Louis Jadot, the true essence of winemaking is the ability to interpret the terroir of the region in the wine, not just the careful cultivation of a specific grape variety to produce a wine of great flavour. It is this philosophy that has made Louisiadour synonymous with excellence. Its label, depicting Bacchus, is a symbol of the quality of the wines it produces, whether appellation or grand cru.
