Wine Advisor
Louis Jadot, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2014
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Bright medium red. A strong element of spicy oak currently overshadows red raspberry, red licorice and minerals on the nose. Slightly liqueur-like but not especially complex, with savory but very oaky red berry fruit flavors dominating. I find this a bit ponderous and lacking in refinement. It's also a touch dry on the finish, as there's not as much supporting mid-palate depth as in the top crus vinified by Jadot from estate vineyards.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(partly vinified with whole clusters):Bright medium red. Aromas of crushed stone, minerals, roast coffee and menthol. Rich, soil-inflected flavors of raspberry and saline minerality. Densely packed and deep but without the floral perfume of the Jadot vinification. Finishes a touch heavy and literal, with building tannins.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2014 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, which comes from three sources, is a little more savory on the nose compared to the Clos Saint Denis, perhaps sans the same level of purity. There is more tertiary notes here, a hint of bacon fat even. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, slightly broader tannin than the Clos Saint Denis that lends it the weight, the presence, albeit without the nervosité or the mineral core expressed by the Clos Saint Denis. Very fine, but I would like to see more nuance develop during the rest of its élevage.
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.
