Wine Advisor
Louis Jadot, Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St Jacques 2009
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2009 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques bursts from the glass with dark red fruit in an exciting, viscerally thrilling style that captures the personality of the vintage. The wine is beginning to shut down and will require patience, but it should be pretty spectacular when it emerges from its slumber. Layers of fruit build to the sensual, totally inviting finish.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2009 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques is a silky, elegant wine. Crushed flowers, berries and sweet spices are woven together in a fabric of inimitable class. This is an understated, slightly ethereal wine that can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring. The finish is round and harmonious.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Saturated medium red. Black cherry, violet and some caramel oak high tones on the nose. Sweet, dense and floral, with a rather strong oakiness in spite of the fact that this is aging in just 30% new barrels. Best today on the very broad, sweet back end, which features suave tannins and excellent length. From a second barrel: More espresso but less caramel on the nose. Juicy and imploded in the mouth, with lovely perfume to the tangy cherry and raspberry flavors. A dense, saline wine with terrific energy and length. I'd like to taste this side by side with the 2008 in a few years. My score is for the second sample.
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.
