Wine Advisor
Louis Jadot, Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St Jacques 2016
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2016 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has a very seductive, candied bouquet with pure blueberries and red cherry fruit under a veneer of vanillary new oak that seems in sync with the fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy ripe tannins, well-judged acidity, smooth in texture, but you might argue, missing the mineral tension on the finish compared to others. It is a very competent Clos Saint-Jacques albeit not the most memorable. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(the crop was reduced 30% by the frost): Bright, full, dark red. Some very ripe notes to the aromas of cherry, raspberry coulis, strawberry and smoky minerals (technical director Barnier believes that Jadot was the last of the five owners of Clos Saint-Jacques to harvest in 2016). A step up in creaminess of texture from the foregoing Gevrey premier crus, but with terrific precision and acidity for all its density and richness. This very deep Clos Saint-Jacques conveys a restrained sweetness and lovely inner-mouth floral lift. Best today on the very long, rising finish, which features noble tannins and subtle notes of rose petal and tobacco.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Blackberries and ripe strawberries with lemon rind and rose petals, following through to a full body and dense, powerful tannins, which are, nonetheless, ripe and mature. Wonderful richness and density at the finish. Solid as a rock. Try after 2022.
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.