Wine Advisor
Louis Jadot, Volnay 1er Cru Santenots 2016
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Medium red. Sexy fruit cocktail notes of raspberry and pomegranate are complicated by savory minerality and a whiff of coffee. Nicely ripe and pliant, with its red fruit and spice flavors conveying a relaxed quality despite the fact that 40% of the crop was lost. This rather suave wine finishes with a touch of menthol, ripe tannins and attractive floral persistence. This fruit was picked early, on September 22, but the grower did a very good job sorting, noted Barnier. As Jadot purchased the sizable Domaine Prieur-Brunet last summer, there will be a separate domain bottling of Santenots beginning with the '17, but this négociant version will continue to be made. (My sample of the Volnay en l'Ormeau, a site hard hit by frost, was a bit oxidative as well as quite tannic, and impossible to assess.)
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.