Our visit to Burgundy to taste the 2016 vintage at Louis Jadot was even more illustrative than before, in terms of the depth and breadth of their vineyard holdings. We tasted close to 50 Premier and Grand Cru wines from barrel, but the vineyard holdings number considerably more. There are few – if any –Burgundian houses that have this reach, benefitting from impressive sites across the region, as well as thoughtful and skilled winemaking from Frédéric Barnier.
The original estate began in the 1820s when its namesake, Louis Jadot, purchased the vineyard of Beaune Clos des Ursules. The Jadot family sold the business in 1985 to their US importer who, along with President Pierre-Henri Gagey, have overseen further upward shifts in both quality and fortunes. Hardly coincidentally, the last twenty years have also seen a return to traditional farming, rejecting the use of chemicals in the vineyards, and gentler extraction and fermentation techniques in the cellars.
Overall, more than 200 different wines are produced, from humble Mâconnais to the Grand Crus Clos Saint-Denis and Musigny. Just as striking is the amount of vineyard land that they own and/or control, over 200 hectares – something that is impressive for any region, but remarkable by Burgundian standards, where the average holding is approximately 2.5 hectares.
While the regional and villages wines can offer excellent value, it is with the Premier and Grand Crus that the interest really lies. Our range concentrates on wines from Jadot’s own vineyards, split between Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot (the original holdings from when Louis Jadot first established the company) and Domaine Louis Jadot. The remaining wines were made from grapes grown on vineyards belonging to families with whom Jadot has had long-term partnerships (as well as exclusive access). Indeed, they have farmed the vineyards of Domaine Gagey and Domaine Duc de Magenta for several decades.
Duc de Magenta, Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot Clos de la Chapelle 2016
Elegant aromas of red and green apples, lemon and thyme on the nose lead into a fine, fresh palate that is lifted by lingering citrus acidity. The appeal here lies in the bright, lively fruit and lucid structure and in a wine which will drink well from release and for up to five years thereafter. Drink 2018 to 2023
£280 per six bottles in bond
Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Folatières 2016
Sublime citrus notes and a touch of almond are followed by a firm structure on the palate that suggests long-term keeping. This displays significant intensity of fruit, with typical lemon and lime character, mid-weight body and the very long finish associated with the best of wines from Puligny-Montrachet. Drink 2019 to 2028
£320 per six bottles in bond
Domaine Louis Jadot, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2016
Initially restrained and delicate, the open-natured fruit, along with some almond and a touch of vanilla from ageing in fine-grained French oak begin to reveal themselves. The palate shows a touch of spice but is remarkable for its harmony even at this very early stage. Drink 2020 to 2029
£1,300 per six bottles in bond - SOLD OUT
Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot, Beaune Premier Cru Grèves 2016
Elegant cherry notes and a touch of lavender define the nose here. The palate shows a ripe, fresh red fruit vibrancy yet also conveys the richness typical of the Grèves vineyard and clearly possesses the structure to age while at the same time benefitting from the harmonious appeal of the 2016 vintage. Drink 2018 to 2026
£165 per six bottles in bond
Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot, Beaune Premier Cru Clos des Ursules 2016
This Clos des Ursules 2016 did not disappoint, with its delightful red and black fruit core. The palate has a rich, almost sumptuous texture more typical of the Côte de Nuits than the Côte de Beaune perhaps. There is fascinating complexity in this wine, with a hint of the gamier, spicier, earthier character that can intensify over time. An excellent balance of fruit concentration is offset by tannins that are ripe and accessible and which are sufficiently structuring to suggest good ageing potential. Drink 2019 to 2030.
£260 per six bottles in bond
Louis Jadot, Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Suchots 2016
Immediately appealing on the nose, this Suchots shows red fruits as well as subtle hints of blueberry and cassis. This fruit carries through to a full-bodied palate, held in check by gentle but persistent tannins and a fine thread of mineral freshness. Excellent balance, good red fruit intensity and a touch of complexity from herb, blueberry and spice combine in a very fine Premier Cru. Drink 2018 to 2029
£480 per six bottles in bond - SOLD OUT
Domaine Louis Jadot, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Clos Saint Jacques 2016
The nose here is typically intense, with a brooding, dark-fruit quality. On the palate there is a firmness that bodes well for the future. While the initial notes on the nose are of scented fruit, these are followed by an intriguing mix of spice, game, and woodsmoke. All the components are in place for the promise of intriguing complexity to follow with this impressive wine. Drink 2021 to 2034
£695 per six bottles in bond - SOLD OUT
Domaine Louis Jadot, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2016
Jadot’s Vougeot, from 40-year old vines in the heart of the Clos, tends towards the more elegant rather than the fuller, powerful style that can emerge from elsewhere in this Grand Cru. The 2016 is no exception, displaying fresh, pure, bright raspberry and strawberry fruit on the nose. More intricate, earthier, spicier aspects are evident on the palate and are supported by a fine-textured tannin structure. Drink 2020 to 2033.
£595 per six bottles in bond - SOLD OUT
Domaine Louis Jadot, Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru 2016
An almost ethereal fragrance of red berry fruit of great purity leads into a palate that reaffirms this refined, elegant and poised example. This is a wine all about purity and finesse held together by a long, fine, mineral persistence. Drink 2020 to 2033.
£810 per six bottles in bond
Louis Jadot, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2016
Jadot’s Clos de la Roche 2016 has a lifted nose of wild strawberries, herb and garrigue, along with darker cassis and meatier notes. The palate is full and concentrated with ripe tannins of great power and presence providing the structure to support the vibrant fruit core over a long future. Drink 2021 to 2034.
£850 per six bottles in bond
Domaine Gagey, Clos Saint Denis Grand Cru 2016
This shows all the pure blue and black fruit typical of Clos Saint Denis but with a taut, restrained palate that will take time to open and mellow. The concentrated yet fresh and multi-layered core of fruit is supported by a full, firm tannin structure which should see this develop considerable complexity. The finish is long with spice and dark berry fruit along with firm, ripe tannins and tautly expressed mineral persistence. Drink 2022 to 2040.
£1,350 per six bottles in bond
Domaine Louis Jadot, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru 2016
A powerful, scented wine of lingering black fruits on the nose becomes a succulent palate of intense fruit that is deep, concentrated and pure. In tandem with this robust power there is a sense of refinement and freshness. The tannins here are compact and encase the fruit core suggesting a wine of great longevity and beguiling complexity. A great Bonnes Mares. Drink 2022 to 2042.
£695 per three bottles in bond - SOLD OUT
Domaine Louis Jadot, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru 2016
Pure, vivid fruit and a notable sense of energy light up this Clos de Bèze. The freshness and fragrance on the nose are followed by an altogether more powerful palate. The vibrancy and fresh fruit quality of the 2016 vintage is very much on show here, as is the vintage’s ability to showcase the typicity and complexity of the specific vineyard, with all the mineral power and presence of Bèze clear to see. Drink 2024 to 2043.
£795 per three bottles in bond - SOLD OUT