Tasted with Jean-Michel in Échevronne, 31 May 2022.
Domaine Lucien Jacob
11 Pl. de la Mairie
21420 Échevronne
Tel: +33 3 80 21 52 15
www.domainejacob.fr
It was Jean-Michel Jacob’s grandfather who created this 16-hectare domaine in the village of Echeveronne, close to Pernand Vergelesses.
Jean-Michel’s father, Lucien, further enlarged the domaine during the 1960s – he had all the necessary contacts as he was an active local politician – at that time he could have easily purchased chunks of Clos de Vougeot – but it was too far to travel from the domaine’s home!
Jean-Michel has run the domaine with his sister, Chantal, and his wife Christine, since 1994. Jean-Michel recounts “My grandfather had a farm with lots of blackcurrants and raspberries – it did very well in the 1950s, with the produce being sold to perfume factories – around here it was making more money than the grapes. He bought 7 hectares in Savigny that he directly planted with blackcurrants – it was only in the 1970s that it started to become more interesting with vines!” There are blackcurrants now around Citeaux but here there is very little.
Jean-Michel went to wine school in Beaune but then went away for 10 years as he liked to work with animals – even doing stints sheep-sheering, both here and in New Zealand for 5 years – but his father’s political positions didn’t leave enough time for the domaine – which was underperforming. So Jean-Michel came back “And it took me about 10 years to bring it into a better shape – I don’t look for any aggressiveness I want to be able to drink my wines from the start and for them to still be good in 10 years.”
And on 2020?
“I love 20 but the volume was a little down – I accept that because I enjoy the wines!”
The wines…
Wines that are as generous as their maker, Jean-Michel Jacob. There is nothing overblown or over-extracted – simply absolutely delicious wines – it will be worth your time to make the discovery!
A brilliant tour was made:
2021 Bourgogne Aligoté
Freshness, modest citrus. Mouth-filling, a grainy tannin, wide-flavoured – delicious wine!
2021 Savigny-lès-Beaune Blanc
A blend as the volume was so low, so there’s villages and 1er cru from Vergelesses in here
A big punch of freshness. Mouth-filling, super energy – so easy over the palate but with insistent depth and flavour. Simply super.
2020 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Vergelesses
More compact, a more concentrated nose. Mineral but fat, no loss of energy and drinkability. For keeping a little while but you will be rewarded – this is very good.
2021 Rosé
A saignée used to make this wine.
Hmm, a lovely crushed red fruit nose – some fat, but mineral and layered with fine sweet flavour. Simply a delicious, far too easy to drink, wine…
Some reds:
2020 Savigny-lès-Beaune
From Connardises – the grandfather bought 5 ha.
Fresh, darker red – a fine pinot nose. Ooh – wow – this has fat but still silky – supple, mouth-watering – and that’s a very clean finishing wine too. Big wine but never hard – super impressive, excellent villages…
2020 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Peuillets
An extra vibration and complexity of aromatics here. Supple, a little more definition and completeness to this flavour and top texture – bravo – Such a pleasure to drink…
2020 Beaune 1er Toussaints
A fine red core of fruit, slightly graphite mineral. Supple, cool, slightly spiced and structural – I like that – maybe keep this for a couple of years but it’s still eminently drinkable and very, very tasty…
2020 Gevrey-Chambertin
Justice and En Songe
Dark, faintly spiced and an impression of aromatic silk. Mouth-filling, there are some layers to this flavour, good structure, nicely mineral too. Another wine that you could enjoy today but one which will improve. Very good and for only €28 from the domaine (now sold out) that’s a very excellent wine!
A couple of 18s for the road was Plan A…
2018 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Peuillets
Lighter colour. Open, airy – a simply super nose of fine and cushioned red fruit – lovely. The same depth of generous flavour and really good texture – energy and delicious flavour. Super wine…
From Bas Vergelesses
A little deeper nose, almost a little creaminess to add to the perfume too. Fresh attack, broad, properly structured – nothing simple just great PV – bravo!
2017 Savigny-lès-Beaune
A little vibration of red-fruited energy. Really wide, finely mineral, good intensity. Delicious
2017 Beaune 1er Cent Vignes
Also a pale colour. Here the nose a little wilder and more complex. Super dimensions of flavour from this mouth-filling wine. Like all here in a generous style but never ponderous, good energy and very, very drinkable – it’s a great style to have – and what a finish!
2013 Chambolle-Musigny
Fresh of course, elegant, menthol. Direct, energetic, structural wine. A wine of lace and complexity. Give this a bit of air and it will just keep getting better. Strict but just how I like it…
1988 Hautes Côtes de Beaune
Smoky, saline, turned leaves. Still the sweetness of fruit and great colour. I swallowed!
1971 Cote de Nuits Villages
Super fresh, a green but vibrant streak of aroma – very light colour. A still tannic wine – such energy. Despite the nose, here is a properly great finish.
2012 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Vergelesses (Blanc)
Still quite a tight nose. Supple, generous, actually still very young – spreading out over the palate, just adding an extra creamy dimension and getting better and better – a baby. Decant or wait another 3-5 years…