Lucien Jacob – 2020

2.8.2022billn

Jean-Michel Jacob 2022 - Domaine Lucien JacobTasted 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…

2018 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru
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…

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