Tasted in Beaune with Frédéric Barnier, 29 November, 2022.
Louis Jadot
21 Rue Eugène Spuller
21200 Beaune
Tel: +33 3 80 22 10 57
www.louisjadot.com
More reports with Maison Louis Jadot
Frédéric on 2022:
“If we had this volume every year it would be very good – but it’s not the levels of 18 for instance. The wine could be a little heterogeneous as there were some difficulties in fermentations but lets see. We were just lucky that in March we only had about 5 days of heat before the frost came – if it had been 10 like in 2021, the result would have been the same… We can only work today to try delay the onset of growth in the vines – all the techniques to warm the vines in periods of frost are unstainable…”
Frédéric on 2021:
“21 has a certain style that’s lighter – they are gracious wines. At least that’s the positive – they have the quality to offset the very low volumes. We saw very classic fermentations – the vines had some fragility after the frost – hence the mildew etcetera – we ended up with various generations of grapes on the vines – so we chose to triage strongly, despite an already low volume. We couldn’t make all the whites due to the lower volumes – the higher parcel (Ez Richard) in Folatières for instance. We also decided to buy some small tanks to vinify some of the reds – Musigny for example – including a small press. Generally, the juice was nice and clean the acidity was important in the whites but not particularly in the reds. In terms of the character of the wines, it’s still the character of a warmer year than a cooler wet one. The malos in recent years have been finished before Christmas but not this year a) because the harvest was later and b) because there was quite a lot of malic acid – so not much was done before the Springtime. This is a vintage where the wines were ‘constructed’ in their elevage.”
The wines…
Such an impressive range in 2021 – and in both colours. Perhaps, marginally, the whites take the crown here in 2021 but as in each year, I seem to largely – just one or two who didn’t make the cut in 2021 – find the same wines great.
“I might bottle a few reds before the whites, then the whites before bottling the grand reds – I have time and confidence that I don’t need to bottle earlier:”
2021 Santenay, Clos de la Malte
Silky red fruit nose. Supple, good sucrosity, a modest middle and finishing structure – this will be super in 2-3 years – lovely finishing clarity here.
2021 Prieur-Brunet, Santenay 1er Maladière
5th vintage since Prieur-Brunet purchase, all made in Beaune.
Broader, more floral – directly more attractive. Wide and energetic – a faint grain of tannin but here’s a wine of impressive energetic intensity – another to keep a couple of years before opening!
2021 Chorey-lès-Beaune, Beaumonts
Domaine Gagey
More ample depth and slightly darker red fruit. Rounder but no less energetic – just a mm more cushion than the Santenay(s) – fine and long finishing – that’s a lovely line of fine red fruit. Lovely wine.
2021 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Clos de la Croix de Pierre
Domaine des Heritiers. Of-course from En Caradeaux
A width of aroma with an extra floral, higher one vs the Chorey. Larger in scale with super energy – faintly tannic but always juicy. Broad finishing here. That’s will be delicious wine – but again – wait a couple of years.
2021 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Dominode
Domaine Louis Jadot
Rounder, silkier red fruit aromas – an altogether more sophisticated aromatic. Broad, clean, complex, deliciously complex – long and stony – like cherry stones in the finish. That’s simply excellent wine – with extra potential too.
Domaine Gagey
Versus the Dominode here’s some extra depth to the red fruit – it’s nicely round and pure with evolving florals. Supple fresh, cool-fruited wine. Tons of flavour energy in this one – much more open and demonstrative than the Dominode today – a great Beaune.
Domaine des Heritiers.
A fine width of more complex aroma but in volume just a little tighter. More lithe and fluid – still the cool impression and extra juicy finishing, extra complex finishing too – the finish is more impressive than the Cras today – the rest, not yet – but history suggests that all will come – I expect that this will be a great Beaune too.
2021 Monthelie Sous Roches
A higher-toned red fruit with lovely purity – again! Full of energy here – the acidity seems more present – but then so does the framework of tannin. The finish melts beautifully though – that’s already super. Another wine to keep a while.
2021 Volnay 1er Santenots
Domaine Louis Jadot. A new wine since 2017 via Prieur-Brunet, in Plures
Beautifully floral red fruit – yes! Wide and mouth-watering – ooh that has great character – also a wine for keeping as the tannin frames the flavours but it’s a beauty!
2021 Volnay Clos de la Barre
A more steely and saline width of aroma. Likewise in the mouth – mouth-watering in a more mineral style than with the moreish sucrosity of the Santenots. For keeping longer I think but the broad width of flavour with fine texture is a fine thing in the finish of this wine the length too – for waiting a little longer.
2021 Corton Pougets
Domaine des Heritiers.
A breadth of silky red fruit here. The gas apparent today. Slowly the wine comes into focus, creamy in style but not oaky, an extra depth to the flavour and a little to the texture too. This is broad in the finish – persistent – and whilst there’s structure it is less present than many of the wines here.
2021 Marsannay Le Chapitre
Domaine Gagey.
Ooh – here’s a wine with high-toned, beautiful, clarity – yes! Mineral, open, like the nose with clarity – insistent in the finish – that’s a beauty – super wine.
2021 Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Boudots
Domaine Gagey.
Also higher toned with a slightly darker fruit with a faint spice. Darker fruit in the gflavours too – mouth-filling with sweeping flavour – that’s already a super-attractive wine – one that finished with plenty of floral complexity too – not a powerful wine but certainly an excellent one!
2021 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Baudes
Domaine Gagey.
High-toned red fruit – very nice. A stony style to these flavours, which melt over the palate – there’s an open structure but nothing hard – the flavour becoming very attractively juicy and direct in the fine finishing flavours – Yum!
Domaine Louis Jadot.
More energy here – that’s a wonderful complexity and a clear step up. Framed with some tannic grain these flavours and texture are fluid and always attention-holding – that’s a beautiful CSJ – bravo!
2021 Chapelle-Chambertin
Domaine Louis Jadot. Over 90-year-old vines here.
Extra depth and extra silk. In the mouth too – the step up (again) is clear. I’d like to see a bit more overt complexity and that will surely come – but today this wine is all about depth and texture – even like that, its very, very good.
2021 Clos de Vougeot
Domaine Louis Jadot. At the bottom of the Clos here.
Brighter red-berry complexity. Mouth-filling – here is a more overt structure but also complexity. Clearly a wine for keeping patient with but it has much to offer – I think a potentially excellent wine! The line of finishing flavour is beautiful today.
Domaine Louis Jadot.
Extra complexity, finer higher tones – some florality – this is on a great level. Rounder, more accessible flavours – the structure is less overt here though still present. A top finish – so wide, panoramic even. That could be more than excellent – still, it’s another beauty.
Les Whites…
2021 Ladoix Clou d’Orge
Broad with plenty of creamy oak visible. Mouth-filling with a fine blend of flavour and energy – growing juicier by the minute. Really a nice sucrosity here – this finish is absolutely lovely!
2021 Santenay Clos de la Malte
Domaine Louis Jadot.
Today a more saline width and less expressive. In the mouth though, this has a lot to offer – it’s mouth-filling and with a more mineral energy – calmer than the Ladoix but still juicy. The finishing clarity is very lovely – it’s completely delicious here!
2021 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Clos de la Croix de Pierre
Domaine Louis Jadot.
More vibrant and with a more overt mineral depth. Actually, a little ‘easier’ style in the width vs the Santenay but also with fine juicy citrus complexity. The last drops are again very lovely. Yum!
Domaine Gagey.
A breadth of open freshness here – subtly complex citrus in support. A little more depth and possibly power too. Silky sinuous wine – this fills the mouth with delicious flavour – that’s a super Savigny blanc – bravo!
2021 Beaune 1er Grèves Clos Blanc
Domaine Gagey.
A quieter nose today. In the mouth, we have vibrancy and generosity of flavour – quite silky too – mineral and with more fruit today. This is a wine that always impresses but today is less open in the flavours. I expect that it should be excellent but today I see more the shape than the substance – yet the finish is lovely, deep and sustained…
2021 Meursault Narvaux
Very fine, quite direct, yet also cushioned with some barrel creaminess. Mouth-filling with fine, not excessive, energy – super juicy in the finish – it’s so delicious here – mmmmm….
2021 Meursault 1er Charmes
Domaine Louis Jadot.
A tighter nose – more compact, stonier. There’s more depth and concentration here – clarity and fine texture too. Super finishing width – that’s a beautiful finish – not quite ready for the big time but this is a wine that seems to have everything. I expect that it will certainly be excellent – only the aromas need to come into play…
2021 Meursault 1er Perrières
Here since 2016 chez Domaine Louis Jadot – from the highest parts of the vineyard.
Deeper, faintly with a firework reduction – there’s more to find here today. Supple, concentrated, a wine of muscle and some generosity. More impressive than the Charmes today if less delicious – it only needs time – another simply excellent 2021…
2021 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Abbaye de Morgeot
Tight in the higher tones but with impressive aromatic depth. Ooh – here is an extra element in the flavour – open, complex, modestly mineral but beautifully shaped too. Juicy finishing with a little tannin too. Simply delicious – already! – but wait for the nose, maybe 2 years!
Domaine Duc de Magenta
That’s open and very fine – lovely wine. Here is impact, density too, but also clarity and energy bringing ease of accessibility to this wine. The finish is a blend of silky citrus and higher florals. That’s simply delicious wine today – bravo!
Domaine des Héritiers Jadot. No Ez Richard in the mix this year.
Lots of fresh width plus a faint toast. A certain extra flesh of accessibility here – there’s volume and even a grain of tannin. The finish is just as delicious as the Garenne – I might be tempted to drink the former while waiting for this – but at a pinch, I’d be happy with either – also potentially a great Folatières.
Puligny side
Not just an extra breadth of aroma, clearly there’s more to find too – really impressive aromatics. Mouth-filling, with a modest structure and a framing of the flavours with plenty of tannin. A generous and impressively persistent finish – clearly next level persistence. Bravo wine, excellent Bâtard!
Domaine des Heritiers.
Less large but clearly with an extra perfume of flowers. Large-scale and also framed with tannin but there’s a more seamless quality to this wine today – easy over the palate yet a complete flavour profile – nothing to excess. Too easy? I doubt it – it’s a great and obviously delicious wine!