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What’s In
A Name?
Look No
Further Than Maison Louis Jadot
Founded
in 1859, Maison Louis Jadot is one of the most highly regarded propriétaires in
Burgundy, with ownership of more than 175 acres of vineyards in the Côte de
Nuits and Côte de Beaune. Louis Jadot has forged an impeccable reputation
in the Côte d'Or for making wines that achieve the purest expression of
terroir. Each of the new single vineyard crus shows the character of its
growth area, and more profoundly, of its own unique microclimate, revealing the
delicate balance between soil, exposure, and grape variety, which Maison Louis
Jadot strives for in all of its wines.
In
choosing each site, Maison Louis Jadot looked to history, tradition and
nature. The single vineyard wines are from six vineyard sites and four
crus in Beaujolais. The reds, made from Gamay, consist of Château des
Jacques (Moulin-à-Vent), Domaine du Monnet (Brouilly), Château de Poncié
(Fleurie), and Château de Bellevue (Morgon). The two whites, both
Chardonnay, are from Grand Clos de Loyse, a vineyard site owned by Château des
Jacques, and Domaine de la Chapelle aux Loups, a Saint-Véran from
Mâconnais.
Maison
Louis Jadot owns Château des Jacques, a magnificent 67-acre property in
Moulin-à-Vent. Château des Jacques has long defended a traditional
approach to winemaking in Beaujolais, drawing admiration for the depth and
longevity of its wines, matured in oak cask, and showing the true character of
their clos in Moulin-à-Vent.
Mention Beaujolais to a wine lover and images of fresh,
exuberant wines bursting with fruit immediately come to mind. The charm
of the wines is echoed in the beauty of Beaujolais' winding roads, which
meander through sloping hills and fields, planted with vines as far as the eye
can see. Explore the heart of Beaujolais a little deeper however, and you
will discover the ten crus, or 'growths' which boldly define their individual
place names with as much authority and personality as their northern cousins,
the wines of the Côte d' Or.
Maison
Louis Jadot looks even further into the heart of Beaujolais, to unearth its
most precious gems, the single vineyard crus. The granite hills of
southern Burgundy shelter exquisite vineyards. Unsuited to Pinot Noir,
these soils yield the finest expression of Gamay, the sole red grape variety of
Beaujolais, as well as Chardonnay. Maison Louis Jadot has selected six of
these domaines for their new Single Vineyard Crus of Beaujolais and
Mâconnais.
Inspired
by the fine example of Château des Jacques, all of the wines clearly trace
their origins to their native soils. And, each wine is a tribute to the
generations who have come before, to the growers and vintners who first
cultivated the vines on these majestic domaines and châteaux, and whose
heritage Maison Louis Jadot brings forth again.
We
sampled six wines (all of the 2002 harvest) and found them all outstanding
examples. They also are relative bargains, with a suggested retail price of
$16, except for the elite Moulin-a-Vent
coming in at $18. Of the reds, Chateau Des Jacques, Moulin-à-Vent, was a royal offering and will improve in years to come. Perfect with
grilled meats, full-flavored seafood and medium-soft cheeses, it is a fine
stand-in companion, whenever a Burgundy or light Pinot Noir is appropriate.
Details follow. They are all imported by Kobrand Corporation.
|
Chateau Des Jacques
|
Moulin-à-Vent's
distinctive, elegant style and ability to age well engender frequent
comparisons to great Burgundies.
First among the crus of
Beaujolais, Moulin-à-Vent is named for a windmill situated on the summit of a
low granite hill overlooking the historic town of Les Thorins.
Moulin-à-Vent spans 1,730 acres, planted almost entirely to Gamay. A vein
of manganese runs though the unique, crystalline granite soils of the cru, imparting
a particularly intense bouquet and flavor to the wines. More than any
other cru of Beaujolais, Moulin-à-Vent's distinctive, elegant style and ability
to age well engender frequent comparisons to great Burgundies.
In November 1996, Maison
Louis Jadot acquired the renowned cellars and vineyards of Château des Jacques,
a beautiful 67-acre estate in Moulin-à-Vent. Most of the estate is
planted with Gamay, in five parcels, or 'clos', with south and southeastern
exposure, the notable exception being Grand Clos de Loyse, a separate 22-acre
domaine planted to Chardonnay. q Many leading critics have noted
that these wines truly express the character of each clos. Robert
Parker has said that the greatest Moulin-à-Vent he ever tasted came from
Château des Jacques.
An impeccable state of the
art fermentation room is housed directly beneath the château. Château des
Jacques practices a traditional vinification, characterized by a delicate crush
to split the grapes, de-stemming of 60% to 80% of the harvest, and a 10 to 12
day fermentation in partially sealed vats. The goal is to achieve the
fullest expression of the fruit and terroir in the finished wine. A large
part of the harvest is aged in oak barrels, made of the finest wood. The
wine is estate-bottled and rests for a minimum of ten months in the historic
cellars, located beneath the château grounds and park. Combining great
harmony, fullness and structure with the rich flavors of the cru, Château des
Jacques will improve for six to ten years in bottle, far longer than most
Beaujolais.
Domaine
du Monnet is a masterful Brouilly. Round and soft, I love it paired with cold
salmon, hamburgers or meatloaf or a hard cheese like Parmesan.
|
Domaine du Monnet
|
The same family of growers
has passed Domaine du Monnet down from father to son through the generations to
the current owners.
Brouilly produces more wine
than any other cru in Beaujolais. Its vineyards are planted on 2,965
acres of granite soil, and yield approximately 73,000 hectoliters of wine
annually. Available in plentiful supply, Brouilly produces full-fruited and entirely
appealing wines, wholly deserving of their elevated status as a Beaujolais
cru.
Domaine du Monnet is an
exclusive, 37-acre property situated in the commune of St. Etienne la Varenne,
planted with older vines averaging 45 years of age. All the vines are
located in the Brouilly appellation, in two vineyards, Le Monnet and La Roche,
both with prime southeast exposure. The finely textured, sandy granite
soil is rich in copper, which reacts with the plant matter to impart a certain
mellow quality to the wines, capable of realizing great bursts of flavors, such
as blackberry and plum.
The original property
pre-dates the French Revolution. Harvest journals allow us to trace the
history of the domaine, from the aftermath of the Revolution and the wars of
the Empire which deprived the domaine of labor, leaving it in disrepair,
through an era of prosperity and replanting in the 19th century, up to the
present day. Remarkably, the same family of growers, the Bonnefonts, has passed
the domaine down from father to son through the generations to the current
owners. In 1857, Mr. Benoit Bonnefont erected a "Croix du Fer"
(Iron Cross) at the entrance to his vineyards; a local landmark, the cross
still stands at the curve of the road between Le Monnet and La Roche.
The grapes are manually
harvested. Domaine du Monnet produces rich and textured wines in the
purest Beaujolais style, with respect for the intactness of the grape cluster,
and practices an extended maceration of 12 to 20 days, which ensures a maximum
extraction of color and tannins in the finished wine.
Fleurie has been described as the most
feminine of the crus Beaujolais. If complex fruit and an elegant, silky texture
add up to femininity, Château de
Poncié is a lady all the way! Great with roast chicken, veal and goat cheese.
|
Château de Poncié
|
Fleurie is the most
feminine of the crus of Beaujolais, characterized by complex fruit and floral
aromas, and an elegant, silky texture. The wines of Château de Poncié are among
the most textured of the Fleurie appellation, revealing a depth of character at
once reminiscent of Moulin-à-Vent, but without the weight and tannins.
Most striking in the wines are their sublime floral aromas, of rose petals,
iris, and violets.
Château de Poncié is
situated on the southern and western sides of the village of Fleurie,
accounting for 109 acres of the cru's total 2038 acres. The homogeneous
granite soils in this area of Beaujolais have very thin top soil, and appear to
be salmon-colored in places where the crystalline rock of the subsoil is flush
with the surface. The principal growing areas of Chateau de Poncié are Au
Moriers, Montgenas, and Poncié, proper.
During the 16th Century,
the Domaine de Poncié was part of the Châtellerie of Juliénas and belonged to a
Mr. Perrachon de Senozan, Esquire. Today, 55 acres of the estate, about
half in all, are used to grow grapes, with the remaining acreage devoted to
farming. The grapes are manually harvested, and fermentation takes place
in a huge traditional cuvage, using open wood and stainless steel vats.
Château de Poncié practices a true Beaujolaise vinification, with respect for
the intactness of the grape cluster, and an extended semi-carbonic maceration
of 12 to 20 days. The wine undergoes judicious aging in oak cask for an
average eight to ten months.
Last
but certainly not least, Château de Bellevue, a Morgon, requires some years
to develop, due to its soil, rich in manganese. Always well balanced and
fruity, it goes perfectly with lamb, pasta dishes and blue cheeses.
|
Château de Bellevue
|
"Ce vin morgonne"
refers to a robust, generous style, and a heady bouquet of wild cherries which
sets the wine of Morgon apart among the Beaujolais crus.
The Morgon character is so
distinctive that one frequently hears the cru referenced as a verb; the phrase
"ce vin morgonne" among tasters refers to a robust, generous style,
and a heady bouquet of wild cherries which sets the wine of Morgon apart among
the Beaujolais crus. Situated on 2,718 acres of schist granite soil,
Morgon has an ample annual production of 64,000 hectoliters, second only to
Brouilly among the crus of Beaujolais. Like Moulin-à-Vent, the
Morgon soil is rich in manganese, which bonds with the live plant matter in the
soil to lend the wines density and vigor, and also makes them slower to
evolve.
Château de Bellevue's
vineyards extend over 148 acres, 82 of which are on the southern and
southeastern slopes above the village of Villié-Morgon. The vineyards are
divided into Côte de Py, les Charmes, Roche Noire and Bellevue, proper, and
yield a very stylized Morgon. The wine is deep garnet in color, almost
tactile to taste, with intense aromas of cherry and apricot.
The grapes are manually
harvested. Château de Bellevue practices a traditional Beaujolaise
vinification, with respect for the intactness of the grape cluster. The
wines also undergo an extended maceration of 12 to 20 days, almost three times
the period normally practiced for village Beaujolais, resulting in maximum
extraction of color and tannins. The result is a fine, well-balanced
wine, ready to be consumed by the spring following the harvest. It is at
its best, however, after two years in bottle.
Next Issue, Two Single Vineyard
Chardonnays from Kobrand.
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