For wine lovers, Burgundy can conjure up a wide spectrum of notions ranging from reverence to pretention, and for many, utter confusion. It is a region that has its own parameters and identifiers that are complicated, but reward those that are patient with some of the most sought-after wines in the world. Maison Louis Jadot is a Burgundian winery that can be relied on year after year for producing consistently high-quality wines, many of which are accessible to those without a collector’s budget.
Maison Louis Jadot is the first winery we visited on our recent trip to Burgundy, and it was the perfect place to start to get a sense of the history and development of the region. Pierrick Prevost greeted us warmly and immediately we began our crash course on one of Burgundy’s largest winery estates.
The story of Maison Jadot begins in 1859 and was guided by 3 generations between then and 1962.
Louis Henri Jadot inherited a small plot of land and decided to build a negociant business to be able to purchase grapes and sell wine. He sold his wines throughout the Northern European markets but understood early that acquiring vineyards would be the key to successful growth and longevity.
After Louis Henri’s death, his son Louis Baptiste Jadot took over the family business. Louis Baptiste extended the Maison’s exports throughout Europe and worked on acquiring Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards in the renown Côte d’Or.
In 1939, Louis Baptiste passed away and his son Louis Auguste took the helm.
He expanded exports beyond Europe to the USA, New Zealand, and South America and bolstered their vineyard holdings. Louis Baptiste had no children and in 1954 brought on André Gagey as his assistant. 8 years later Louis Baptiste died, and André was appointed Managing Director to look after purchasing fruit, wine production, and maintaining the vineyards, while Louis’ wife remained the owner in charge of the Maison’s business decisions.
In 1970, a young oenology student by the name of Jacques Lardière was hired to assist with the winemaking and spent the next 3 decades solidifying the high-quality reputation of the Maison. In 1984, André Gagey’s son, Pierre-Henry Gagey joined Jadot and a year later the business was sold to Kobrand, the exclusive US importer of Maison Louis Jadot wines since 1945. Pierre-Henry was appointed President in 1991, and in 2012 Jaques Lardiere retired as one of the most respected winemakers in Burgundy.
In 2013, Maison Louis Jadot purchased property and started making Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, under the Résonance label. Earlier this year it expanded its presence there acquiring the Koosah vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. We had the fortunate opportunity to visit the stunning property in April and are excited to see how it develops in the hands of winemaker Guillaume Large (Jadot’s former cellar master now in charge of its Oregon Résonance project).
Stepping into the winery in Beaune, we were immediately struck by how modern it was given the long and storied history of Maison Louis Jadot.
Pierrick, seeing the look of surprise on our faces, explained that the basis behind Jadot’s vinification is a balance of tradition and technology and, as a result, the process is consistent across all its wines, “we produce quality wines first, and our wines must reflect the soil. We want to express Burgundy in our wines so we are very hands off with the winemaking, very neutral with the oak. We believe in taking a step back and letting the wine do its job.”
“Once the grapes come in from harvest and are sorted, they are crushed and de-stemmed, put in the hopper and pushed into a pipeline which pours the juice via gravity flow into selected vats. Fermentation and maceration lasts about 3 weeks before the wine is racked and moved downstairs for ageing.”
All their wines are vinified and aged the same. For the Chardonnay, they crush and press the grapes then move the juice into the stainless-steel tanks for settling to remove the sediment from the juice. The juice is then transferred into oak barrels for the whole vinification process including alcoholic fermentation, malolactic fermentation, and ageing.
Maison Louis Jadot is one of the few wineries operating today that has its own cooperage which allows them to ensure that the quality of the barrel, the amount of toast, and the origin of wood is consistent for all their wines.
How long the wine stays in oak and the amount of new oak used varies by vintage but typically they use only 1/3 new oak. Pierrick tells us that they have always produced wines for ageing, “If you want to understand Burgundy, you need to drink a bottle that is 10, 15 or 20 years old to really understand the qualities of our varieties here.”
More than 160 years since its inception, it is abundantly clear that Maison Louis Jadot’s ardent belief in Terroir and that their wines should always express that essence and the vintage, has held true on both sides of the ocean. Having visited both Louis Jadot in Burgundy and Résonance in Oregon, there’s no question that everyone involved is fully committed to this vision and we can expect the quality and consistency to continue for a long time to come.
Tasting Notes
2019 Jadot Chateaux des Jacques Moulin a Vent
Lots of cherry flavours in this Gamay with a sturdy presence. While the fruit takes centre-stage, the spicy garrigue-like component that provides support also gives a good deal of additional interest. Medium body with a bit of tannin, this is just starting to open.
Very Good+
2019 Jadot Savigny les Beaune
Medium to light red in colour, this wine with a lovely bouquet of floral notes combined with forest floor. On the palate we pick up dark cherry, earth and black pepper. Taught and structured this wine will easily reward patient drinkers with cool cellars as this wine is on the way up.
Very Good+
2018 Jadot Clos de Ursules
With this wine the dials were turned way up! Intense flavours of raspberry and dark cherry pick up support from the mineral, spice and herb undertones resulting in a wine of wonderful complexity. Structured and age-worthy, this would be a wonderful accompaniment to any roasted meat. The finish goes on and on and is punctuated with notes of black pepper.
Excellent+
2017 Jadot Clos Vougeot
Medium cherry notes intermingled with hints of forest floor, earth, raspberry and minerals. The body is medium and is perfectly matched to the level of ripe tannin. This creates near perfect balance which leaves you with an impression of elegance, finesse and power, all beautifully aligned. The finish is long and spice infused. A very special wine that shows the terroir it came from brilliantly.
Excellent+/Extraordinary
2011 Volnay Santenots
As we finished our tasting we were taken back in time to experience how theses wines can age. Medium to dark red in colour, showing cherry and raspberry flavours on the attack. Still quite structured, but with a beautifully soft and engaging mouthfeel, this wine is really in a sweet spot at age 11. The spice, pepper and earthy notes come to the fore with a bit of swirling. Complex and delicious!
Excellent+
T: +33 3 80 26 31 98
*Tours/Tasting by Appointment (€20)
October 26, 2022
Stunning cellars!
October 26, 2022
Indeed…another place for us to visit when we take you there ;)!