Louis Jadot Burgundy Seminar with Kurt Eckert at WWWB

Wednesday, September 27, 2017 - 08:00 PM

This Event has been read: 2073 times.

Great wines taste like they come from somewhere. Lesser wines taste interchangeable; they could come from anywhere. You can't fake somewhereness. You can't manufacture it ... but when you taste a wine that has it, you know.

MATT KRAMER, Making Sense of Wine

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This sense of somewhereness is most evident in Burgundy and some of the first serious Burgundy tastings that I attended were with the Mason Louis Jadot.  For many years either Jacques Lardière and Pierre-Henry Gagey would come to the South Florida to show a cross section of the newest releases from this great house.  They put over 40 different wines on the table every year and in one day I learned more about burgundy than the rest of the entire year.  This showed me that Burgundy is the ultimate exercise in terroir and how it affects wine.  The same producer, the same varietal and the same vintage- the only thing that is different from one wine to another is the dirt from which they are grown. 
I was disappointed to see Jacques with the 2003 vintage barrel samples in my store in 2004.  I remember it was a difficult year because of the heat and this was also the year that they stopped doing this event in South Florida.  Jacques also indicated that it was a small vintage thus the (375ml) barrel samples and that he would speak with the folks at Kobrand to see if we could set up an event with our Burgundy drinking people to keep them up to date on the quality of the vintage in Burgundy with an abbreviated version of this tasting.
Ask and you shall receive as we have hosted a tasting here at the Wine Watch once a year ever since and this is our second experience with the newly released 2014 vintage from Louis Jadot.
Join us as we experience the last release from Burgundy 2014 and although we have already conducted a barrel tasting of these wines a year ago we never turn down an opportunity to get a second look at an excellent vintage like 2014- especially when wines like Montrachet and Musigny are involved.  We also have one of the world’s foremost experts on the subject of Burgundy and the wines of Louis Jadot Kurt Eckert on hand this evening to guide us through the different terroirs of the golden slopes of the Cotes D’Or. 
This event is limited to 16 tasters and the fee for this tasting is $175 + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.  We have included all the wines from Louis Jadot we have in the store at the end of this offering.

 

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2014 Vintage Louis Jadot Tasting at WWWB with Kurt Eckert
Wednesday, September 27th
8:00pm
Image result for Louis Jadot Santenay 'Clos des Gatsulards' 2014
Louis Jadot Santenay "Clos des Gatsulards" 2014
Regular Price: $51.75 Special Sale $37.50

The Santenay appellation is located to the South of Côte de Beaune. The Gatsulards part is in front of Santenay Clos de Malte, slightly higher: a single vineyard/monopole.  The soil is very stony and steep, rather difficult to work. It is South oriented and therefore warms up very quickly, it is also quite a windy place.

Very nice colour with a shiny touch of ruby.  Aromas of small red berries with some light cherry sapwood and a delicate nose of oak.  The mouth is supple, dynamic and full of minerality due to the stony soil.
Image result for Louis Jadot Volnay 'Clos de la Barre' 1er Cru Monopole 2014
Louis Jadot Volnay "Clos de la Barre" 1er Cru Monopole 2014
Regular Price: $103.50           Sale $69.75

Volnay lies roughly in the centre of the Côte de Beaune, bordered by Pommard to the Northeast, Monthélie to the West and Meursault to the South. The south-easterly exposed vineyards produce only red wines and 26 Premiers Crus.  The soil is extremely thin, chalky, high in calcium and yield the lightest most delicate wines. The strip below, where most of the Premiers Crus are located, is much lower in chalk with a thin iron rich layer covering a strong subsoil.

This is a fruity wine with vanilla and violet aromas, a young Volnay will be perfect with roast meats and poultry.
Image result for Louis Jadot Chambolle Musigny ' Les Amoureuses ' 1er Cru 2014
Louis Jadot Chambolle Musigny " Les Amoureuses " 1er Cru 2014
Regular Price: $407.50           Sale $275

(95 points) "The 2014 Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru les Amoureuses has a more engaging nose than the 2014 Bonnes-Mares at the moment, with vivacious blueberry and raspberry coulis scents, and an underlying mineralité that draws you in. The palate is medium-bodied with crisper tannin than the aforementioned grand cru, fine tension, quite linear in style with a tingle of spice towards the gentle but sophisticated finish. It is a more restrained Amoureuses from Jadot, but one exuding class." Wine Advocate -Neal Martin
Image result for Louis Jadot ' Clos Vougeot Grand Cru' 2014
Louis Jadot " Clos Vougeot Grand Cru" 2014
Regular Price: $233    Sale $159.00

The village of Vougeot is in the centre of the Côte de Nuits, flanked on the north by Chambolle Musigny and on the south by Flagey Echezeaux and Vosne Romanée.  The 50 ha vineyard faces the east. The geological composition ranges from chalky stoney clay, on the higher parts of the slope, to moist, compact soil richer in humus and with fewer stones on the lower slopes.

The Clos-Vougeot is a wine of power and depth which retains an elegant complexity It has a  full fragrant and distinctly floral bouquet.
Image result for Louis Jadot ' Musigny Grand Cru' 2014
Louis Jadot " Musigny Grand Cru" 2014
Regular Price: $988    Sale $649

The grand Cru of Musigny is oriented to the East ; its subsoil is composed with limestone and al great deal of stones, allowing the wine to be very supple.  The altitude of the village is 320 meters.

The Musigny is a very elegant and refined wine with a deep colour but not too much. It is at the same time elegant and well structured.
Image result for Louis Jadot Santenay Clos des Maltes Blanc 2014
Louis Jadot Santenay Clos des Maltes Blanc 2014
Regular Price: $34.50 Sale $24.50

The village of Santenay is located in the southern part of the Côte de Beaune, just after Chassagne Montrachet.  The «Clos de Malte» is a 7 ha "Monopole" (Louis Jadot is the sole owner) situated on the "climat" «Sous la Fée» at the foot of the Montagne des Troix Croix. The Santenay Clos de Malte is mainly planted with Pinot Noir with a small hectare of Chardonnay situated on very damp soil of limestone and clay.

The white Santenay Clos de Malte is a rich and structured wine. It is elegant and fresh, giving off fruity aromas, is lemon-scented and slightly woody.
Image result for Louis Jadot Chassagne Montrachet ' Morgeot '1er Cru 2014
Louis Jadot Chassagne Montrachet " Morgeot "1er Cru 2014
Regular Price: $69.00 Sale $49.75

Situated in the south of the Côte de Beaune, Chassagne Montrachet is one of the 5 villages of the prestigious «Côte de Blancs». Facing east and south-east. Chassagne Montrachet produces 70 hectares of premiers crus
Image result for Louis Jadot Meursault ' Charmes' 1er Cru 2014
Louis Jadot Meursault " Charmes" 1er Cru 2014
Regular Price: $82.50 Sale $59.75

Meursault is the centre of the four communes (Meursault, Blagny, Chassagne and Puligny) comprising that part of the Côte de Beaune known as the «Côte des Blancs»,  named for the quality and predominance of its white wines.   The brown soil is rather deep, made of different layers, above the mother rock.  Les Charmes is East oriented from the bottom of the slope to the mid-slope.

Les Charmes is a complex and well-balanced wine, pure with a nice minerality. It shows a nose of citrus, peaches and hazelnuts.
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Louis Jadot " Le Montrachet Grand Cru " 2014
Regular Price: $764    Sale $495

"Here the almost unbelievably complex nose is notably more restrained than that of the Demoiselles with its pure white rose, lavender, pear and lemon rind suffused nose. There is excellent richness and outstanding size, weight and power to the overtly muscular flavors that are also blessed with an abundance of dry extract that buffers the very firm acid backbone on the explosively long and palate staining finish. This is potentially a monument in the making if it can continue to add depth as it ages and the potential to do so certainly appears to be present.”  Allen Meadows' Burghound

Deconstructed Beef Shortrib Bourguignon image
Menu

Cinnamon clove Carrot Velouté with Black truffle and Epoisses flatbread
Deconstructed Beef Short rib Bourguignon with Caramelized Onion Purree
 Cherry Pie Napoleon white Burgundy Creme Fraiche

The fee for this tasting is $175 + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com

A bit about our host:
KE1
Kurt Eckert has worked as a sommelier in top NYC restaurants, working on the opening team at Jean-Georges and immediately achieving 4 star recognition from the NY Times and 3 stars from the Michelin Guide. In addition to the flagship restaurant, he managed the wine programs at 4 more NYC restaurants in the group and contributed to still more Jean-Georges projects around the world. While managing these wine programs he created his own boutique label for hand-crafted wines, employing classic old-world techniques in the emerging vineyards developed on Long Island. After leaving the restaurant scene in 2002 he became US Brand Director for Champagne Krug, and developed an effective strategy for success in the US market for this reference-point, iconic Champagne brand. The next step was as Director of Fine Wines for Frederick Wildman & Sons, with a renewed emphasis upon Burgundy as well as other prestigious French & Italian producers. Eventually in 2009 Marathon Selections was launched with a highly specialized focus upon emerging small domaines in Burgundy. Having built several of these producers to a level where they were ready for larger and more widespread distribution in the US, it became time to move to the next challenge with Kobrand and the venerable Maison Louis Jadot. Here we find the opportunity to work across nearly the entire range of Burgundian terroirs, with viticulture and winemaking skills which are unparalleled. Authenticity and sense of place assume center stage for an on-going conversation about the unique mystery and fascinating diversity within the region, firmly anchored to a centuries-old tradition of quality.

2014 BURGUNDY
”The  Vintage”, Season and Yield:
2014 is an excellent vintage with balanced whites and very good reds. Overall quantities slightly higher than 2013.

Fall and winter were particularly mild, with good levels of rainfall. Splendid weather conditions in March led to early, vigorous vine growth. The weather stayed dry, and the few late frosts of March and April caused little damage. Flowering started early. On June 28, a violent hailstorm hit several communes, in the Côte d’Or (Beaune, Pommard, Volnay, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée). Summer remained unsettled, with heavy periods of rainfall during August. Véraison began at the end of July, and the growth cycle slowed. Fine weather returned in September, dry combined with warm days and cool nights ripened the grapes quickly. Picking started on September 12. No rot, moderate sorting (mostly from hail affected areas) Whites are balanced and intense, the reds show good colors and ripe fruit flavors.

 

After 2012 and 2013 - vintages that gave wines of high quality but which provided plenty of climatic challenges and in which both the experience and patience of the growers was put to the test - we were hoping for an easier time over the course of the 2014 growing season. But, once again, the unexpected was to set a test for the region’s growers.
Cold weather seemed to arrive with the first fogs to cover the Saône Valley, but winter proved both mild and rainy. The month of March saw neither showers nor rainstorms - it was almost as if summer had already arrived. So the vines grew, and grew faster.  By mid-April the growth of the vines was already three weeks ahead of where it had been the previous year. The summery weather continued, with flowering beginning on 22 May.

The start of summer proper was humid, and cool temperatures slowed the vegetative growth. As summer made its appearance around the 17th of July, its generosity was overabundant. As a result, some bunches were somewhat sunburned, and this led to yields that varied from one parcel to another. While this happenstance may have affected the quantity of the harvest, the quality of the bunches at the end of July was unquestionable. Growth had slowed, and was, by this stage, only slightly ahead of the average.

In August luck was on our side, and gloriously sunny weather and temperatures of between 20°C and 25°C prevailed right up until the start of the harvest, which began on 10 September. All in all, a pretty classic year.

All the musts are crystal clear, incredibly well balanced and concentrated. Alcoholic fermentation was regular and uneventful and, with the arrival of spring, the malolactic fermentations proceeded smoothly. These are wines that are revealing themselves to be full-bodied, fleshy, juicy and intense. While the quality of the 2014 vintage is in little doubt, we will be keeping a careful eye on the wines as they mature in order to ensure that their potential is fulfilled.

 

Winter 2013-2014 was particularly mild and rainy. With only four frosts over the course of the season and temperatures averaging 1°C higher than normal, this was the third mildest winter since 1900. As a result, the first signs of rising sap were seen around the start of March, and the first budbreak took place mid-month. In fact, 2014’s budbreak was one of the earliest ever seen - comparable with the notably early budbreaks of 2007 and 2011 - taking place, as it did, three weeks ahead of the average set over the course of the past 30 years.

The arrival of spring saw little change, with temperatures regularly registering 1-2°C above average for the season. These summerlike temperatures were accompanied by a significant drought, which held until the start of June. Under these conditions, the vines grew rapidly, although the pace slowed somewhat during May, when temperatures cooled somewhat. The return of higher temperatures towards the end of May sparked the vines’ flowering, which
unfolded in ideal climatic circumstances.

Vintage 2014
On 28 June, part of Burgundy was struck - once again - by a hailstorm. Even though Beaujolais was spared, this event seemed to mark the end of an idyllic spring. The summer that followed was quasi-autumnal in nature: July and August were notable for their cool, rainy weather. This slowed the ripening process down, bringing it back on schedule.

Luckily, the return of a settled period of warmer weather towards the end of August and continuing on throughout September allowed the vines to resist disease pressure and the grapes to ripen evenly, both in terms of the balance of sugars and acidity and in terms of polyphenolic ripeness. As a result, harvest, which began on 13 September and finished on the 27th of that month, took place in ideal conditions. The white wines - made from Chardonnay - are both fresh and elegant, while Gamays are smooth, with silky tannins.

The 2014 vintage unfolded in a similar manner to the 2007 and 2011 growing seasons, with a summery springtime and an autumnal summer.  2014 is, therefore, a paradoxical vintage, and one that has avoided the curse of vintages ending in ‘4’. It is absolute proof, if proof were needed, of the old adage that ‘août fait le moût et septembre le vin’
(August ripens the must, and September ripens the wine).

 

A bit of history on Louis Jadot:

Maison Louis Jadot was founded in 1859 by the man whose name it bears,  Louis Henry Denis Jadot - a young man of Belgian ancestry whose family had settled in Beaune near the turn of the century.  At a young age Louis Henry Jadot developed a deep interest in the wines of Burgundy; and by 1826, his father acquired a parcel in the "Clos des Ursules" vineyard in Beaune, which upon his death he bequeathed to his brother, Louis's uncle.  Under his uncle's auspices, the young Jadot greatly broadened his experience - first in the cellars in the art of evaluating the wines and then in the vineyards in the study of viticulture.  As Louis Henry travelled, he acquired a faithful clientele and in 1859 purchased the respected négociant firm of Lemaire-Fouleux.  He gave the firm his name, restructured its operations, and began to expand its business into the export markets of northern France and Belgium.  Belgium, once a province of the Duchy of Burgundy and historically the preeminent market for its wines, was, as the Jadot family's ancestral home, of particular interest to Louis Henry.  It was there that the Jadot name first began to gain renown.

As Maison Louis Jadot grew, its vineyard holdings expanded through the purchase of parcels in Beaune "Theurons" and "Clos des Couchereaux".  After the death of Louis Henry Jadot, his son, Louis Baptiste Jadot, enthusiastically carried on the work his father had begun.  Louis Baptiste expanded his export markets as well as his clientele in France, reinvesting the profits in the further acquisition of vineyards.  He judiciously made purchases in some of the finest and most famous grand and premier cru vineyards of the Côte d'Or - among them an interest in the coveted Chevalier-Montrachet "Les Demoiselles".  In 1939, Louis Baptiste Jadot died and left control of the firm to his eldest son, Louis Auguste Jadot, who had assisted in the direction of the business under his father since 1931.  Louis Auguste opened and greatly developed the new export market of the United States; he also expanded Jadot's activities in Great Britain, Holland, South America, and New Zealand.

In 1954, Andre Gagey joined Maison Louis Jadot as assistant to Louis Auguste Jadot, and this proved to be an important event in the fortunes of the Jadot firm.  The extremely capable and affable Gagey was appointed interim managing director of the firm in 1962 when Louis Auguste Jadot died, survived by his wife and a seventeen-year-old son, Louis-Alain.  Tragically, Louis-Alain was killed in a car crash at the age of 23 in 1968.  Mademoiselle Jadot then gave Gagey full responsibility for the operations of her firm, which was without heirs to run it.  Gagey placed the policy of maintaining highest quality above all others; and the impeccable reputation for honesty Maison Louis Jadot enjoys today is the reward of that perseverance.  Gagey recently retired and turned the direction of the firm over to his very competent son, Pierre-Henry Gagey.

Maison Louis Jadot's headquarters is located in the heart of Beaune.  The most glorious of its three cellars, used for storage of older vintage wines, is situated in the Convent des Jacobins once a convent of the patron Saint Dominique, founder of the Dominican order and built in 1477.  It was acquired by the Tourliere family in 1802 and has been used by Maison Louis Jadot since 1954.  In contrast, the most recent cellar, on the outskirts of Beaune, doubled production and storage capacity as of mid 1986 and is perhaps the most technologically advanced facility in France.  All white wines are fermented in cask and aged one year; red wines are aged on average eighteen months.  The type of wood used is very carefully selected - Limousin, which imparts aggressive tannins more appropriate to Bordeaux wines, is too harsh for the delicate Burgundies Jadot produces.  Wines are fined "the old way," with natural proteins - skim milk for white wines, egg whites for red wines.  The wines are then hand-racked at five intervals before bottling to assure perfect clarity and brightness.  The Jadot estate today includes ownership of parcels in the vineyards of Chevalier-Montrachet "Les Demoiselles," Corton-Charlemagne, Corton-Pougets, Beaune "Clos des Ursules," Beaune "Theurons", Beaune "Bressandes", Beaune "Boucherottes", Beaune "Clos des Couchereaux, Beaune "Les Chouacheux, and Pernand-Vergelesses "Clos de la Croix de Pierre."  In 1986 Jadot acquired the prestigious Clair-Dau Domaine and in 1987 entered into a contract to produce the wines of the renowned Duc de Magenta.  In 1990 Jadot again expanded its holdings with the purchase of the Domaine Champy in Beaune with its fifteen acres of very valuable vineyards.  In 1994 Jadot purchased another 13.26 acres in prime premier cru vineyards.  Since 1986 Jadot has more than doubled the acreage under its domaine, which together with long term contracts, brings over 160 acres of some of the finest vineyards of the Côte d'Or under Maison Louis Jadot's control.  In February of 1985, the négociant firm of Maison Louis Jadot was purchased by the American-owned Kobrand Corporation, the sole United States importer of Jadot Burgundies since 1945.  This prompted outcries in Burgundy, where it was felt that American ownership would signal the end of an era and that Maison Louis Jadot would never again be the same.  A dozen years hence the French now realize that Kobrand has brought nothing but brilliance and capital to this prestigious firm and that Jadot is producing the best wines in the firm's history.  Since 1970 the winemaker at Maison Louis Jadot has been Jacques Lardière, who is widely regarded as one of the best in Burgundy.  In 1995 he was cited by Robert Parker in The Wine Advocate as one of the top thirteen "Wine Personalities of 1995."  Parker said: "Lardière continues to go from strength to strength producing an enormous range of wines...that are among the finest from Burgundy.  His flexibility and intelligence in handling diverse vintages makes him a winemaker par excellence."  This appears on top of praise previously showered on the firm by Parker in his book titled BURGUNDY.   There Parker rates Maison Jadot between four and five stars - near the very top of the pyramid of his rating system.  "Most of the red wines from Louis Jadot need 3-4 years in the bottle to round out, but can age for up to 15-20 years, depending on the particular cuvée. The white wines are no less brilliant than the reds."

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