The Jadot family made its way to the heart of Burgundy from Belgium, purchasing the famed “Les Demoiselles” portion of the Chevalier-Montrachet vineyard in 1794. This is certainly starting at the top, with one of the most highly regarded "Grand Cru” vineyards in the world. Over the next 200 years, one Louis Jadot after another built a worldwide market for wines of Burgundy. The esteem of the firm has always been bolstered by acknowledged high standards and value for money. Wines from every important Burgundy village have been shipped under the Jadot label. Further, an unrivaled collection of estate vineyards spices the portfolio with many of the most prestigious wines of France. These properties have been acquired in a long series of independent transactions, always focusing on premier sites.
In 1985, the owners of Kobrand Corporation, the sole U.S. importer of Jadot since 1945, purchased Jadot. This provides the curious twist of one France’s finest wine firms having a U.S. owner. Modern wineries have been built, famous old vineyards have been revitalized. Today’s Maison Louis Jadot is the most fully integrated and best stocked shipper of the famous wines of Burgundy.
Most familiar in the U.S. are the regional wines of the South of Burgundy, Beaujolais (mostly red) and Macon (mostly white). The most common of these are simply labeled with the regional appellations, Beaujolais-Villages or Macon-Villages, and are very widely available at around $12/bottle. Although these wines are shipped in large volume relative to other wines of Burgundy, Jadot’s standards remain high. The Beaujolais-Villages, made with Gamay grapes, is light and fresh, with a robust fruit aroma. The Macon-Villages is made with Chardonnay grapes (as are all the famed white wines of Burgundy). The style is lighter, crisper, and drier than that of most California Chardonnay. The fresh apple-like tartness of the fruit makes for a splendid aperitif. Although these wines are relatively abundant (and nearly ever-present in the U. S. market) they are made to a very high standard indeed.
Jadot also ships the cream of the crop from those southern reaches. An estate bottled Beaujolais-Villages Blanc and an exceptionally successful Pouilly-Fuisse headline the whites. Estate Bottled “Cru Beaujolais” from Moulin-a-Vent, Fleurie, Morgon, and Brouilly are the pinnacle of quality among the reds. Single vineyard wines in several of these appellations are among the finest of their class, rich, full flavored, and worthy of bottle age. Some of these are rare, but they are worth seeking.
For wine connoisseurs and collectors Jadot is all about the wines of the Cote d’Or, the narrow band of magnificent vineyards stretching from a few miles south of the ancient city of Beaune to just south of Dijon. Here, in an incredible 30-mile stretch, a mile or two wide in most places, are dozens of the world’s most famous wine names. Jadot ships village wines from Santenay, Meursault, Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, Pommard, Gevrey Chambertin, Nuits-St-Georges, Marsannay, and others. Some of these are estate bottled, all are sourced from the best vineyards. At the top of the quality pyramid are the Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines of the Cote d’Or. Here, as everywhere else, Jadot shines. The incredible line-up of top estates managed by Jadot tops off a full portfolio of great wines. Prices for these wines range from $30 to $300 and, while they constitute a small percentage of the volume shipped, they are the stars of a very fine show.
On Tuesday May 26th Northampton Wines & The Wine Café
Will Host an Advance Sale Tasting of Jadot’s Top Red & White Burgundies
featuring the 2006 and 2007 Vintages
Details at northamptonwines.com.
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