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 owned and managed by Louis Jadot spices the portfolio with the most prestigious estate bottled wines of France. These properties having 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, more fine vineyards have been acquired, and very significant new plantings have been made in heretofore less famous Burgundy villages. Today’s Mason 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, 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 under $10/bottle. Although these wines are shipped in large volume relative to other wines of Burgundy, the standards remain high. The Beaujolais-Villages, made with Gamay grapes, is light and fresh, with a robust fruit aroma. Beaujolais, often served slightly chilled, is “quaffable” and adaptable to picnics, deli foods, and just about any sort of informal meal. The Macon-Villages is made 100% from 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. The wine can also accompany most any sort of seafood entrée.

Jadot also ships the cream of the crop from those southern reaches. An estate bottled St. Veran 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.

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. All of the whites are made with Chardonnay, the reds with Pinot Noir. Here again the company standard is high. Although these “Village Wines” are sourced from more than one grower, their production and bottling at Jadot assure the finest of quality. At prices from $20 to $40, Jadot’s regular line of Burgundies (red and white) are the gold standard of the region.

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 owned by the Jadot firm and its principles is augmented by agreements with other top land-owners giving Jadot a full portfolio of top wines from virtually every important section of Burgundy. 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.

The trademark Louis Jadot is equally reliable at all price levels. For details on Louis Jadot, and the wines of Burgundy, check out www.kobrandwine.com.

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