WTN: Jad(ot) to the Beaune

[David M. Bueker]

2002 Louis Jadot Beaune 1er Cru Bressandes
Humble Beaune provides the wow factor. Fabulous fruit, warm earth and fantastic structural harmony make this one of the most surprising wines I have had in a long time. This was from half bottle, so perhaps fulls may not quite be ready to show this well, but I'm thrilled I opened this wine tonight.

Sounds delicious. Haven't had that bottling yet but I remember the Jadot Clos des Ursules you opened last year was absolutely stunning, and I'm yet to have a bad wine from Jadot (is there such a thing?)

(Meanwhile, the world needs more Jadot in half bottles. Or at least I do.)

[David M. Bueker]

This was my last 1/2, but perhaps we can open a full some time.

David,

I'm with you on Jadot. I don't think I have had a bad one. Some are definitely better than others but consistent quality .

I share the sentiment on Jadot. From the Beaujolais Village to their GC offerings, I have never been disappointed by a Jadot wine. The '98 CdU is one of the best Burgs I have ever tasted.

[David M. Bueker]

I think I have posted about this before, but when I started to get into Burgundy (my wallet hates you Maureen) I bought a bunch of different Jadot wines to get a feel for the communes without varying the producer. It was kind of like a design of experiments that helped me focus on what I did or did not care for in Burgundy. Mt interests have evolved and broadened since then (e.g. I don't like some Burgundy...I like Burgundy!), but it was a really good grounding point to help me understand the difference between Gevrey and Chambolle (to name one example).

And Jadot pricing seems a little friendlier than Drouhin. The other big house that could be considered an alternative for these types of explorations.

And Jadot pricing seems a little friendlier than Drouhin. The other big house that could be considered an alternative for these types of explorations.

Really? Can't say that I've found the same thing, Rahsaan. With the caveat that I prefer the Drouhin house style to the Jadot by a nose, I find more bargain-priced Drouhin wines (Chorey-les-Beaune, Veró, St. Veran) than I do from Jadot. For instance, looking at the wine-searcher prices for the '07 Beaujolais-Villages from both houses, it appears that the Drouhin may be slightly cheaper, but certainly no more expensive. If you're talking about costlier bottlings, you may very well be right; I just don't know.

Mark Lipton

I'll give you the basic bottlings (Drouhin Chorey is a classic QPR), but I'm thinking of village and premier cru wines.

Although Jadot's Santenay Clos de Malte is ridiculously low-priced.

[David M. Bueker]

In the truly bargain level wines I think Drouhin is better value, but once you set foot above that Jadot takes the cake IMO. I can get Jadot S-L-B Dominode for less than Drouhin village Chambolle (to name an obvious example where I like both wines).

Does Drouhin have a regular Bourgogne bottling? We drink a lot of the Jadot Bourgogne, but I don't recall running across a Drouhin. I'm guessing I've simply missed it.

Jadot is one of the few producers in Burgundy that you can really call reliable across their range. A solid spot in a notoriously unreliable and hazardous region.

-Paul W.

Does Drouhin have a regular Bourgogne bottling? We drink a lot of the Jadot Bourgogne, but I don't recall running across a Drouhin. I'm guessing I've simply missed it.

Drouhin does a regular Bourgogne under the name Laforet - quite cheap and comes in both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir flavors. I've never been that impressed with either. Agree on Jadot being a solid house with some good value (if that word can ever be used with Burgundy) - the Beaune 1ers being the sweet spot.

[David M. Bueker]

Drouhin also makes the Vero bottling of Bourgogne Rouge (in screw cap!!!) that is a big step up from the Laforet in quality, and sells for about $20.

I'm a fan of both Jadot and Drouhin, though they're stylistically different (Jadot typically bigger and more extracted than Drouhin, though not overextracted for my tastes). I'm not sure it's possible to say one is more expensive than the other, they're both typically moderately priced, but their strengths are in different places so comparison is difficult. Drouhin's village Chambolle or Clos de la Roche are probably more expensive than Jadot's, but they are more highly regarded. But I'd bet (w/o actually checking) that Jadot's Cortons, Beaune 1ers, and Gevreys probably fetch more than Drouhin's (well, maybe the Drouhin Mouches might be as expensive).
But both tend to be solid performers I buy with confidence.

I certainly agree that Jadot negotiant does an excellent job with the lower crus at reasonable prices (and for some reason there were lot of the '02 .375s around on release). I slightly prefer the Drouhin house style, but the higher end Drouhins have become very expensive. Another house that is doing a good job--at least since the late 90s--is Bouchard. The '05 Gevrey-Chambertins and Savignys were very nice and reasonably priced for a time.

Yes, Bouchard shot way up in quality after the new owners took control. Unfortunately, the secret's out now and the prices have risen.

-Paul W.