Beaune-based merchant Louis Jadot has been a leading player in the revitalisation of Beaujolais as a wine style and as a region. In 1996, Jadot purchased Château des Jacques and its associated vineyard holdings in the highly regarded Moulin-à-Vent cru.
Following the acquisition, Jadot implemented a different approach to winemaking to that commonly practised in Beaujolais. Carbonic maceration was dispensed with altogether. Drawing on its many decades of experience in Burgundy further north, the Jadot team adopted a Burgundian winemaking approach and also utilised small barrels, some of which were new, for maturing the wines.
In better vintages, it has released up to 5 different single site wines from Moulin-à-Vent, as well as an assemblage that forms the basis of the generic Moulin-à-Vent AC bottling.
The 2009 vintage, an exceptional vintage in Beaujolais, provides strong evidence that the work undertaken by the team at Château des Jacques is reaping dividends. By Beaujolais standards, it is quite deep in colour. The oak is quite evident on the nose, but can’t mask high quality cherry and raspberry fruit, violets lending floral complexity. Befitting a young wine of quality, the palate is dominated by structured sinewy tannins at present; but there is excellent fruit intensity and fine acidity.
Stylistically, the wine is neither Burgundy (and one cannot see it ‘going Pinot’ with bottle age) nor Rhône, but a high quality example of the Gamay grape grown in the granitic soils of Moulin-à-Vent. It is an exciting and excellent value for money wine that should reward 5-7 years cellaring.
2009 MOULIN-À-VENT
Producer: Château des Jacques
Variety: Gamay
Vintage: 2009
Region: Beaujolais, France
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Format: 750ml
Retail price: $36.99
Date tasted: 28 April 2012
Tasting Note:
Bright ruby red. Alluring nose of damson, cherry, violets and woodsmoke. Medium bodied, quite glossy in texture, dry and savoury palate led by cherry/damson fruit, raspberry, slightly earthy. Finishes dry, with sinewy tannins. Needs time.
Score: 17+/20
Following the acquisition, Jadot implemented a different approach to winemaking to that commonly practised in Beaujolais. Carbonic maceration was dispensed with altogether. Drawing on its many decades of experience in Burgundy further north, the Jadot team adopted a Burgundian winemaking approach and also utilised small barrels, some of which were new, for maturing the wines.
In better vintages, it has released up to 5 different single site wines from Moulin-à-Vent, as well as an assemblage that forms the basis of the generic Moulin-à-Vent AC bottling.
The 2009 vintage, an exceptional vintage in Beaujolais, provides strong evidence that the work undertaken by the team at Château des Jacques is reaping dividends. By Beaujolais standards, it is quite deep in colour. The oak is quite evident on the nose, but can’t mask high quality cherry and raspberry fruit, violets lending floral complexity. Befitting a young wine of quality, the palate is dominated by structured sinewy tannins at present; but there is excellent fruit intensity and fine acidity.
Stylistically, the wine is neither Burgundy (and one cannot see it ‘going Pinot’ with bottle age) nor Rhône, but a high quality example of the Gamay grape grown in the granitic soils of Moulin-à-Vent. It is an exciting and excellent value for money wine that should reward 5-7 years cellaring.
Producer: Château des Jacques
Variety: Gamay
Vintage: 2009
Region: Beaujolais, France
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Format: 750ml
Retail price: $36.99
Date tasted: 28 April 2012
Tasting Note:
Bright ruby red. Alluring nose of damson, cherry, violets and woodsmoke. Medium bodied, quite glossy in texture, dry and savoury palate led by cherry/damson fruit, raspberry, slightly earthy. Finishes dry, with sinewy tannins. Needs time.
Score: 17+/20
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