150 years of Jadot, Clos Vougeot, A landmark Steak House and Wine-Drinking Rock Stars

“I am a believer in the slow food movement, and I think we should start a slow wine movement, too” says Jadot’s president Pierre-Henry Gagey during his opening remarks at Barberian’s Steak House in Toronto last week. “Time may be our enemy, but it is a friend of wine. We are not here to make wines that taste perfect 1-2 years after vintage. What we are after are wines that will be at their best 10, 20, 30 or 40 years on.” This was to be a point he would amply demonstrate later on that evening.

The occasion marked the celebration of the founding of negociant house Louis Jadot by Louis Henry Denis Jadot in 1859. The Jadot family had already been in wine the business for over three decades, with the purchase of a small parcel in 1826 called Clos des Ursules, a 1er cru vineyard in the Beaune appellation. Fittingly enough, the location for the anniversary was Toronto’s oldest steak House, perhaps its oldest still-running, family-operated restaurant, Barberian’s on Elm Street, which opened in 1959 and is celebrating its 50th year. Barberian’s is also one of the largest purchasers of Jadot wines in the country.

Lifford Wine Agency, Jadot’s representative in Ontario invited a very diverse crowd of 30 Burgundy fanatics for the tasting dinner, including Rush rock legend and wine lover Geddy Lee, LCBO senior executive Shari Mogk-Edwards, Vice-President, Merchandising, CBC Radio wine show host Konrad Ejbich, as well as a host of other food and wine journalists, restaurateurs and Toronto’s biggest Burgundy drinkers, including me.

Gagey went on to describe the company’s fortunes and challenges of the last century and a half, offering a historical recap that more or less summarized the fate of European wine over this period. He recalled the boom years from the 1860s-1880s when domain bottling didn’t exist and negociants controlled the markets. He described the desperation of the 1890s and the arrival of phylloxera, which devastated the vineyards of Europe, Burgundy included. He smiled bitter-sweetly at the thought of the prosperity that eventually came to the region after WWI, knowing that it was to be short-lived, sent crashing down by the worldwide Great Depression, “that lasted from 1930, to ’31, ’32, ’33, ’34, 35, ’36, ‘37… right up until WII”, continued Gagey, with a dramatic pause between each year, as though her were willing some historical revision to happen in those tough years. The company, like so many others, struggled during this era yet managed to survive. “But for the last 60 years, Maison Jadot has enjoyed unprecedented prosperity. Yes, with a couple of ups and downs here and there, but generally the last half century has been good to us”.

During his story, Gagey was insistent on the importance of the vine growers more than that of Jadot itself. “We are here to celebrate the 150 anniversary of Maison Jadot, it’s true”, he said, “but this is really a celebration of the vignerons of Burgundy, of Burgundy itself, the place we all love so much.”

Maison Jadot controls 150 hectares in Burgundy, including parcels in just about every top 1er and Grand cru site, and makes an unprecedented number of quality wines. All vineyards are farmed without the use of synthetic herbicides and pesticides, and an additional 14 hectares around Beaune and a piece of the Château des Jacques in Beaujolais have been farmed biodynamically for the last 5 years. It’s no wonder that Gagey, and especially winemaker Jaques Lardières, are constantly speaking of each wine’s “energy”, it’s “feeling and emotion”. It must be said that for a company the size of Jadot (huge by Burgundian standards), with the number of different wines that are produced (a visit to Jadot is not a quick stop, it’s a full day tasting), the quality here is exceptionally consistent and high across the board. From among the best and most reliable Bourgogne Blancs and Beaujolais Villages, right up to Le Montrachet and Le Musigny, this is an impressive range.

The wines served to celebrate the occasions were selected by Gagey and shipped a couple of months or so in advance of the event to allow them to settle and recover after the long journey. With old wines, one can never tell how they will handle the travel. We started with the 1997 Puligny 1er Cru ‘Les Folatières’. “This was a parcel my father planted” said Gagey. “It had been an unplanted meurger, which in Burgundian dialect refers to a pile of rocks that had been removed from other nearby vineyards. He brought in a machine to crush the stones, which were then scattered back over the parcel and mixed in to the meager topsoil. At first the authorities would only allow him to call the wine ‘Bourgogne Blanc’, even though the land was in Puligny-Montrachet, right adjacent to the existing Folatières vineyard. After 5 vintages, however, he brought the wines to the authorities to be tasted. They did, and granted the right to the 1er cru appellation on the spot.” This was indeed a superbly mineral wine, with plenty of wet limestone aromas and the warmth and richness of the 1997 vintage, particularly successful chez Jadot.

The second white was a 1985 Montrachet, a vintage that has been great from the the day it was fermented. “It was an exceptional vintage for white wine. The wines were delicious from the start, and as you can see, are still delicious today”, said Gagey. “Montrachet is never the most mineral wine of Burgundy, but it’s always the one with the most power, richness and depth, an incredible energy that never seems to fade.” It was an exceptional wine, though admittedly I preferred the more stony and austere Folatières on the night.

The first red was a delicious Beaune 1er Cru ‘Les Avaux’. “Beaune wines are not the best in Burgundy, it’s true”, revealed Gagey, but they are among the best value.” I personally find the best of Beaune to be incredibly delicate and fragrant, a sheer pleasure to drink. The ’99 Avaux was showing beautifully.

The next wine was the surprise of the night, a 1978 village Gevrey-Chambertin. Though 1978 was considered a pretty solid vintage, no one expected the wine to show as well as it did. The colour was still deep garnet, and the flavours definitely lively and fruity. “I can’t believe how youthful this is” enthused Aaron Barberian from across the table. The final red, highly anticipated by everyone, was the 1969 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru. It was somewhat less surprising that this 40-year-old wine still had a lot of life ahead of it. When Pierre-Henry told his father that he had selected it for this anniversary celebration, “he thought I was crazy”. “My father said: “you shouldn’t consider drinking that wine for another ten years”. In any case, it had the haunting perfume and the silky texture that makes top flight Burgundy the stuff of vinous wet dreams.

I looked over at Geddy who had happily downed his glass and looked even happier as Barberian topped him up. We were all in agreement. Long live slow wine. This was an evening that reminded me why I love Burgundy, which I suppose was the point of it all.

For more info go to http://www.louisjadot.com/.

To find these wines in Ontario go to http://www.liffordwineagency.com/

Below are a few recent reviews of Jadot wines available in Canada. For more reviews go to the Wine Access wine search page.

Louis Jadot 2007 Beaujolais-Villages ‘Combe aux Jacques’SCORE: 87Tasted By: John Szabo

A classic Beaujolais in every sense: clean, lively, fresh, fragrant, little red berry-driven aromas (carbonic maceration), juicy acid, light-bodied, light dusty tannins and average finish. Very quaffable — a reference for the region. Serve with a slight chill, with a plate of charcuterie, grilled tuna or salmon.

Louis Jadot 2006 Beaune 1er Cru BoucherottesSCORE: 91Tasted By: John Szabo

Clean and classic Côte de Beaune Pinot character on the nose, with delicate red berry fruit and well integrated licorice, smoke, mineral and additional oak-derived notes. The palate is medium bodied, lively, flavourful, crisp and balanced, with delicate but finely etched tannins and long, lingering finish. A delicious Boucherottes for drinking 2010-2018.

LOUIS JADOT 2006 CHÂTEAU DES LUMIÈRES MORGONSCORE: 87Tasted By: John Szabo

Stylish, if a little overpriced for the depth and complexity offered, this cru Beaujolais from Jadot shows threshold volatile acidity levels and simple cherry-berry fruit aromas. The tannins are surprisingly firm, but intensity is more impressive on the palate. this just doesn't seem to get out of 1st gear. Now-2012Louis Jadot 2006 Pouilly-FuisséSCORE: 89Tasted By: John SzaboThis is a fine example of Pouilly-Fuissé, with a fullish, creamy texture and nicely integrated (mostly old) oak. A pleasant spicy-cinnamon note adds interest to the apple, pear and mineral flavours, leading into a long finish. Drink now-2011. (JS)

Maison Louis Jadot 2006 Bourgogne ChardonnaySCORE: 87Tasted By: John Szabo

A highly reliable and consistent version of Bourgogne Blanc, with recognizable Burgundian limestone-mineral flavours, very gentle oak and fine balance. Great value.