Louis Jadot: how a major producer in Bourgogne is transitioning to organics and adapting to climate change, and tasting their 2023 releases
Website: https://www.louisjadot.com/
Recently I tasted through the 2023 releases from Louis Jadot, and interviewed David Stephan, export director, about the changes that they are making in the vineyard, and how they are adjusting to the changing climate. It was a really interesting discussion, and the 2023 wines impressed.
The transition to organic is the big story here. ‘We have been working according to organic principles for many years already,’ says David. ‘This has been the overall trend in Burgundy, generally speaking. In 2021 we applied for the organic certification, which was the most challenging year to do this because it was rainy and humid. We applied for the certification and we will have it in 2024 for the Domaine Louis Jadot wines and Famille Gagey wines.’
The Louis Jadot wines are split into three, and the third part, which is Héretiers Jadot, is also exploring the possibility of organics. ‘But for now it is only Domaine Louis Jadot and Famille Gagey which are the domaine wines we directly farm from A-Z,’ says David. ‘Héretiers will not have the certification.’
‘Then, what we try to do also is – in all modesty, being one of the major wineries in Burgundy – we are trying to also show the way and get other wineries to do the same thing.’
The percentage of organic farming in Bourgogne is still small. ‘The last figure I saw was 16% is certified organic in Burgundy,’ he says. ‘We are trying to have other people follow our lead. The last part is for the purchased fruit: we encourage all the growers we work with to work according to organic principles, but because we can’t guarantee those wines, the Maison Jadot wines will not be certified. Also in order to for Jadot to be an organic winery we would need to build a separate winery.’
The rule is that you have to make wine in a dedicated organic winery where you only make organic wines for your domaine to be labelled organic. Altogether Jadot have 135 hectares in the Côte d’Or, and 90 hectares in Beaujolais. They also have Domaine Ferret in the Mâconnais which is a 100% estate winery, and this will be organic, and 18.4 hectares of vineyards. Some of these vineyards make Héretiers wines, so these won’t be certified organic. But all the owned vineyards used to make the Domaine wines will.
What is the obstacle that keeps people farming organically in Bourgogne? ‘Many people are working the soils and not using herbicides, but aren’t organic because they reserve the right to use plant protection products that are more effective than contact fungicides that organics allows,’ says David. ‘The value of the grapes is now so high it seems scary to leave them unprotected.’
‘Given the crazy Burgundy prices these days, clearly it justifies the reduction of volume available that can be implied by working with organic principles. In vintage 2021, it was the worst year for organic principles, so much so that some wineries who had started with organics reverted to regular agricultural practices. You lose a lot in terms of yield, but also it comes at a big expense. We would send workers into the vineyard spraying copper, and it rained so much that the next day they had to re-do it. When you have just a few hectares it is not the same as when you have a lot of hectares. We just feel it is the right thing to do these days, for the future. And I think the expectations now for someone who is purchasing a bottle of Burgundy at a high cost is that [it is farmed the right way].’
‘It is much easier to do organic viticulture in the south of France which is very dry, versus Burgundy which is humid and rainy. It triggers constant disease, so this is a major challenge.’
Organic farming is more costly just because of labour. ‘In vintage 2021 all of the workers would have to redo the applications. It is such a critical aspect of agriculture that we had to hire temporary workers to help us out.’
‘Because of the climate, we are losing the equivalent of one harvest every three years. Because the grapes are a lot smaller than they used to be, so there is more dry material than liquid. Burgundy is finding itself at so many crossroads. Clearly, organic viticulture will have an impact too.’
Facing up to climate chaos, is there anything else that you are trying in the vineyard? Are you looking at the plant material itself, improving the genetic diversity? ‘We do have our own nursery at Jadot, so massal selection is clearly one of the ways to preserve diversity, but also assess what clones work better in a different environment. We are also doing things at the winery. We are using larger containers to preserve the freshness of the wine. We use some foudre for part of the wine. We are still using typical 228 litre barrels, but we are also using 1.5-times and two-times the size barrels, just to minimize the impact of the oak contact. We have also extended the winery to have an area where we can receive the white harvest in a cold place. Before, the grapes would go into refrigerated tanks for a few hours before pressing. Now we have a temperature controlled cold room. Using refrigerated containers was a band aid in a way.’
‘The change of climate is causing Burgundy a lot of issues. Frost remains the biggest threat because winters are a lot warmer than they used to be. Water management is also a big issue. ‘
What is the thinking about water management? ‘This is the most touchy one, because in Beaune we don’t have a river. It’s not that we would start irrigating, because this is not the way we want Burgundy to go. The management of the water is critical, because in recent years we have been lacking water. We saw some of the vines shut down in August because the temperatures were so high. The path of irrigation will never be one we’ll go with. As much as people say they couldn’t live without wine, it is probably better to keep water for regular agriculture.’
There has been a lot of talk in the wine world about regenerative approaches. Have you been thinking of this? ‘Frédéric [Barnier, chief winemaker] is highly involved with a pilot program, a think tank, in the Beaune community in order to find ways to adapt to the changes imposed by climate change. Agroforestry is one of the topics they have explored, as is water management and clones. In terms of yields, we know that to produce quality wines, especially Chardonnay, we need a higher yield. The clay that we have does keep the water, so unless we have extremely hard weather, the vines should be OK.’
There are lots of stories on the internet of one negociant dropping prices by 15%. Is this something people are thinking about: softening pricing? ‘This is the number one topic every day. Clearly, the prices have gone way up. It is to no one’s advantage that prices should go this high, especially for a winery the size of Jadot. We produce volume wines, and our goal is to showcase Burgundy at every single level, from the low end to the top end, and deliver at every stage. We want Burgundy to remain affordable. We have had extremely high price increases for the raw material with all the wines we buy grapes for. We absorbed the majority of the price increases but we had to pass some along. We have been extremely conservative with the price increases we have put in place. Some of the other wineries, at some point, gave such high price increases that they are just coming back to normal reality. They are now where we are in terms of prices.’
What’s the situation in the markets now? How are sales for yourselves, and also for the category as a whole? ‘For the Burgundy lovers who have been following the category for so long, it is a challenge because the prices have gone so high in recent years that some of them are dropping or reviewing their frequency of purchases. In the meantime, we see that the demand is still extremely high, and the quality is very good.’
‘This is probably the only positive side of climate change: it has benefitted the quality of Burgundy wines. Pinot Noir is soft, it is ripe, the Chardonnay is delicious. The vines have adapted themselves so well. Even in a warm vintage you still have the crisp acidity.’
‘I thought 2022 was an excellent vintage. It was a really hot year and everyone was expecting the wines to be over-ripe, but they were so fresh. Much like the human is adapting to climate de-regulation, the vine is doing the same thing. If you taste 2003, which was a very hot year, surprisingly enough the average temperature in 2022 is higher, but the wines have more freshness.’
‘I think that the wines are so delicious, there is still an emotional link, and for the time being people are still purchasing Burgundy wines. The biggest challenge for Burgundy as a category is how do we introduce ourselves to newer drinkers? It is a fascinating region and category, but how do we approach the young generation when the entry level prices become so high?’
Might the solution be to give more emphasis to areas like the Côte Chalonnaise and the Hautes-Côtes? These were seen as slightly peripheral, but they have really good soils. ‘For Puligny, Chassagne and Meursault the prices have gone through the roof. But on the other hand there are plenty of villages that have always remained under the radar and which represent fantastic value. Monthelie is one of them. Burgundy still remains affordable, but you need to be more adventurous if you want to find those well priced gems.’
Which are the easiest wines to sell, the expensive wines or the cheaper ones? ‘The village wines, the mid-tier, which is really where you have the passion, the volume, ad where curiosity can express itself, is demanding a lot of wine. Anyone can sell Chevalier-Montrachet or Bâtard-Montrachet, because there will always be a rich person looking for those wines. But, Volnay-Santenots, Meursault Les Cras rouge, the geeky wines that don’t get all of the spotlight, are for me the most fascinating wines to sell these days.’
Are there any markets that are really interesting you at the moment? ‘One of the most fascinating markets that we have seen in recent years is Norway. It is a small country, but they have developed such a passion for Burgundy wines. It is at every level: the top, the mid-tier, the entry level, the red, the white. Norway has been a revelation.’
Louis Jadot 2023 Primeurs
Domaine Louis Jadot Pernand Vergelesses Les Combottes 2023
This is on the west side of the Côte de Beaune, and Les Combottes is a SW-facing vineyard in the middle of the hill. Part barrel-fermented. Linear and energetic with lovely precision showing bright citrus fruit with a spicy flourish. Some saline mineral notes here with fine spicy detail. Very fresh and fine. 94/100
Louis Jadot Famille Gagey Savigny-Lès-Beaune Clos des Gruettes Premier Cru 2023
A 0.98 ha Clos in the northern part of Savigny, with clay soils. Some creamy hints but then a lovely chiselled palate showing fine citrus fruit with a slight grapefruit and white peach flourish, and very subtle spicy oak influence. Lovely balance here. 94/100
Domaine Louis Jadot Pernand-Vergelesses Clos de la Croix de Pierre 2023
Barrel-fermented, 15-18 months on lees. There’s a brightness to the layered citrus fruit with great acidity, lovely purity and a sense of finesse. Lovely acidity supporting fine fruit, with a touch of pear richness and a lovely spicy flourish on the finish. 94/100
Louis Jadot Famille Gagey Beaune Bressandes Premier Cru 2023
Les Brassandes sits at the top of the Beaune slope. Lovely fruit here with pear and apple as well as citrus, with a slight nuttiness in the background. Fine with lovely depth and focus showing a long, finely spiced finish. 93/100
Louis Jadot Famille Gagey Beaune Grèves Le Clos Blanc Premier Cru 2023
From the large Les Grèves premier cru. This has some depth to it with nice pear, green apple and white peach fruit, showing some generosity but also a nice citrus line, finishing fresh. Supple with a touch of mandarin. 93/100
Domaine Louis Jadot Meursault Narvaux 2023
Narvaux is on the hill above 1er Cru Genevrières. Very little topsoil here. Supple and finely spiced with delicate citrus fruit and subtle nuts and spice. Has a feeling of freshness with some delicacy. Very expressive with a sense of prettiness, and just a touch of oak. 93/100
Domaine Louis Jadot Meursault Charmes Premier Cru 2023
There’s some nuttiness here with hazelnut and almond, a bit of toast, and refined citrus and white peach fruit. Nice depth and intensity, with some wood, but with good integration. Quite serious. 94/100
Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet Les Referts 2023
Les Referts abuts Meursault. Chiselled with good acidity and a bit of structure, but there’s no heaviness here. Well integrated oak supports the beautiful pear and citrus fruit, finishing with some fine spicy notes. Assured. 94/100
Louis Jadot Duc de Magenta Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Garenne Premier Cru 2023
The Clos is next to Les Folatières and has very bony soils with shallow topsoil. Good concentration here with superbly integrated spicy oak and bold, refined citrus fruit. Fine spicy notes with hints of white peach and pear skin, finishing long with some fine spicy notes. 95/100
Héretiers Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières Premier Cru 2023
Near the top of the slope. This is beautiful. Fresh and focused, but with some depth. Nice acidity supporting lively citrus fruit with the oak right in the background. So fine-grained in terms of mouthfeel, with potential for development. 95/100
Louis Jadot Chassagne-Montrachet Chenevottes Premier Cru 2023
Shallow, stony soils, one-third new oak. Finely spiced with good concentration, showing nuts and spice as well as bold pear and citrus fruit, with some peachy richness. Tending towards the rich and exotic, but still refined, finishing long. 94/100
Domaine Louis Jadot Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot Premier Cru 2023
Morgeot is one of the top premier crus in Chassagne with deep marl and clay soils. Lovely texture and depth here with concentrated pear and peach fruit as well as some spicy citrus on the finish. Nice depth with some richness. A bold wine, but balance is there. 94/100
Héretiers Louis Jadon Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2023
Jadot have a 2 hectare south-facing plot here. Richly fruited and quite dense, but still has refinement. Toast, spice, ripe pear skin, white peach, and then a touch of lemony brightness on the fringes. Has some nutty intensity, too. Very stylish. 95/100
Louis Jadot Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2023
Mostly new oak here. Concentrated pear and white peach fruit with nice intensity. Has some spicy oak but also crystalline citrus notes and good acidity. Fine and with a long, mineral, spicy finish. 96/100
Héretiers Louis Jadot Chevalier-Montrachet ‘Les Desmoiselles’ Grand Cru 2023
This is a 1.28 hectare parcel in Chevalier-Montrachet, and Jadot own half a hectare. So refined and harmonious with fine toasty hints, some hazelnut and marzipan, and refined pear and peach fruit. Baked bread, honey and spice are all in the mix as well as some pure fruit. Long, mineral, spicy finish. 96/100
Reds – all barrel samples
Louis Jadot Famille Gagey Marsannay Le Chapitre 2023
At the foot of the hill, this is all old vine. Wonderful floral cherry and berry fruits. Fresh and immediate. The palate is nicely structured with beautiful forward fruit with a raspberry crunch on the finish. This is so nice. 93/100
Domaine Louis Jadot Santenay Clos de Malte 2023
A 7 hectare monopole of Louis Jadot, with chalky clay soils at the western end of Santenay. Fine floral red fruits with a twist of almond and crushed rock. The palate is primary and vital with nice raspberries and cherries, with a bit of crunchy structure. So expressive. 93/100
Louis Jadot Famille Gagey Savigny-Lès-Beaune Clos des Guettes Premier Cru 2023
Nice focused cherry, berry and plum fruit with a bit of structure and some savoury, almost mineral spice. This is very stylish and quite serious. Showing a tiny bit of barrel but will integrate. 94/100
Domaine Louis Jadot Savigny-Lès-Beaune La Dominode Premier Cru 2023
La Dominode is an east-facing 2 hectare parcel in the Haut Jarrons Premier Cru. Bright and focused with assertive cherry and berry fruits as well as some good structure. Nice intensity and freshness here. Some oak, too, finishing firm. Very impressive. 93/100
Héretiers Louis Jadot Pernand-Vergelesses Clos de la Croix de Pierre Premier Cru 2023
Floral and expressive with nice cherry and plum fruit, hemmed in by some spicy oak. Primary and nicely concentrated, I really like the freshness here, with a twist of mineral on the finish. 94/100
Louis Jadot Famille Gagey Beaune Theurons Premier Cru 2023
From four parcels above Beaune. Floral and fresh on the nose, with a palate showing ripe, beautifully poised redcurrant and cherry fruit. Nice flesh, with good acidity and a bit of structure keeping things very focused. Such lovely purity here. 95/100
Héritiers Louis Jadot Beaune Boucherottes Premier Cru 2023
At the south of the commune, partially bordering Pommard. Deep clay soils. Lovely fruit here with brightness and focus, showing real precision and a chalky, mineral undertow. Cherries, redcurrants. Vibrant and energetic. 95/100
Louis Jadot Famille Gagey Beaune Aux Cras 2023
Steep SE-facing slope with stony soils. Destemmed. Ripe and textural with a core of sweet cherry and strawberry fruit, with fine tannins. Has flesh and some softness, making this very inviting and alluring. 94/100
Héretiers Louis Jadot Beaune Clos des Ursules Premier Cru Monopole 2023
This is a 2.15 hectare monopole. So textural and fine with concentrated but still-delicate cherry and raspberry fruit, with fine-grained tannins. This is quite beautiful. Refined and ethereal. 96/100
Domaine Louis Jadot Volnay Clos des Chênes 2023
Thin topsoil, with lots of chalk in the soil, 230-370 m. Fine, bright and linear with focused cherry and raspberry fruit with some fine-grained tannins. Has a bit of oak, too. Nice balance here. 94/100
Louis Jadot Famille Gagey Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Boudots Premier Cru 2023
Linear and focused with nice depth to the cherry and plum fruit. Has some grip here with nice concentration. Oak is present, adding depth and more structure. 94/100
Louis Jadot Famille Gagey Chambolle-Musigny Les Baudes Premier Cru 2023
Beautifully expressive with floral cherry and berry fruit combining nicely with refined, slightly spicy oak. Has good structure, as well as a silky mid-palate. Lots of promise here. 95/100
Domaine Louis Jadot Chambolle-Musigny Les Fuées Premier Cru 2023
East-facing, stony soils, next to Bonnes Mares. Chiselled and fine with good structure and a touch of oak sitting under refined red cherry and raspberry fruit, showing nice flesh and focus. Classic and refined. 95/100
Domaine Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin Estournelles Saint-Jacques Premier Cru 2023
SE-facing slope at the beginning of the Combe Lavaux. Good concentration with nice fleshiness showing sweet, enticing cherry and raspberry fruit. Fleshy and expressive , this is quite delicious, with ripe fruit to the fore. 93/100
Domaine Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques Premier Cru 2023
Lovely cherry and raspberry fruit with nice grippy structure and some well-integrated oak. Quite a substantial wine with nice structure and fruit. Dense. 93/100
Héretiers Louis Jadot Corton-Pougets Grand Cru 2023
South-facing 1.2 ha parcel. Fresh, delicate and supple with a stony, mineral edge to the refined cherry and plum fruit. Midweight and approachable even now. 93/100
Domaine Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot Grand Cru 2023
Nicely structured with a savoury, stony edge to the supple raspberry and plum fruit. Supple, but with structure to age. 94/100
Domaine Louis Jadot Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru 2023
Nice concentration here with structured raspberry and cherry fruit, showing lovely balance with well-phrased tannins and nice mineral notes. Finishes with fine spicy notes. Potential for development here. 95/100
Domaine Louis Jadot Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru 2023
Great concentration and refinement here with pure raspberry and cherry fruit showing nice depth and refined tannins. It’s quite floral but there’s also good structure. Nothing sticking out: ripe but well balanced. 96/100
