Know Your Wines : Louis Jadot

Know Your Wines : Louis Jadot

In the very south of Burgundy, an area famed around the world for its wine production, a quaint city by the name of Mâcon lies on the edge of the River Saône. All pastel-hued houses, cobbled lanes, and with plenty of chances to explore the nearby wine country, best things to do in Mâcon - hop wineries. Let us start with Louis Jadot.

Louis Jadot from this area is considered by many to have one of the finest winemaker in Burgundy area. The winery was established by Louis Henry Denis Jadot In 1859.

It operates both its own vineyards and buys grapes from other growers. It controls 270 hectares (670 acres) of vineyards in Burgundy including Beaujolais Crus, and produces only Appellation d’Origine Controlee (AOC) wines.

In 1996, Louis Jadot partnered with Tonnellerie Vicard and created its own cooperage called Cadus, in order to produce French oak barrels crafted in the Burgundian tradition.

The winery is especially known for red wines, here the temperature control is eschewed, allowing fermentation to start of its own accord, and letting the temperature during the process rise without intervention, in most of the other cellars this is generally capped at about 32 degree Cel.Even so, the length of maceration is still long, often taking three weeks or more. The result is a rich and powerful style of red Burgundy, even in lighter appellations, which demands and repays keeping.

When creating its white wines, the company frequently part-blocks the malolactic fermentation to retain higher acidity. In less favourable years, contrary to normal practice, a little more new oak is used. However, the main aim for both reds and whites is to use as little oak as possible in order to let the terroir and the vintage do the talking.

Not surprising connoisseurs search Louis Jadot products.