Louis Jadot - Bonnes-Mares 2016

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The appellation Bonnes-Mares lies just south of the Clos de Tart, the neighbouring Grand Cru, forming a rectangle between the hollowed hillsides of Morey and Chambolle. More of it lies in the territory of Chambolle-Musigny than that of Morey-Saint-Denis. Its exposition is easterly and its altitude averages between 250 and 280 metres.

The 0.27ha Jadot parcel of Bonnes-Mares (owned by the house itself) is in a strip that goes from the top of the vineyard to the bottom, and thus includes both terres blanches (white marl) and terres rouges (red clay). The calcium content of the soil which gives the wines of Chambolle Musigny their great delicacy, is less pronounced compared to le Musigny. Bonnes Mares is more robust, yet still extremely elegant. Destemmed grapes ferment in vats during 3 to 4 weeks. Aging takes place in oak barrels produced by our cooperage Cadus during 18 months. AGING POTENTIAL 20 years and more.

Louis Jadot Description

Founded in 1859, by Louis Henry Denis Jadot, he was the first of his family to arrive in Beaune from Belgium in 1794 and soon began purchasing Premier and Grand Cru vineyards in Burgundy. With grape growing a part of his heritage, Louis Henry set about gaining experience first in the cellars, in the evaluation of wines, and then in the vineyards, in the study of viticulture. The house of Louis Jadot has grown through a long-term policy of acquisition or management of exceptional vineyard lands and currently owns 528 acres of vineyards, including nearly 280 acres of the Cote d’Or’s most prestigious Premier and Grand Cru plots. In Burgundy’s Côte d’Or, where the integrity of the producer is often more important than a renowned appellation or vineyard, Maison Louis Jadot is one of the most venerable, most trusted and revered wine houses.

Decanter: 95 Points

The Bonnes-Mares is an excellent, cellar worthy wine this year, opening in the glass with a bouquet of cherries, wild berries, currant leaf, coffee and gamebird. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and concentrated, with excellent depth, rich but chalky tannins, and good energy through the long, penetrating finish. This is firmly structured but has the dimension and amplitude to carry it. William Kelley, Decanter

A View from the Cellar: 95 Points

"The Jadot version of Bonnes-Mares is composed of a fifty-fifty split of terres rouges and terres blanches and is brilliant in 2016. The bouquet is deep, pure and sappy, offering up scents of red and black cherries, venison, a stunningly complex base of soil tones, raw cocoa, woodsmoke, mustard seed and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, pure and already quite complex, with a sappy core, great focus and grip, suave, seamless tannins and outstanding length on the poised and perfectly balanced finish. Great juice."-John Gilman

Vinous: 93-96 Points

Bright medium red. The aromas of black cherry, blackberry and menthol show a medicinal reserve. Superconcentrated, chewy and fresh, offering a near-perfect balance of primary fruits and saline, soil-driven minerality. Jadot waited longer than in past years to harvest their fruit in Chambolle-Musigny, said Barnier, noting that this represents "a bit of a change in our pattern." This very rich, long Bonnes-Mares is wonderfully sweet and full, not to mention surprisingly tastable at this early stage.

Wine Advocate: 92 Points

The 2016 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a light bouquet with fragrant red cherry and strawberry fruit, nicely defined but I would be seeking more vigor, more gumption considering the vineyard. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, elegant and quite feminine, but like the nose it feels like it does not want to go that extra mile and deliver the amplitude you expect from a Bonnes-Mares. The 2015 was outstanding but this feels as if it is resigned to standing in its shadow.