Chateaux des Jacques is a venerable name in Beaujolais which Jadot bought in 2000. The Chateaux produces five "Clos" wines from single vineyard sites as well as straight Moulin-A-Vent. I've tasted and drunk the 2000 Clos du grand Cafquelin four times, noteably as a joker at Jadot blind tastings, where it usually fooled the attendees into thinking it was a 1er Cru from the Cote d'Or. It is Jadot's best value wine and arguably one of their greatest, period. It ages well; I drank the 1997 Clos des Thorins in 2005 and it needed time to flesh out in mid-palate and was so fresh and ripe I'm sure it could last until the end of the decade.
I was concerned about the 2003 for the obvious reason, the heatwave that turned so much of France into the New World, but then again a venerable classicist like Clive Coates called the 2003 Beaujolais Crus magnificent. Ironically, Chateaux des Jacques had to suffer through hail storms which ruined three of their five Clos. Then came the heatwave but the Chateaux gambled on rain and dew to bring the water levels up and harvested later than the other growers.
Oooo-kay, but am it art?
A very ripe, alcoholic New World nose, the jammy fruit covering the red, black and blue spectrum, with vague hints of spices only just saving it for me at first. Fleshes out with somewhat meaty notes as the fruit makes up its mind to be blueberry and kick out the jam. The palate manages to balance out the ripe fruit with tannins, but it’s low on acid, not blatantly so, but noticeable. I can appreciate the technical work though it’s not really my style.
Louis Jadot is of course imported by Wine Route, at a decent price, 110-120 NIS (~25 USD). I'm sorry I didn't buy more from the cooler vintages but I'll stay with my sole bottle this time.
I was concerned about the 2003 for the obvious reason, the heatwave that turned so much of France into the New World, but then again a venerable classicist like Clive Coates called the 2003 Beaujolais Crus magnificent. Ironically, Chateaux des Jacques had to suffer through hail storms which ruined three of their five Clos. Then came the heatwave but the Chateaux gambled on rain and dew to bring the water levels up and harvested later than the other growers.
Oooo-kay, but am it art?
A very ripe, alcoholic New World nose, the jammy fruit covering the red, black and blue spectrum, with vague hints of spices only just saving it for me at first. Fleshes out with somewhat meaty notes as the fruit makes up its mind to be blueberry and kick out the jam. The palate manages to balance out the ripe fruit with tannins, but it’s low on acid, not blatantly so, but noticeable. I can appreciate the technical work though it’s not really my style.
Louis Jadot is of course imported by Wine Route, at a decent price, 110-120 NIS (~25 USD). I'm sorry I didn't buy more from the cooler vintages but I'll stay with my sole bottle this time.
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