Clos Vougeot Grand Cru Louis Jadot 2015

Louis Jadot has been making wine in Beaune since 1859, but the family’s story in Burgundy starts earlier. In 1826 they bought the Clos des Ursules, a walled Beaune Premier Cru vineyard they still own outright. Louis Henry Denis Jadot founded the négociant house a generation later. He started out buying wine and then grew it into one of the region’s most respected names.

Today Jadot works across the whole of Burgundy, from Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south. Its own domaines hold some of the Côte d’Or’s best addresses, including Grand Cru parcels in Chevalier-Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne and Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. It also owns Château des Jacques in Moulin-à-Vent, where it shows how seriously Beaujolais can age.

The house style was shaped by Jacques Lardière, who ran the cellars for more than four decades. He believed the winemaker should step back and let each vineyard speak. His successor, Frédéric Barnier, has kept that approach. Fermentations run long and gentle, and Jadot coopers many of its own barrels so it can control the oak that touches every wine.

The result is a range that rewards both early drinking and patience. A village Bourgogne Pinot Noir gives you a clear, honest picture of the region at a fair price. The Premier and Grand Crus are built for the cellar and will open up over ten years or more.

Look for the head of Bacchus on the label. It has been the Jadot mark for well over a century and it remains one of the most reliable signs of quality in Burgundy.