Louis Jadot
21, rue Eugène Spuller
21203 Beaune Cedex
Tel : +33 (0)380 221 057

maisonlouisjadot@louisjadot.com
http://www.louisjadot.com

Louis Jadot, Great Burgundy wines

Find out all about Maison Louis Jadot in Burgundy's Côte d’Or region.

A recognizable emblem: Bacchus Louis Jadot

Located in the heart of the Côte de Beaune, Maison Louis Jadot - recognizable by its labels flanked by the Bacchus and a frieze - is one of the great tenors among the négociant-éléveurs of the Burgundy landscape. A highly respected producer, negociant and winemaker, this major player in Burgundy - founded in 1859 by Belgian Louis Henry Denis Jadot - is involved in the whole of Burgundy. From Côte de Beaune to Côte de Nuits and Beaujolais, with a total of 230 hectares throughout Burgundy, Louis Jadot has no fewer than 150 red and white wines to his credit, featuring Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Wines of consistent quality from Grand Cru and Premier Cru appellations and climats to village appellations, not forgetting the plots of land that the estate owns itself, shares or is the sole owner of “Monopoles”.    

The Clos des Ursules, Beaune Premier Cru, was the starting point for this adventure

The story of Louis Jadot began in 1826 with the acquisition of a plot in the Côte de Beaune: Clos des Ursules, classified as a Beaune Premier Cru. Louis Henry Denis Jadot, a Belgian by birth, started out as a winegrower. Thirty years later, the venerable Maison Louis Jadot was founded in 1859. At this time, Burgundy's vineyards were undergoing a profound transformation and undergoing enormous development. It was at this point that Louis Henry Denis Jadot turned the adventure into a long-standing family business, developing the wine trade in markets with which he was familiar; starting with Belgium (due to his Belgian origins) and then Northern Europe. In 1900, his son Louis-Jean-Baptiste succeeded him and naturally continued the development of Maison Jadot, in particular by acquiring new plots of land in Corton-Charlemagne and Chevalier-Montrachet with the “Les demoiselles” climate. Then it was the turn of Louis Henry Denis' grandson, Louis Auguste Jadot. This latter will increase business development in England and the United States. It's worth recalling that the American market was made possible by his 1945 meeting with entrepreneur Rudy Kopf (founder of Kobrand Corporation). It's worth noting that Kopf is a family name that will carry a great deal of weight in the future development of Maison Jadot.

Finally, after several generations of Jadots at the head of the family business and working within the trading house, newcomers from outside the family are joining the company in key positions. Such is the case of André Gagey. He joins the trading company as assistant to Louis Auguste Jadot. But when Louis Auguste died prematurely in 1962, André Gagey took over from Louis Jadot. It was also the arrival in 1970 of Jacques Lardière (a young oenologist at the time), to whom the company owes a vital boost in its wine profile, as it will later, in 2021, with Frédéric Barnier (in charge of current vinifications). In 1984, André Gagey's son, Pierre-Henry Gagey, joined the company, which he managed for 31 years from 1992 onwards. The latter, who has been President of the BIVB interprofessional organization on several occasions, will be keen to uphold the values of excellence, as he explains: “Demand quality, a single brand, a single label, a desire for reasonable growth without ever putting quantity before quality and profit”.

Change of hands at the Maison de Negoce

1985 undoubtedly marked a turning point in the destiny of Maison Jadot. Madame Jadot, who still owned the family business, decided to sell the company to Rudy Kopf's family, i.e. his sisters. The long-standing importer of Maison Jadot wines in the United States was ideally placed to ensure the long-term future of the Maison de négoce, which he knows well from his work as its US distributor. 

In 2022, Pierre-Henry Gagey stepped down as Chairman of the company and brought in Thomas Seiter (former General Manager of Maison Bouchard Père & Fils) as President, while entrusting general management to his son, Thibault Gagey. With this new management, and as its predecessors had already done, the House continues to uphold the family spirit and inimitable signature of Louis Jadot wines, through its 150 wines from a mosaic of top-quality parcels throughout Burgundy. 

Among the most representative terroirs and climates of Burgundy

Louis Jadot offers a wide range of products, including the most demonstrative Burgundy appellations. The « tour de force » of Maison Jadot's style is to offer exemplary consistency in all the diversity of crus, climats and appellations it offers. With more than 200 hectares of vineyards throughout the Côte d'Or, and 230 hectares to be precise, Maison Louis Jadot offers its customers wines of great diversity. With consistent quality, whatever the vintage and wherever the vines and grapes, all hand-harvested and vinified with precision, come from. With 120 hectares in Côte d'Or (Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits), 67 hectares of Château des Jacques in Beaujolais (Cru Moulin-à-Vent), Château des Lumières in Cru Morgon and 18 hectares in the Mâconnais, in Pouilly-Fuissé with Domaine J.-A. Ferret, Maison Louis Jadot has a lot to offer. But it's above all in the Grands Crus and Premiers Crus of the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits that the subtle nuances of climatic expression come to the fore. In fact, it's in these parcels that the soul and know-how of the famous wine merchant, grower and producer can be best appreciated.

Côte de Beaune Premiers Crus include Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Garenne, Beaune Premier Cru le Clos Saint-Denis, Domaine Gagey (25 hectares), Domaine du Duc de Magenta (9 hectares) including Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot and Corton-Charlemagne, and 16 hectares of Domaine des Héritiers Jadot in Chevalier-Montrachet and Corton-Charlemagne. Let's not forget Louis Jadot's historic monopoly: Beaune Premier Cru Clos des Ursules, bought in 1826, at the very beginning of Louis Jadot's history.

On the Côte de Nuits side, Louis Jadot owns Premier Cru Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses, a few plots of Musigny, Chambertin Clos de Bèze, a few plots of Clos Vougeot, Corton Grèves, Echézeaux, Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Malconsort and Suchots. Finally, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Estournelles Saint-Jacques or Clos de la Roche Grand Cru en Morey-Saint-Denis.

All these parcels and climates give rise to singular expressions, drawing on the nuances of varied limestone and clay soils, depending on the location and the clos (low walls). All of which guarantees infinite richness and complexity of aroma and taste. While limestone lends minerality and finesse to whites and reds alike, clay adds volume and power. Louis Jadot therefore covers a very broad spectrum of styles that Chardonnay (25% of Jadot's grape varieties) and Pinot Noir (85% of Jadot's grape varieties) can offer, depending on location. But the common denominator of all these wines, red as well as white, and vinified with the least possible interventionist rigor, is to express the true Burgundy, proud of its origins and looking to the future. This is an approach dear to Pierre-Henry Gagey and his successors. And speaking of the future, the vines cultivated by the House (which cares about the environment) have been certified organic since 2024.

Louis Jadot wines: style and signature

As you can see, it's difficult to sum up Louis Jadot's wines, given the depth and diversity of the range, which covers a broad spectrum from Grands Crus to regional appellations, not forgetting Premiers Crus and wine merchant wines. With 8,000,000 bottles produced every year, Louis Jadot wines satisfy many Burgundy lovers around the world, even if we rightly consider that Burgundy wine production is generally low compared to sustained demand: which explains the prices of Burgundy's Grands Crus and Premiers Crus, when compared to the smaller surface areas of Bordeaux, for example.

But if there are any useful benchmarks, it's that Louis Jadot's dry whites, like Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru and Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru, wines of great freshness, complexity and density, are among the great whites of Burgundy. As for Pinot Noir, the reds combine finesse, elegance and power, with real ageing potential, such as Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Estournelles Saint-Jacques, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru and others. However, let's take two wines as examples. These are Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot and Premier Cru Beaune Clos des Ursules Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. These are Domaine (owner) wines, not negociant wines.

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru – Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot :

The wine is produced on a 1.54-hectare parcel of brown limestone with scree-limestone soils. The subsoil is mainly marl and limestone. Golden color. The nose is fine and complex, very delicate, with aromas of white flowers, white-fleshed fruit and citrus zest. Fresh on the palate, straightforward and full-bodied with minerality. Often shy in its youth, this wine reveals great generosity as it ages in bottle.

Beaune Clos des Ursules – Monopole – Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot :

This is a symbolic wine: it tells us about the original adventure of Maison Louis Jadot as an estate owner, since this parcel was acquired in 1826, even before the official launch of the Louis Jadot family business and trading structure. Clos des Ursules, a walled micro-parcel, is a Monopole located between Savigny-lès-Beaune and Pommard and is part of the Beaune Premier Cru “Les Vignes Franches”. It's a deep-colored wine, with powerful aromas that are not lacking in finesse; an aromatic profile very typical of Pinot Noir and reminiscent of certain expressions of Grands Crus located on the Côte de Nuits. The palate displays a beautiful tannic structure with well-integrated, elegant tannins, giving an impression of wine weight. A wine for laying down par excellence!

The great vintages of Louis Jadot:

Dry white wines: 1959, 1962, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.

Red wines: 1947, 1959, 1961, 1964, 1966, 1969, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.