“This wine could almost be mistaken for Pinot Noir in a blind tasting.”

Click image to enlarge.

Some months ago, a member of a private Facebook wine group I lurk in posted a picture of an old vintage of a Louis Jadot Beaujolais Village. The poster explained that the bottle had recently been gifted to them and wondered if it might still be any good. Most replies rightly stated that this was unlikely, given the wine’s age and provenance, or lack thereof. And, of course, there were a few obligatory knee-jerk declarations that nothing Louis Jadot makes and/or exports is any good, so why even bother. Those comments elicited some quick kickback from more knowledgeable wine drinkers who countered that Jadot does indeed have some worthwhile selections that are more than just forgettable plonk in their portfolio. Take Château des Jacques for instance.

According to the Kobrand Corporation website, “The historic Château des Jacques estate, located in the village of Romanèche-Thorins in the Moulin-à-Vent appellation, is widely recognized as the most prestigious estate in Beaujolais.” Whether or not this is hyperbole or actual fact, I can’t say. I can testify to the fact that I have had some good wines from this producer, starting with the 2012 Château des Jacques Moulin-à-Vent in 2015. That same wine was a thing of silky beauty when I tasted it about 6 months ago, and I can only rue the fact that I took no notes at the time. My bad.

Last week, I picked up the 2020 bottling at Plum Market, and I found it to be much to my liking, even though it may be more about promise at this early stage of development.
Continue reading →