2014 Maison Louis Jadot, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru

Medium red. Brooding, medicinal aromas of black cherry, licorice, menthol, fresh herbs and spices; much less expressive and floral than the Echézeaux. Juicy, delineated and tight, even a bit hard-edged, not showing the sweetness or inner-mouth floral lift of the Echézeaux but with plenty of intensity to its red berry and spice flavors. And brisk, minerally and precise on the rising finish. Will this wine deepen and soften with extended bottle aging? (An earlier sample initially showed a faint acid streak and less length than the bottle I rated, but it improved dramatically with 24 hours in the recorked bottle.)

Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2014 tasting, the 2014 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru from Domaine Louis Jadot offers lively red cherry, crushed strawberry and white pepper notes on the nose, quite intense and thankfully retaining satisfying delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red berry fruit, firm grip in the mouth and a tightly wound, slightly brutish finish that needs bottle age to gain more elegance. I just hope there is sufficient fruit to see it through. Like a handful of other Clos de Vougeot, in bottle this does not match up to the performance out of barrel. Tasted September 2017.

Light cherry red. Smells of sweet red fruit but it is terribly dry and a little mean on the palate. (JH)