Maison Louis Jadot - Clos Saint Denis Grand Cru - 2020

Maison Louis Jadot

Clos Saint Denis Grand Cru 2020

The 2020 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru (Domaine Gagey) is one of the best wines in the cellar chez Jadot this year. Mingling aromas of red berry fruit with hints of rose petal, exotic spices, vanilla pod and raw cocoa, it's full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with a layered core of concentrated, vibrant fruit that's framed by velvety tannins. It's well worth seeking out. The 2020 vintage has turned out beautifully at this address, delivering concentrated, flavorful wines with alcohol levels between 13.3% and 13.7% and with low pHs. Winemaker Frédéric Barnier told me that efforts were made to pick earlier in the day, and that fruit waiting to be processed was kept fresh in a special cold room. In the cellar, foudres and 500-liter barrels now complement classic 228-liter pièces, a further evolution adapting to warmer, riper vintages. But aside from the quality of the 2020s and these technical developments, described in more detail in the accompanying tasting notes, there's other noteworthy news too: in 2021, Jadot entered into organic conversion for their domaine vineyards.

William Kelley, January 2022