From vines of 50 year average age, including a strain of rose-colored Chardonnay grapes introduced to the area by the Clair family, Jadot’s white 2006 Marsannay offers pungent aromas and flavors of rhubarb, brown spices, and oak resin. Imposingly broad and creamy, this nevertheless remains clear and refreshing in finish. Chardonnay here has to be picked late if it is going to be ripe, explains Lardiere, so catching the narrow window of opportunity is tricky, and was doubly so in 2006. In fact, this wine nicely characterizes his aim and success in this vintage, namely to keep wines of natural breadth and high alcohol from losing shapeliness or refreshment. Probably it will be best drunk by the end of 2009. The impressive collection of Jadot 2006s were slow both in their alcoholic fermentation and their malo-lactic evolution, which director Jacques Lardiere considered all to the good when it came to imposing structure and building complexity in wines of such ripeness and relatively high alcohol. In any case, Jadot whites seldom complete their malo-lactic transformation, and if one seeks a vintage to demonstrate the virtues of that approach, surely 2006 is the poster child. Furthermore, anyone who thinks that there are no values left in white Burgundy today has clearly not given Jadot’s wide range the attention it deserves. (These wines were assembled from barrel for my tasting and/or tasted from a range of individual barrels. I have generally made note of those wines not owned by Jadot and its associates by at least indicating whether grapes or juice were purchased.) Importer: Kobrand, Inc., New York, NY; tel.(212) 490 9300

From vines of 50 year average age, including a strain of rose-colored Chardonnay grapes introduced to the area by the Clair family, Jadot’s white 2006 Marsannay offers pungent aromas and flavors of rhubarb, brown spices, and oak resin. Imposingly broad and creamy, this nevertheless remains clear and refreshing in finish. Chardonnay here has to be picked late if it is going to be ripe, explains Lardiere, so catching the narrow window of opportunity is tricky, and was doubly so in 2006. In fact, this wine nicely characterizes his aim and success in this vintage, namely to keep wines of natural breadth and high alcohol from losing shapeliness or refreshment. Probably it will be best drunk by the end of 2009. The impressive collection of Jadot 2006s were slow both in their alcoholic fermentation and their malo-lactic evolution, which director Jacques Lardiere considered all to the good when it came to imposing structure and building complexity in wines of such ripeness and relatively high alcohol. In any case, Jadot whites seldom complete their malo-lactic transformation, and if one seeks a vintage to demonstrate the virtues of that approach, surely 2006 is the poster child. Furthermore, anyone who thinks that there are no values left in white Burgundy today has clearly not given Jadot’s wide range the attention it deserves. (These wines were assembled from barrel for my tasting and/or tasted from a range of individual barrels. I have generally made note of those wines not owned by Jadot and its associates by at least indicating whether grapes or juice were purchased.)Importer: Kobrand, Inc., New York, NY; tel.(212) 490 9300