2018 Louis Jadot Volnay Santenots

2018 Louis Jadot Volnay Santenots

2018 Louis Jadot Volnay Santenots

Structured, round in the mouth with elegant tannins, it is a charming wine developing red berries and spices aromas evolving to truffles, undergrowth, animals notes. Very silky in the mouth, it is usually qualified as a feminine wine.

Santenots is a highly regarded Premier Cru vineyard that falls under the Volnay appellation in Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune sub-region. Officially located just south of the Volnay border in the commune of Meursault, the vineyard’s red wines made from Pinot Noir may take the Volnay name (it’s Chardonnays must take the Meursault title). Santenots reds are usually lush and rich with good structure, ripe tannins and good ageability.

The large vineyard is on the steep mid-slope of the east-facing Côte d’Or hillside (although with something of a southeast aspect here) above the flatter land below. Despite being in the commune of Meursault, an appellation famed for its white wines, Santenots is predominantly planted to Pinot Noir.

Louis Jadot is one of Burgundy’s most important negociants, both qualitatively and quantitatively, with a portfolio that covers everything from inexpensive Bourgogne and Beaujolais wines to several grand cru wines, from the Côte de Beaune to Chablis. Unsurprisingly, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay feature heavily in the portfolio.

The house was founded in Beaune in 1859 by Louis Jadot, although the first vineyard – Clos de Ursules – was purchased in the 1820s. The headquarters remains in Beaune, although vineyard holdings have increased exponentially. Louis Jadot owns land in some of Burgundy’s most famous vineyards, including Le Musigny, Échezeaux, Chapelle-Chambertin and in the famously fragmented Clos de Vougeot vineyard. Louis Jadot wines are also made in Chambertin, Montrachet, Corton and Romanée-Saint-Vivant.

As well as the sizeable portfolio of wines made under the Louis Jadot label itself, the house also makes wines for Domaine du Duc de Magenta, and for Domaine Gagey. Andre Gagey took over as general manager for Louis Jadot in 1968 and, along with winemaker Jacques Lardiere, is often held responsible for Louis Jadot’s high reputation.