2022 Chateau Des Jacques, Morgon, Cote du Py, 6x750ml
From the famed Côte du Py and considered by many to be the best site in Morgon, a deeply fruited prop forward of a wine with firm tannins, lots of structure and a long life. A super example of what Gamay is capable of.
Availability: En Primeur
Case size: 6 / Bottle size: 750ml
Duty Status
£120.00
( available)
Drinking Dates: 2028-2045
Sensual dark chocolate and plum skins. Powerful with massive extract. Bold structure with polished tannins. Weighty and imposing. Primal dark fruits. A keeper.
Purchased by Louis Jadot in November 1996, Château des Jacques’s 67ha vineyards are spread out across six individual appellations within the region. Their vineyards are planted on the best sites, moreover, they are working towards the organic certification for all of their Moulin-à-Vent vineyards. All the parcels are vinified separately at the Château des Jacques winery in the heart of Romanèche-Thorins, to give the best flexibility and control for blending and releasing wines as individual ‘Clos’ which each reflect their specific ‘terroir’. The estate is recognised for its practice of traditional fermentation where for more than 40 years, the Gamay grapes have been fermented like Pinot Noir in open tanks with ‘pigeage’ and ‘destemming’, and the wines aged in oak barrels for about a year before bottling.
Vintage:
The first few weeks of the year were gloomy, and colder than the averages seen over the course of nearly twenty years. This gave us hope that the vines would finally enjoy a good period of dormancy, and that this would lead to a growth cycle that kicked off a bit later than has been the case in recent years. Nevertheless, from early February onwards, the weather was extremely mild and this, in tandem with high levels of sunshine, set the tone for the last few days of winter. It was hardly a surprise, therefore, that the first buds broke at the very end of March. With temperatures spiking at around 35°C by mid-month, May 2022 was quite simply the hottest ever recorded in Beaujolais. Despite this racing start to the growing season, it’s important to remember that hardly a drop of rain had fallen since the start of the year, and while flowering began to take place towards the end of the month, the lack of water had an effect on the vines’ development, particularly in the case of those planted on granite soils.
June brought some respite; several thundery showers released their rains over the vineyards. Sadly, though, the heatwave that occurred in midmonth (with temperatures reaching around 40°C) caused its fair share of extreme weather events. Summer really started in July, with the return of incredibly sunny, dry conditions. The first berries to turn red did so during the first ten days of the month, something we’ve never seen before. The ripening continued apace right through to mid-August, with the lack of rainfall a constant nagging concern.
The first bunches were harvested in the Clos du Grand Carquelin on Friday 19 August, which saw the vineyard’s 2020 record for early picking shattered. Despite this record precocity and the signs of stress seen in the vineyards over the course of the growing season, the wines do not lack freshness. When tasted in barrel or tank, the wines of 2022 show no sign of the climatic challenges of the year. In fact, they show remarkable levels of suppleness. Only the yields, the lowest since 2017, serve as a reminder that there can be no doubt that climate change is taking place.
Year in, year out, the words ‘we’ve never seen anything like it’ have become our new mantra.
Vintage:
The first few weeks of the year were gloomy, and colder than the averages seen over the course of nearly twenty years. This gave us hope that the vines would finally enjoy a good period of dormancy, and that this would lead to a growth cycle that kicked off a bit later than has been the case in recent years. Nevertheless, from early February onwards, the weather was extremely mild and this, in tandem with high levels of sunshine, set the tone for the last few days of winter. It was hardly a surprise, therefore, that the first buds broke at the very end of March. With temperatures spiking at around 35°C by mid-month, May 2022 was quite simply the hottest ever recorded in Beaujolais. Despite this racing start to the growing season, it’s important to remember that hardly a drop of rain had fallen since the start of the year, and while flowering began to take place towards the end of the month, the lack of water had an effect on the vines’ development, particularly in the case of those planted on granite soils.
June brought some respite; several thundery showers released their rains over the vineyards. Sadly, though, the heatwave that occurred in midmonth (with temperatures reaching around 40°C) caused its fair share of extreme weather events. Summer really started in July, with the return of incredibly sunny, dry conditions. The first berries to turn red did so during the first ten days of the month, something we’ve never seen before. The ripening continued apace right through to mid-August, with the lack of rainfall a constant nagging concern.
The first bunches were harvested in the Clos du Grand Carquelin on Friday 19 August, which saw the vineyard’s 2020 record for early picking shattered. Despite this record precocity and the signs of stress seen in the vineyards over the course of the growing season, the wines do not lack freshness. When tasted in barrel or tank, the wines of 2022 show no sign of the climatic challenges of the year. In fact, they show remarkable levels of suppleness. Only the yields, the lowest since 2017, serve as a reminder that there can be no doubt that climate change is taking place.
Year in, year out, the words ‘we’ve never seen anything like it’ have become our new mantra.
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