2011 Clos de la Roche
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Tasting notes
More in the red fruit spectrum than the Clos St Denis on the nose and this is quite bold on the palate. There is a lot of structure here with a spicy character to the fruit. Restrained yet powerful, with typical Clos de la Roche “lift”, this is very good indeed.
Critic scores
Average Score
FINE+RARE
Allen Meadows, Burghound
More reviews and scores
The 2011 Clos de la Roche has a wonderful, vibrant, generous bouquet that is actually more akin to a Bonnes-Mares with its precocious, effervescent red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins on the opening, supple in the mouth, well-balanced with great precision on the finish. This is one of the best 2011s from Louis Jadot. Drink 2014-2026. This was the first time I had been back to Louis Jadot’s expansive winery on the northern outskirts of Beaune since their memorable 150th anniversary tasting back in 2008. As I quipped in the previous issue, Jacques Lardiere was then talking about his imminent retirement that seemed to never come. But on this occasion, there was new winemaker Frederic Barnier there to greet me. He has large shoes to fill but he seems up to the task of steering this important Burgundy name to a new chapter, having worked alongside Jacques for a couple of years. “At the beginning, we were not so confident about the whites,” he explained in reference to his 2011s, “but it has been a nice surprise. The dry spring of 2011 affected the level of ripeness but it has lent freshness, but with low acidity.” We did not have time to taste the entire portfolio of over 80 crus, but instead took a sample of 20 white and reds from both the 2010 and 2011 vintages. Importer: Kobrand, Purchase, NY; tel. (914) 253-7700
Good medium red. Complex, soil-driven aromas of cranberry, redcurrant, brown spices, mocha and menthol. The palate combines almost liqueur-like berry sweetness with notes of botanical herbs and pepper. Very young but already plush and fine-grained in the middle palate. Tightens up considerably on the back end.
A pungent if highly complex nose offers up a wide range of aromas that include wood toast, menthol, tar, ripe dark berry, plum and warm earth. There is excellent richness to the solidly well-concentrated medium weight plus flavors that possess plenty of volume before terminating in a muscular and firm finish of striking perseverance. Tasted: Apr 15, 2013. Drink: 2021+
About the producer
Louis Jadot is arguably the most consistent négociant house in Burgundy. It has managed to straddle both the entry-level and fine wine market, while retaining respect in both.