Yesterday I had a chance to taste a series of Clos De Béze by Louis Jadot wines from 1993-2001, a flight of 5 wines. These wines are not purchased at auction and are in the cellar of a friend in Australia.

The 1993 label was slightly different which gives me the opinion that perhaps it was not 100% under the control of Jadot until later on. The 1993 label is a négociant wine bottled by Louis Jadot. I presume it is a play on words but in the end the structure if Jadot has changed over the years. I think the fact that it is not a Domaine bottle in the same way as the other vintages, it still says Domaine Louis Jadot. It requires some more investigation which I am doing.

The other labels say, récolte (harvested), vinifié (vinified), élevé (kept by), mis en bouteilles (bottled), and par (by) Jadot.

Subsequently I found out that while Jadot labels have changed over time, and today the label of Grand Cru is even different from the pictures above. The Domaine has been the same vineyard, which was purchased from domain Clair Dau in 1985, and it is remains a Jadot domaine.

1993 was smokey hints of old styled Pinot Noir with a mature fruit, yet the fruit was steady. The fruit was not soggy or obnoxious in any way. Just the contrary, because so many old burgundy wines, develop an over-ripeness that hangs on your palate with a heaviness. This wine does not and was very good and refined for its age.

(Points 94+)

1997 was very perfumed on the nose at the beginning when the wines were opened. It had tea aromas, nice currants and blackberry with a ripe nose. On the palate it was a little restrained, but it had good flavor and a nice punch through the backbone. This is a food wine.

(Points 93+)

2000 was closed and had a dumb feel to it. Strange but true and the fruit was really very closed. I tried it the next day but it was already oxidized.

2001 it was more open and had excellent aromas of rich fruit but was short on the finish. I felt it was also closed.

(90 Points)