Gevrey - Lavaux St. Jacques..... Gevrey - Le Cazetiers.....

Tonight, at our wine partners home, we had the most interesting, educating (and tasty) 'controlled experiment' with (B) wines. Two different 1er Crus, both from Gevrey-Chambertin, both 1988 and both from Jadot's own domaine! 'Les Cazetiers' and 'Lavaux St. Jacques'.
You can't set up better conditions for testing and tasting the inherent differences (if any) between 1er Cru vineyards of the same commune. Furthermore these two great vineyards are of approximately the same size (about 9 ha.), lie at the same altitude, with only the illustrious vineyard of 'Clos St. Jacques' separating them.
The same vintage, the same owner and producer, the same alcohol contents (13.5%). Can they really be different? Stay tuned for the ultimate examination of the 'terroir' question...

Gevrey - Lavaux St. Jacques	1988	L. Jadot

10/95. Acquired from Beaune May-94 for $31 (imported for $40 net).
COLOR: Pretty deep red for (B), same as the 'Cazetiers'.
NOSE: Pronounced dark fruit engulfed by medium but very pleasant 'Bourgogne Nose'. A bit one-dimensional and coarse compared with its brother, but would have gotten many superlatives if sampled on its own.
TASTE: Very good and mouth-filling. Excellent fruit and 'flesh' is carried right thru the finish. Feels very young though softer tannins than the Cazetiers.
LENGTH: Short to medium but very pleasant aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: More body than structure. Plenty of 'wininess' with very good flavors. A bit short in acidity. Noticeable but receding tannins. More ready to drink now than the Cazetiers, but will probably not last as long.
OVERALL: An excellent wine on its own. Suffered a little by the comparison. Enjoy now and for two-three more years.
MARK: 17/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Maybe.

Gevrey - Les Cazetiers		1988	L. Jadot

10/95. Acquired from Beaune May-94 for $25 (imported for $33 net).
COLOR: Pretty deep red for (B), same as the 'Lavaux'.
NOSE: Beautiful red fruit aroma, surrounded by extremely rich and lush 'Bourgogne Nose'. Instant consensus from the four of us that the nose of the Cazetiers is in a different league than that of the Lavaux.
TASTE: Wide-spectrum of flavors hit the palate and continue to develop in the mouth. The sourish cherry fruit flavor together with the pronounced tannins add to the feeling of a very vigorous and vibrant young wine.
LENGTH: Medium-long 'happy' feeling lasting after each sip.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Super structure! Fantastic balance between the very good acidity, the alcohol and the still-a-bit-harsh tannins. The fruit is very apparent, but I found the 'Lavaux' to have more 'flesh'.
OVERALL: Superb! The fruit is there, the backbone is there, so it is only a matter of time before this fantastic wine becomes truly extraordinary. If my experience with six 1985 bottles of this very wine is anything to go by - I'm sure in two-three years this wine will become one of the best examples of a "Premier Cru that is more Grand Cru than many pedigreed ones".
MARK: 18/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

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Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.