2005 Beaune Theurons

Jadot’s 2005 Beaune Theurons exhibits pure black cherry with sage and smoky bacon on the nose. Loaded with sap and juicy fruit character in the mouth, it juxtaposes tart freshness with creamy texture. Sage, resin, black cherry and a hint of maple syrup mark a savory finish that displays fascinating salty-sweet and fruit-smoked meat oscillation. This vigorous and tightly-concentrated wine should reward at least 5-7 years of cellaring. (The name of this site is usually spelled without an “h”.) Jacques Lardiere has once again presided over a collection for the most part not intended to flatter in its youth, but rather to achieve an eventual balance of fruit acidity with (in this instance frequently quite prominent) tannin. Prolonged post-fermentative extraction promoted a formidably-structured group of wines, which Lardiere expressed no hurry about bottling. Certain of these – particularly from the Cote de Beaune – displayed a slightly drying finishing astringency or simply an austere lack of charm to match their concentration, traits Lardiere suggested might be traceable to drought stress in those sites. A brief July rain that reached the Cote de Nuits but not the Cote de Beaune was critical, he asserts, and all of Jadot’s vines in the northern Cote were picked before the harvest in the south commenced. (Wines from the Domaine Louis Jadot, Domaine Heritiers Louis Jadot, or Domaine Gagey, have been identified with a letter “D” in their listings.) Also recommended: 2005 Cote de Nuits-Villages Le Vaucrain ($25.00;86+?), 2005 Santenay Clos de Malte ($27.00; 85-87), 2005 Savigny-les-Beaune Aux Guettes (84-86+?), 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges ($37.00; 85-87+?), 2005 Chambolle-Musigny ($50.00; 85-87+?). Importer: Kobrand, Inc., New York, NY; tel.(212) 490 9300

Good ruby-red. Black plum, leather, dark chocolate and smoked meat on the nose. Sweet on entry, then a bit chocolatey and clenched, with solid spine but less obvious lift than the Greves. Notes of mocha and tar. Showing less early sweetness but this has fat and depth.

A slightly more elegant nose that reveals subtle oak influence to the pure and ripe red pinot fruit with slightly more structured and muscular flavors that are serious and exude dry extract on the detailed and precise finish. This is a bit one-dimensional today but it could surprise to the upside as there is so much material here. Allen Meadows, Burghound, Apr01,2007.