The Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2020 is 100% Gamay grape sourced from vineyards surrounding some of the 38 approved villages in the Beaujolais region. There are 96 villages where grapes are grown, then 38 are approved to be part of the Beaujolais-Villages designation. Then there are 10 Cru designated villages whose wines will show the village name on the label.
Beaujolais is the southern portion of the Burgundy region with Champagne on the northern portion. Louis Jadot has been in the wine business since 1859. First, a negociant, is where they buy excess wine from a winery and sell it under their label. They can add other purchased wine and make their blend, age it differently, or just slap a new label on it. Since the first winery name is always a secret a negociant is only as good as its reputation.
Seeing that Louis Jadot has been in business since 1857 I would say they have an impeccable reputation. Today they also have their vineyards and make their own wine. The Louis Jadot website states they are the #1 French wine company in the US.
The Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2020 sources grapes from the northern section of Beaujolais and use grapes from the 10 Cru villages in the blend. This wine was made with traditional Beaujolais methods. Modern wine from the region often uses carbonic maceration instead of traditional fermentation.
Carbonic Maceration is where whole grape bunches are placed in a vat that is rich with carbon dioxide, the grapes on the bottom are crushed but most grapes ferment in their skins. Then the grapes are crushed. Traditional fermentation crushes the grapes, adds yeast, and then fermentation occurs. The carbonic maceration wine is a more fruit-forward, modern wine.
The Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2020 is not oak barrel-aged. The winemaker cold soaked the grapes before fermentation, which causes different chemical compounds to be released that affect the flavor and the color. Otherwise, this is a traditional Beaujolais from a winery with almost 163 years of experience. The alcohol content is 13.5%.
The Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2020 Tasting Notes
The color is a see-thru garnet red with black highlights. The nose is ripe black cherry and plum, with a whiff of herbs, black pepper, soft spice, and strawberry. The Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2020 is a medium-bodied wine with smooth ripe fruit and interesting spice.
This Beaujolais-Villages tastes like black cherry, a quick sharp slap of spice, followed by ripe plum, and raspberry. The mid-palate adds black pepper, raspberry, dried strawberry, and a slightly rough brush of herbs.
The tannins give the wine structure and do not bite. The acidity gives this Red wine an excellent length.
The Summary
- The Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2020 should be found in the $10 to $12 range and is an excelent value.
- This is a wine that will pair well with food and be an tasty sipping wine.
- This wine will do very well with Easter ham or be great accompaniment to binge watching HBO Max on a rainy night.
