WTN: Nuits-St. Georges 88; beware of first impressions.

Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru AOC – Clos des Corvées – 1988 – Louis Jadot (négoce wine) – Alc. 13.5%

Beware of first impressions, both in judging a vintage and in judging a bottle. As most wine-lovers know this vintage was given the thumbs-down by Robert Parker (with his crowning insult “an Englishman’s vintage”), but it is now widely recognized as giving satisfying wines after a decade and a half of in many cases hard unyielding bottles.

Coming to this bottle, I pulled it out after my first choice Beaune Marconnets 1988 from Camille Giraud proved to be corked. On pulling the cork of this one and pouring, I was greeted with pale bricking colour, total absence of bouquet and an acidic and thin first taste. As I was bringing up a third bottle I began to notice complexity and attractive fragrance in the after-taste, so I decided to keep the bottle of Nuits open and available on the off-chance that it would show better with food after 40 minutes airing. Here is what I then found.

C: Quite pale brick.
N: Quite transformed showing bright but quite deep red fruit with noticeable cherry and mineral elements and real pinosity. Was there a hint of VA? Perhaps, but so little as to add a welcome note of complexity .
P: Again transformed, its body seemed to have filled out and the acid was very present but now in balance; focus was precise, weight medium, mouth-feel quite velvety with good support and shape linear and long. An elegant and very satisfying Burgundy; 16.5/20.

[David M. Bueker]

I was not yet into Burgundy (or even wine) when the '88s came out, so I own none, but I have been served many at dinners and tastings. I like them a lot. They show some fruit but a ton of earthiness & good acidity. Certainly some vintages deceive on release, but I really love the '88s now.

I consider "an Englishman's vintage" to be a strong recommendation. I haven't had that many 1988 Burgundies, but I've enjoyed the ones I've had.

-Paul W.

When they are on, the '88s can be very good (a Drouhin Griottes-Chambertin may end up being my wine of the year). Unfortunately many of the '88s are pretty hard with not much fruit.

But thank you for the note on the Jadot Corvees. You don't see that vineyard much. I have some of the '91 that I'm saving for the right time.

We used to see some fairly priced older Jadots here (and the Ch. des Jacques Moulin-à-Vent 2002 and Clos St. Denis 1999 of newer vintages) and I am happy to say that I got to try quite a few of them. My experience, sadly much to small with both properties, is that Jadot is like Lafite in that it really needs some time after opening to show well. I am not surprised to see your note in that respect. We just received a shipment of '78-'90 Jadots to our monopoly but sadly the prices are outrageous now.

I've read occasional reports that the style of Jadot changed in the late '90's - any views on that? My one taste of the '99 Clos St. Denis didn't seem to indicate such but as that is such a negligible sample, I would love to hear from those with more experience?

I absolutely adored Giroud's Beaune Bressandes 1988 and am very, very sorry to see your Marconnets was corked. I haven't enjoyed the Girouds that the new ownership makes, but the old ones are treasures.