Louis Jadot seems to be on a bit of a run of form when it comes to top quality white vintages. This Covid-hit 2020 is a charming vintage delivering full, fleshy, concentrated wines with plenty of intensity, depth and textural mouthfeel while retaining moderate alcohols and low pH levels. 2020 was a warm, dry year and efforts were of course made to pick fruit a little earlier than normal to retain freshness and energy in the wines. In the cellar, foudres and 500 litre barrels complement the classic Burgundian 228 litre barrels as changes are made to the wines’ elevage in an attempt to adapt to climate change.

Louis Jadot Domaine Gagey Ladoix Le Clou d’Orge Blanc 2020, Burgundy, 13% Abv.

The 2019 vintage was widely regarded as one of Jadot’s best white vintages on record, so 2020 was always going to be up against it. But this juicy Domaine Gagey Ladoix Le Clou d’Orge 2020 Blanc is a wonderfully expressive creation showing the ripeness and exoticism of the vintage. The aromatics are intricate and expressive, boasting notes of peaches, lemon pastille, citrus oil, salted toffee and honey drizzled on warm pastries fresh out the oven. The palate reveals a lovely opulent core of fleshy yellow citrus fruits that coat the mouth, with ripe flavours lingering with impressive persistence. A wine with a pleasing balance, flavour intensity and soft bright acids rather than zippy, nervy, chiselled acids of a cooler, leaner year. Certainly a real class act in terms of white Burgundy quality, and most importantly, with a rare accessible price point still. Enjoy now and over the next 3 to 5 years.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW

Wines are available exclusively to the UK trade through importer Hatch Mansfield and retails for circa £35 per bottle.