THE WINES OF LE CLOS JORDANNE
Guest Speaker: Sébastien Jacquey, Assistant Winemaker, Le Clos Jordanne
Notes on the Wines
How The Wines Scored
In 2005, Le Clos Jordanne was the most hyped-about new wine initiative in
Ontario. The winery is a partnership between the large Canadian firm, Vincor
Canada, and the French house of Boisset France, a first for a Burgundy wine
producer. Jean-Charles Boisset, VP of Boisset, La Famille des Grands Vins, said
of this partnership, "As we planted the vineyards, we consistently
emphasized the importance of "terroir," paying special attention to
soil type, slope, air drainage, directional facing and trellising. Most notably,
we followed the traditional approach to plant spacing practised in Burgundy. By
producing much lower yields per vine, we are able to achieve higher quality,
more complexity and flavour, while still achieving ripening within Ontario's
shorter growing season. The density of our vines is recognized as the tightest
in the Niagara region."
The winery has received no end of accolades about their wines, particularly
their Pinot Noir, since the release of its first wines. Why is their wine
considered so good? First and foremost, the vineyard was well planned and laid
out at the beginning. The winery employs Burgundian traditions of mixing clones
within planting blocks, spacing vines tightly and employing the Guyot pruning
system or Vertical Shoot Positioning (VSP) to position the shoots towards the
sun to ensure optimal photosynthesis, air circulation and ripening. Secondly,
the best Burgundian clones were used on the best grafts possible for the soil
underneath the vineyard. Thirdly, Organic/Bio dynamic farming is used. There are
no synthetic fertilizers and pesticides used. Fourthly, allowing the expression
of terroir to come through in their wines is very important to Le Clos. Wild
yeasts are used in their wine making; the fermentation process is gentle and
unhurried; and they minimize fining and filtration to preserve the flavour
compounds that can be removed through such procedures. Fifthly, they concentrate
on only two types of grapes/wines - Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Lastly, but not
least in importance, the winery engaged a very good winemaker, Canadian-born
Thomas Bachelder, who spent several years making wine in Burgundy. Those of you
who attended our 2000 Premier Cru Burgundy tasting in January 2007 tasted a
couple of Le Clos wines and may recall Thomas as our guest speaker. In fact, our
members loved the mystery wine and ranked it their 2nd favourite over the
premier crus. What was it? The Le Clos Jordanne, 2004 Pinot Noir, La Petite
Vineyard.
We are very excited to present the chance to sample 8 wines from Le Clos
Jordanne - three Chardonnays and five Pinot Noirs - all except one from the 2006
vintage. This is an opportunity to compare different vineyards and production
techniques of the same grape varieties. (See page two for the wines.) Yes, some
of these wines need more time but this is a unique occasion to taste products
from an up-and-coming winery so you can stock your private cellar for the
future!
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Chardonnay 2006, Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard $40
Single vineyard. Bright yellow straw colour; toasty, vanilla, orange and apple
notes with a marked minerality; well structured and firm, full on the palate,
well balanced with good length. “Likened to a Peregrine Falcon it seems to
have more finesse and style with a floral bouquet with a touch of vanilla and
butter on the nose and light fruit flavours of pear, apple and lemon peel on the
palate with an acidity and minerality on the finish.” Chuck Byers,
chuckbyers.blogspot.com/2008/10/le-clos-jordanne-flys-high.html
David Lawrason: "vivacious and vibrant". 91 pts. Oct. 7, 2008). Tony
Aspler: 4.5/5 stars. www.tonyaspler.com,
A Wine Lover's Diary.
Chardonnay 2006, Village Reserve $40.
This 2006 Village Chardonnay, sourced from several of the estate's vineyards,
is simply stellar. Deep in colour, this medium full-bodied wine is packed with
aromas and flavours of citrus fruit, peach, vanilla, butterscotch and hazelnut,
all balanced by fresh acidity and leading to a very long finish. Tony Aspler: 4
/5 stars.
Chardonnay 2006, Le Grand Clos $65.
“If there were to be a Canadian Grand Cru Chablis but better, this would be
it! Vanilla, pear, citrus, butter give way to a strong mineral flintiness that
can be described as edgy to say the least. This Harpy Eagle of a wine needs
time, and if given it, will reward with luscious flavours that at this time can
only be imagined." Chuck Byers,
chuckbyers.blogspot.com/2008/10/le-clos-jordanne-flys-high.html
Pinot Noir 2005, La Petite Vineyard $35.
Medium ruby; sturdy, black raspberry and mineral nose; ripe fruit with
apparent oak; firm structure with a chalky finish and evident tannins. "The
lightest of the single-vineyard wines from a sandier block east of the main
holdings. Moderately deep, ruby-garnet colour. Nose is lifted, very spicy and
savoury with ripe sour cherry (not big black cherry) and a touch of earthy
beetroot character. Feels lighter to mid-weight, firm, almost tart and sour,
with grip on the finish. There is considerable, slightly green tannin. Nice
focus, some finesse; very good to excellent length. Score - 88." (David
Lawrason, http://www.torontolife.com, Nov. 23, 2007)
Pinot Noir 2006, La Petite Vineyard $40.
Situated on sandy soil, this vineyard is quite small (3.5 acres) but delivers
some of the most perfumed wines in Le Clos generally. Ruby colour with a
minerally, raspberry and rose petal nose accented with cinnamon; very elegant
and feminine with a lovely mouth-feel and good length. A seductive wine. Tony
Aspler 4.5/5 stars. “Elegant and stylish with floral and berry bouquet it has
rich red fruit on the palate with less minerality than the other vineyards but a
good acidity that remains on the finish. The acidity will integrate further with
the wine in time to make this wine a lovely piece of art.”, Chuck Byers.
Pinot Noir 2006, Village Reserve $40
The Village Reserve is the best value of the five Le Clos Jordanne pinots in
2006. It combines young vine fruit from the large Talon Ridge site atop the
Escarpment, and de-selected barrels from other single vineyards. It is the
second deepest coloured of the five and may age as well as any. The nose is
fairly intense with some piquant, floral cran-raspberry fruit and a cedary,
earthy background. It's mid-weight, sinewy and quite tannic but has some
mid-palate elegance and good flavour integration on the finish. Very good to
excellent length. Score - 88. (David Lawrason,
www.davidlawrason.com,
Dec. 2008)
Pinot Noir 2006, Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard $40
Consistently Le Clos's most expressive and provocative Pinot Noir, the single
vineyard Le Clos Jordanne offers more on the nose than the top-of-the-line Le
Grand Clos at this early stage. The floral element on the nose (suggestive of
dried roses and violets) is characteristic of the vineyard. On the palate, there
are layers of earthy mineral and savoury flavours and vibrant red fruit notes.
This is a beautiful expression of Pinot Noir, and represents a new level of
intensity for the Le Clos wines. Score - 4 .5/ 5 stars. Christopher Waters, www.watersandwine.com,
Nov. 1, 2008.
Pinot Noir 2006, Le Grand Clos $70
The wait for the much-anticipated 2006 vintage of Le Clos Jordanne's wines is
now over. A superstar among wine critics and customer favourite since its
inaugural vintage, the Le Grand Clos Pinot Noir is bound to generate as much
excitement and acclaim with its latest vintage. From its lovely plum,
blackcurrant and floral aromas to its alluring fruit to its long, focused,
minerally finish, this super-premium Pinot is one of the finest and purest
expressions of Niagara terroir.
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