Oct 30, 2023

Timeless, Rustic Burgundies from Jouan

Great Burgundy, for all the emphasis on terroir, is still very determined by the winemaker. There are 1000 decisions that have to go into a wine, and these choices can sometimes express a winemaker's character as much as the soil where the grapes are planted.

When I drink the wines of Philippe Jouan I feel like I get to see both his personality and his vineyards in a dance of flavors and sensations; a harmonious, engrossing blend of humanity and nature. The wines have a rustic edge: a nervous, raw sizzle that is nevertheless paired with luxurious, healthy fruit. The wines of Jacky Truchot are often referenced given their proximity and friendship, but I find Jouan's wines to be a bit more boisterous.

With warm vintages becoming more the norm, Jouan is thankfully well-suited to this. The 2020 release remains elegant, complex, and haunting.

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Though Philippe could surely command far higher prices given the scarcity, he doesn't. Naturally, his wines sell out quickly. If we had a good supply of the Coteaux Bourguinons we could easily sell cases and cases all year long. For under $30 a bottle it is just stupidly good. But there are barely cases, plural, so we have to limit it to one bottle-per customer and first-come, first-serve.

The village-level wines from Morey Saint-Denis, Gevrey-Chambertin, and Chambolle-Musigny are the best values in Cote de Nuits Burgundy as far as I'm concerned. They can definitely be opened and enjoyed now, but like all of his wines, they will certainly reward cellaring.

Philippe uses many of the same techniques his father Henri did, not so different from their neighbor Jacky Truchot. The grapes, from 80 year-old vines even in the village-level wines, are destemmed before a cool, natural fermentation in old oak, manually pressed in wooden basket presses—a labor intensive method that hasn't changed for over 100 years—then spilled into barrels (mostly old).

And yet these methods are not so special.

Like so many great things, the magic of Jouan is not something I can explain, and every vintage I enjoy lingering over the mystery of these wines.

Cheers!

Jonathan

jonathan@vwm.wine

Philippe Jouan Coteaux Bourguignons 2020 [1 bottle per customer]

$39.00

From vines planted in the early 1980s, this is one of the most angular, surprising expressions of Pinot Noir you'll come across. Each vintage is a real blast to explore, as it is energetic, mysterious, and develops in really interesting ways over the course of a meal. Cranberry, medicinal cherry, wet earth, moss, and burnt sage are met with rooibos chai, savory star anise, and subtle vanilla. Chewy texture and a quirky personality don't prevent this from being elegant and intellectual, and it will shine with classics from pizza to roast chicken. [JK]

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Philippe Jouan Morey Saint Denis 2020

$85.00

A generous, lush offering from a sunny vintage in Morey Saint Denis. With a brilliant garnet color, the punchy aromas of black cherry, red plum, and clove jump out of the glass. Layered & silky on the palate, the fine grained tannins are both gentle and persistent. Intense fruit flavors of ripe black cherry, cherry stems, and tart plum are balanced with woodsy spices, cloves, & mint stems. The finish is long and persistent. A transcendent wine that overdelivers. [BS]

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