This is the last in my trilogy about the release of the 2006 vintage of Le Clos Jordanne, the winery that is attempting to remake Niagara in the image of Burgundy. Like most Burgundian producers, Le Clos Jordanne’s only white grape is Chardonnay.
Chardonnay is delightful, but it has a borderline dysfunctional relationship with oak. Aging Chardonnay in barrels for just the right amount of time will enrich it with complexity and creamy accents. But most Chardonnays (especially in the New World) become over-dependent on oak, which saps their vitality and transforms them into vanilla flavoured zombies.
The winemakers of Burgundy are generally careful with oak so that the natural flavours of the land can shine through. And this is the enigma of Le Clos Jordanne: even though Le Clos has a terroir driven philosophy, their Chardonnays have lots of oak. Their wines walk on the knife’s edge, trying to squeeze a rich complexity out of the oak without losing the freshness of the fruit. It’s a gamble.
It’s a gamble that they almost always win. Their 2004 Claystone Terrace Chardonnay remains one of the highlights of my wine drinking life. This is what I wrote in my wine journal when I tasted it 2 years ago:
“I received a strong frisson to my knees on first nosing the wine, and again when first tasting it. An almost seamless cascade of flavours: apple blossoms, lightly toasted French bread, the skin of a green apple… nearly a perfect wine!”
On the other hand, a year later when I tried the 2005 Grand Clos, I was overwhelmed by oakey streaks of caramel and vanilla. It was not a terribly successful wine in my view, although it might have mellowed and improved over time.
In 2006, Le Clos Jordanne found a superb balance. The oak influence is robust, but it’s buoyed by bright, assertive fruit flavours. The overall picture is one of exquisite integration. Here are my notes:
- Le Grand Clos Chardonnay 2006 (
$65[Ed. note: 2006 no longer available], Vintages #34561, available by ordering through the Classics Catalogue on Nov. 8, 2008) is a massive, powerful species of Chardonnay. What you are paying $65 for is the incredible complexity and the unctuous and dense mouth-feel. Waves of peach cobbler, almonds, sweet and sour apple mash melt in your mouth. A very classy affair.
- Claystone Terrace Chardonnay 2006 (
$40[Ed. note: No longer available], Vintages #36806, Classics Catalogue on March 24, 2009) is less heavy than Le Grand Clos, but also sweeter, with a faint hint of burnt sugar on the nose. Lithe, bursting with tart apple and peach. More complexity will develop if you age it for 12-18 months.
- Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard Chardonnay 2006 ($40, Vintages #33910, Classics Catalogue on March 24, 2009) is the best value. Very similar to Le Grand Clos, but a little crisper with less hedonistic oak. Unlike the Claystone, it offers a shower of complex flavours like baked pear, cedar and minerals. Lingering finish. Fantastic.
Village Reserve Chardonnay 2006 ($30 [Ed. note: 2006 no longer available], Vintages #33936, available at Vintages starting Dec. 6, 2008) was not tasted.
Matthew Sullivan is a civil litigator in Toronto. He writes a weekly blog entry here on lawandstyle.ca. The Short Cellar column appears in the print edition of Precedent. Matthew can be reached at n matthew@lawandstyle.beta-site.ca