TASTING NOTES
"...Quite youthfully reserved, reluctantly revealing reticent aromas of earthy cassis and spices that's framed by a nicely integrated but generous application of new oak. On the palate, it's full-bodied, ample and chewy, with a broad and chunky attack, a rich chassis of tannins and bright acids, concluding with a firm, somewhat angular finish. While the wine's equilibrium appears to have been impacted by the frost, the raw materials are sufficiently promising that I suspect time will be kind to it and round out its hard edges.
William Kelley. Tasting date: April 2019
ABOUT JACQUES PRIEUR
Jacques Prieur was born on January 31st, 1893, from the union of Helène and Henri. The estate kept growing in 1895 with a new acquisition in Musigny and a swap between a plot of Clos Vougeot and parcels of Chambertin and Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze. In 1899, Claude Duvergey added Volnay Champans to its collection and in 1907, Chevalier-Montrachet. He died on March 9th, 1920, and bequeathed all of his property to Jacques Prieur (his wife remaining stakeholder). Soon after, the latter married Madeleine Darnat, daughter of sheets merchants from Lyon. In 1924, Jacques Prieur and comte Jules Lafon instituted the famous "Paulee de Meursault" in order to celebrate the end of harvests with all winegrowers from the village. Marie Duvergey-Taboureau died in 1935 and definitely left the estate to Jacques Prieur. Co-founder of the legendary Chevaliers du Tastevin, he gave his name to the estate in 1956. He died in 1965 and his wife in 1974, leaving the winery to their 6 children. In 1988, in order to avoid selling the winery to foreign shareholders, 5 important French families united, among them Labruyère Family, winegrowers and entrepreneurs from South Burgundy. In the 1990s the Grands Crus of Corton-Bressandes and Corton-Charlemagne would enrich the mosaic of terroirs of the estate. Today leading this jewel of Burgundy, Labruyère Family, supported by Prieur Family's heirs, promotes and defends, every single day, the great terroirs of Burgundy, worldwide.
FAMILY HISTORY
Edouard Labruyère
Passionate oenophile and Burgundy lover, Edouard Labruyère took over the reins of the estate in 2008 upon the request of his father, Jean-Pierre, famous Burgundian entrepreneur and strong advocate of great French terroirs. Edouard leads today all family wineries located in Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy.
Nadine Gublin
Nadine has been Domaine Jacques Prieur's oenologist since 1990 and technical manager since 2009 (along with Domaine Labruyère in Moulin-à-Vent). Well-known from fine wine enthusiasts, she was awarded "1998 Best French Winemaker" by Revue du Vin de France. Supporter of sustained farming, precise winemaking and optimal ripeness, Nadine is the perfect representative of this generation of eonologists who left their mark on the last 20 years.
Martin Prieur
In 1956, Jacques Prieur, co-founder of the famous Chevaliers du Tastevin, gave his name to the famous Domaine in Meursault. His grandson, Martin Prieur, has been working and living on the estate since 1990. Today sales manager along with Edouard, he is the witness and heir of great viticultural traditions. He completes a trio of Burgundy experts and knows better than anyone history of Domaine Jacques Prieur.
Daniel Godefroy
Vineyard manager of Domaine Jacques Prieur since 1997, Daniel comes from a family of winegrowers established in Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. Backed by 12 years of experience in Alsace of which 7 for Preiss-Zimmer House in Riquewihr and 5 at Domaine Zind-Humbrecht in Turckheim, Daniel and his team are the guarantors of our terroirs expressions. Using the most environment-friendly processes, Daniel knows each parcel by heart and strives, vintage after vintage, to reveal the fantastic potential of our vineyards.
WINEMAKING
Harvest is carried out manually using small 15kg crates in order to preserve grapes quality. Every year harvests start date is carefully chosen according to sugar and phenolic ripeness. Grapes then go through a double sorting table in order to keep the best fruits only.
Pinot Noir : destemming 100% is the rule but we now use more and more whole bunches depending on vintages and parcels. Maceration lasts 20 days in average in temperature-controlled open wooden vats. We generally make 2 treadings per day during alcoholic fermentation. We process 100% of malolactic fermentations. Maturing generally takes place in oak barrels, between 50 and 80% new for Grands Crus, often 30% for Premiers Crus and sometimes in big oak casks from 25 to 35hl. The choice of barrels (using several suppliers) depends on terroirs and vintages. Maturing period is very variable but is often close to 20 months.
