When it comes to Négotiants, it’s all about longevity in the business and relationships with grape-growing families. Under the initial direction of Louis Henry Denis Jadot, the estate came into being in 1859; before that though, the family grew their own grapes in Burgundy as early as 1826. Throughout the years, three generations of the Jadot family expanded their ownership of vineyards, relationships with the growers who maintained their vineyards, and their winemaking operations before selling the business to the family of Rudy Kopf, their US importer, in 1985. Under his ownership, the Gagey family took over direction of the estate; today, the second generation of the Gagey family, Pierre-Henry Gagey, runs Maison Louis Jadot—continuing the tradition of a family-run operation. Gagey runs the estate with a team of educated and experienced professionals, and together, they rely on the strength of their small growers to produce beautiful fruit for their terroir-driven Red and White Burgundy.

The small, roughly eight-acre vineyard site from which the fruit for the 2012 Côte de Nuits-Villages “Le Vaucrain is sourced, is located in Comblanchien. This small village is nearly equidistant from Nuits-Saint-Georges to the north and Beaune to the south. What’s special about this vineyard is that it’s directly next to the famous Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru of Clos de la Maréchale—making its terroir nearly comparable and the finished wine drink close to a Premier Cru level. This area is full of luscious vineyards, some planted on flatter land and others (mostly Premier Cru) on steady inclined-slopes, gently leaning towards the endless sky. It is a region rich with winemaking history, with historical architecture and vast amounts of vineyard land that have been planted for hundreds of years—sustaining local families that are steeped in the traditional, Burgundian way of life. Under Gagey’s direction, the use of synthetic products and harsh chemicals in the vineyards have been banned for over twenty years; the growers maintain a natural balance between the earth and the vines, and pick the grapes by hand upon harvest, to preserve the wine’s natural minerality and terroir characteristics. Fermentation takes place with only native yeasts for three to four weeks before aging in French oak barrels for ten to twelve months. This wine is made to be enjoyed young, but could also be tucked away to enjoy within the next five or so years.