A Premier Cru Burgundy from 2014. Is there a better sounding sentence in wine? I firmly believe if everyone could taste today’s remarkably structured, terroir-infused, perfectly aged Premier Cru from Lucien Jacob, the prattle about Burgundy losing its sense of value and only being accessible to the elite would cease to exist. Most of all, it would cement the notion that top Burgundy from a resolutely classic vintage is the most emotional wine experience out there. But here’s the thing: Only a select few ever have the chance to taste Domaine Lucien Jacob’s extraordinary wines. If you remove SommSelect from the equation, I’d wager that most haven’t even seen a bottle in their wine-hunting career because only several hundred cases total are imported. As for this 2014 “Les Peuillets?” Just 50, and that was when it first arrived two years ago—today, a mere fraction remains.
From beginner to seasoned wine vet, there’s no mistaking Jacob’s rare statement piece for anything other than what it truly is: Genuinely classic, cellar-worthy Premier Cru Burgundy that shatters the increasingly blurred meaning of value and authenticity. So, next time you want to crush the competition at a fancy Burgundy tasting, or are simply in the mood to savor one of my personal favorite combinations of vintage and terroir, today’s irresistible, painfully limited 2014 is the only rational answer. I’ve been draining these wines for years and still cannot get over their sheer value and extraordinarily consistent prices. My advice? Buy whatever you can manage you can and enjoy one every year.
In the first edition of “The Wines of Burgundy,” published in 1997, Clive Coates, MW wrote that Savigny-lès-Beaune is a “happy hunting ground for those seeking good, inexpensive Burgundy.” Of course, over the last 20+ years, dramatic increases in global demand, inflation, consolidation, and climate change have conspired to make “good, inexpensive Burgundy” largely a thing of the past. Fortunately, small family-owned properties like Domaine Lucien Jacob are still here to fight the good fight and Savigny-lès-Beaune remains a great destination for value in Burgundy. While high-ticket villages Pommard and Volnay sit immediately to the south and the majestic hill of Corton is just north, Savigny always seems to hide in plain sight with price tags staying well below those of its more prestigious neighbors here in the heart of the Côte de Beaune.
The story of Domaine Jacob begins in the early 1900s with the grandfather of current proprietor Jean-Michel Jacob. The Jacob family has resided in Burgundy for generations but their sterling reputation was originally built not on grapes and wine, but rather berries and liqueur. Jean-Michel’s grandfather saved his earnings from growing framboise (raspberries) and cassis (black currants) in the hills of the Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune and eventually selling their spirits to establishments in Lyon and Paris. In time, the family was able to purchase a few small vineyard parcels in nearby Savigny-lès-Beaune. By the 1950s, Jean-Michel’s father, Lucien, was expanding the family’s vineyard holdings and making wine a focus. Today, Jean-Michel continues the growth of the family’s acreage in Burgundy with recently purchased vineyards in Beaune, Pernand-Vergelesses, and Gevrey-Chambertin. After almost a decade of experience with the Domaine Jacob’s wines, I feel confident in my conviction that wines originating from the family’s “home” vineyards in Savigny-lès-Beaune—most notably, today’s 1er Cru “Les Peuillets”—are their most consistently delicious and cellar-worthy creations.
Farmed sustainably, fermented naturally, raised in French barrels for 15 months, and bottled unfined, Jacob’s “Les Peuillets” oozes authenticity and old-school Burgundian pedigree. And that’s before factoring in the special Premier Cru terroir and one of my all-time favorite vintages of the last 20 years! In general, 2014 delivered highly composed Pinot Noirs that were unafraid to be led by a dominating front line of minerality. In short, this Premer Cru is for the devout traditionalists. After decanting for 30 minutes and pouring into large Burgundy stems, robust, dried-fruit aromatics race out: black cherry, plum skin, redcurrant, dried raspberry, wild strawberry—but that’s just the fruit components! Dig deeper and you’ll uncover violet and rose potpourri, damp earth, Pu’er tea, licorice, shaved nutmeg, leather, and a megaton of finely crushed rocks! This is always a wonderful wine to just sit with and smell, but as one would hope, the main attraction is the palate. This medium-bodied, multi-textured Pinot Noir has a formidable backbone propelled by crushed minerality, earthy savory, and dried forest fruits. It is a serious, deeply structured red Burgundy that should be avoided by anyone who leans towards juicy and ripe. Honestly, I’ll never tire of properly crafted, top-class 2014 Burgundy, and once you get a taste of this, you’ll understand why. Enjoy now until 2030.
