The piercingly pure, utterly captivating bottles from the Jouan family are among the most satisfying wines being made in Burgundy today, full stop. They are wonderfully delicious to drink in their youth on all their vibrant fruit and develop with intrigue as the years pass to reveal all the magic you could ever hope for in a truly great red Burgundy. It’s remarkable that these wines remain so underrepresented in the realm of top Burgundy, and that they have remained so affordable for so long given their immense appeal. It is understandable though, given both the tiny size of their domaine and the guarded nature of many of their most passionate customers, ourselves included.
In the increasingly scarce world of great Burgundy, it’s hard to be motivated to shout about a such a hidden treasure. Every time we receive these wines, we seesaw on whether or not we’d actually like to sell them, and it takes us a few months after we have them in hand to resolve ourselves to letting any of them go. As much as we’d like to keep them a secret, the wines are simply too special not to share. Anyone who obsesses over the raw beauty of Burgundian terroir should experience these wines. We’ve finally put together enough stock to be able to offer them publicly, from both 2014 & 2015, and we are especially excited to share these treasures with you today.
Henri Jouan is a neighbor and close friend of the legendary (now retired) Jacky Truchot, and their wines are recognizably kindred spirits. Henri’s son, Philippe, has been at the helm of the domaine since 2004. The technique in the cellar has hardly changed since the domaine started – 100% destemming, gentle extractions, cool fermentations and minimal influence of new wood across the range. Jouan’s wines are a touch denser and more concentrated than Truchot’s, but they show similar poise, brightness and haunting aromatic complexity. The wines are built on sinew and seamless snap, and they can age as gracefully as the very finest, from the simple Passetoutgrains all the way through their excellent old-vine Clos St. Denis. If you know Jouan, you’ll probably have already started ordering. If you don’t, we’d advise jumping on these while you still can.
The wine below is offered on a first come, first served basis. Follow the links below to purchase directly from our site or call/email us if you need some assistance.
Cheers,
THE WINES
PHILIPPE JOUAN – BOURGOGNE PASSETOUTGRAIN 2014
8 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
Largely old vines of Pinot Noir with a tiny addition of Gamay. Lively, fresh & subtle, a perfect introduction to the style of the domaine.
PHILIPPE JOUAN – BOURGOGNE PASSETOUTGRAIN 2015
10 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
PHILIPPE JOUAN – COTEAUX BOURGUIGNONS 2015
20 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
100% Pinot Noir from 40+ year old vines. Darker fruited than the PTG, with more punch, structure and sap.
PHILIPPE JOUAN – MOREY ST. DENIS 2014
6 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
A pure and generous rendition that is a blend of fruit from 3 different lieux-dits in Morey.
PHILIPPE JOUAN – CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 2014
12 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
Another blend of 3 lieux-dits in Chambolle – Derriere la Four, Les Herbués, and Les Chardannes.
PHILIPPE JOUAN – MOREY ST. DENIS 2015
8 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
PHILIPPE JOUAN – CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 2015
9 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
PHILIPPE JOUAN – GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN, AUX ECHEZEAUX 2015
22 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
A special gem from vines on the border of Morey right next to Charmes-Chambertin.
PHILIPPE JOUAN – MOREY ST. DENIS, 1ER CRU CLOS SORBES 2015
24 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
As with many of the top renditions of Gevrey Clos St. Jacques, Clos Sorbés in the right hands can be comfortably of Grand Cru quality. This is breathtaking, hair-raising Burgundy of the highest order that will make you weak at the knees from the very first sip.
PHILIPPE JOUAN – CLOS-SAINT-DENIS, GRAND CRU 2014
8 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
The crown jewel of the Jouan’s holdlings and their only Grand Cru, from vines in the Maison Brulée portion of CSD, adjacent to Clos des Lambrays. Beguiling, endlessly complex and simply brilliant wine vintage after vintage.
PHILIPPE JOUAN – CLOS-SAINT-DENIS, GRAND CRU 2015
16 BOTTLES AVAILABLE