Our visit to Domaine Jean Tardy in March was a highlight of a very fruitful European trip to see the growers in the CellarHand portfolio. It’s a tiny domaine with vanishingly small quantities of wine produced, and to have so much wiped out – 40% to 50% frosted everywhere except Echézeaux and Chambolle-Musigny, where losses were more like 70% – seems heartbreaking. But Guillaume, like his wines, was in vibrant, gracious and uplifting form.
He’s always one of the first to pick, with acidity the key in making the call. The wines, however, have a sweet, succulent core and outstanding perfume on the nose that lasts long after the finish in the mouth. Temperature during fermentation is a crucial factor – cool and long is the go, with a very precise eye on extraction. Finesse and subtlety of aromatics are the result, as well as outstandingly silky, bright tannins. Oak is judged to perfection, and he leans on lees for flavour, richness and freshness.
Guillaume’s relaxed disposition is much more than a farmer’s resignation to the fate of vintage conditions; confidence and pleasure in his craft are shining through. He started working with his father, Jean, more than 20 years ago now, and took the helm in the mid-2000s. It’s also more than a decade since the share-cropping agreements that kick-started the domaine ceased, and the intimate knowledge of the domaine’s small but perfectly formed plots is also telling.
This is the fifth vintage of Guillaume’s wines that we’ve brought in and, of course, we wish there was more wine. However, taking Guillaume’s lead, we know to be grateful and enjoy what there is. And judging by the rapturous response to every shipment to date, we’re not alone in that. Here, then, is some more glorious red Burgundy to rejoice in.
THE WINES
2016 Jean Tardy Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits ‘Cuvée Maëlie’ RRP $91
The 2016 Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits Cuvee Maelie Rouge, which had a little SO2 added a couple of weeks before my visit, offers blackberry and dark plum scents on the nose, forward and quite precocious for this genre of Burgundy. The palate is fleshy with plenty of rondeur, perhaps slightly higher in pH compared to other Hautes Côtes that I encountered during my travels, but quite sensual and generous with black cherries and blackcurrant on the finish. 85-87 points. Neal Martin, Wine Advocate December 2017
(from 45-year-old vines in Concoeur, in the hills behind Vosne-Romanée; there was no frost here in 2016 but vines in a small valley just 500 meters away were decimated, according to Tardy; 12.1% natural alcohol chaptalized to 12.8%): Healthy dark red. Ripe, sappy aromas of black cherry, black raspberry and licorice. A medium-bodied wine with sweet berry and cherry fruit flavors framed by a firm edge of acidity and complicated by a leathery nuance. Lovely vinosity here, with an acidulated red fruit character and fine, dusty tannins that suggest this wine will evolve slowly. Tardy told me that Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet and Domaine Arlaud own vines in the same windy, rocky, essentially flat site. 87-88 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media January 2018
A ripe and agreeably fresh nose reflects notes of plum, dark currant and plenty of earth character. The racy, intense and solidly concentrated flavors brim with minerality that carries over to the rustic and delicious finish. This is sufficiently structured to need a few years of bottle age first. 86-88 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound January 2018
2016 Jean Tardy Fixin ‘La Place’ RRP $140
The 2016 Fixin la Place, which will be matured in 35% new oak in the final blend (my sample was from a one-year-old barrel), has a lively and fresh bouquet with black cherries, cassis and veins of blood orange. I appreciate that this is just very…Fixin. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, dark fruit with touches of Asian spice and chalk dust toward the finish that just closes in a little earlier than I would have liked. Hopefully, that will flesh out by the time of bottling and do justice to the aromatics. 87-89 points. Neal Martin, Wine Advocate December 2017
(one-third new oak): Dark red-ruby color. Ripe black cherry and dark chocolate on the nose. Silky on entry, then nicely round for Fixin, with its flavors of blackberry, boysenberry and bitter chocolate given shape by well-integrated acidity; shows slightly medicinal kirsch character. The tannins arrive late and build, while remaining harmonious and supple. Production was 38 hectoliters per hectare, as there was little frost here. 88-89 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media January 2018
Moderate reduction dominates the nose today though the underlying fruit appears to be ripe. Otherwise there is excellent freshness to the punchy and well-detailed middle weight flavors that also flash a subtle minerality on the youthfully austere and agreeably saline-inflected finish. 87-89 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound January 2018
2016 Jean Tardy Chambolle-Musigny ‘les Athets’ RRP $206
The 2016 Chambolle Musigny les Athets will have 25% new oak this year, one out of four barrels, as Guillaume did not want to jump up to 50% new oak. This is actually half first- and half second-generation grapes. It has a mixture of red and black fruit on the nose, well defined with fine delineation. The palate is smooth in the mouth with fine acidity, a little graininess to the texture, and there is good depth here with black fruit and touches of tobacco surfacing toward the finish that veers slightly toward Morey-Saint-Denis in terms of tannic structure. This is a commendable wine given the growing season, if not quite matching last season’s 2015. 89-91 points. Neal Martin, Wine Advocate December 2017
(more than half of this wine is from the second buds, which Tardy said ripened well and produced grapes with almost as much sugar as the first-generation fruit): Deep ruby-red. Rich, ripe black cherry and licorice aromas are quite chocolatey but are leavened by a violet top note. Densely packed and fine-grained, with a firm spine of acidity in harmony with the wine’s lightly medicinal fruit. Ultimately a rather pliant, even soft wine with firm but supple tannins and decent length. 88-90 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media January 2018
This is also quite ripe but fresh with its airy array of dark cherry, earth and soft spice aromas. There is excellent punch and mid-palate density to the tautly muscular medium-bodied flavors that deliver fine length on the slightly rustic and lingering finish where a hint of bitter cherry pit appears. This wine is almost always firmly structured and the 2016 version is no exception. 87-89 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound January 2018
2016 Jean Tardy Vosne-Romanée ‘Vigneux’ RRP $223
Guillaume Tardy told me that the 2016 Vosne-Romanée Vigneux contains less second-generation bunches than the Chambolle-Musigny Athets. It has a detailed bouquet for a village cru, quite fresh with light loamy scents percolating through the black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly crunchy tannin, moderate depth, a fine slightly brittle texture with a lively charcoal-tinged finish. Maybe not a long-term Vosne-Romanée, but I find good complexity and character here. It may actually surpass the 2015. 89-91 points. Neal Martin, Wine Advocate December 2017
(just 25% lost to frost): Bright ruby-red; a bit less saturated than the Chambolle-Musigny Les Athets. Very expressive, mellow aromas of kirsch, leather, flowers, spices and chocolate. In a plush, relaxed, rather fat style, conveying an impression of lower acidity than the estate’s other 2016s. This comparatively sedate wine finishes with dusty but rather soft tannins and lingering notes of earth, milk chocolate and leather. This village wine should drink well early. 88-90 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media January 2018
A subtle application of wood frames brooding notes of plum, black cherry, violet and Asian-style tea. The rich, round and succulent medium-bodied flavors possess a velvety mouthfeel thanks to the abundant dry extract that delivers good length on the mildly tangy and warm finish. 87-89 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound January 2018
2016 Jean Tardy Nuits-St-Georges Vieille Vigne ‘Bas De Combe’ RRP $190
The 2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges Au Bas de Combe Vieilles Vignes comes from 80-year-old vines and will be matured in two-thirds new oak. Guillaume inspected these vines first after the frost thinking that it would have been affected, and it was only when his friend told him to look at his Echézeaux that he saw how it affected his grand cru. This has a very fine bouquet with energetic, live-wire black cherry and blueberry scents, a light marine influence developing with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly grainy tannin, cohesive and focused with just the right amount of salinity on the finish. It feels a little strict and linear at the moment, but it will flesh out by the time it is bottled. Give it 4 or 5 years after that. This is often one of my picks from the domaine and this season is no different. 91-93 points. Neal Martin, Wine Advocate December 2017
(40% new oak): Bright ruby-red. Brooding aromas of black fruits, crushed rock and bitter chocolate, plus a suggestion of minty lift. Juicy, nicely delineated and intensely flavored; tighter than the Vosne villages but in a more elegant style–in fact, this wine struck me as a bit like a richer Vosne wine in style. A lovely firm spine of acids and tannins is in harmony with the wine’s fruit, with a late note of violet providing lift. A very complete village wine–Tardy told me that he believes that this site should be a premier cru. 89-91 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media January 2018
Reduction presently overshadows the fruit though it does not extend to the vibrant and impressively dense flavors that also possess a really lovely mouthfeel, all wrapped in a firm and mildly rustic finish that delivers outstanding length. This is virtually always an excellent wine that ages well and it is recommended. 89-91 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound January 2018
2016 Jean Tardy Gevrey-Chambertin Vieille Vigne ‘Champerrier’ RRP $190
The 2016 Gevrey Chambertin Champs Perrieres Vieilles Vignes comes from 60-year-old vines. There is a richness right from the starting gun, the precocious nose revealing kirsch, crème de cassis and crushed violet scents, not unlike a Vosne-Romanée in many ways. Yet it retains admirable definition. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe black fruit, very juicy in the mouth and more rounded than the Nuits Saint-Georges, although I would like a little more tension to come through on the finish. 89-91 points. Neal Martin, Wine Advocate December 2017
Bright, saturated ruby-red. Complex, soil-driven aromas of black raspberry, game and smoky crushed rock. Smooth, thick Gevrey villages with noteworthy elegance of texture and lovely vinosity to its dark fruit flavors. Spreads out to caress and dust the palate and tongue on the back end, finishing with pure dark fruit flavors complicated by spices and chocolate. I would expect this wine to be softened by its upcoming racking. 90-92 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media January 2018
A distinctly earthy and sauvage-inflected nose offers up notes wild dark berries, humus and underbrush. There is fine punch to the relatively powerful and muscular flavors that are shaped by moderately fine tannins on the solidly complex and sneaky long finish where a touch of wood surfaces. 88-91 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound January 2018
2016 Jean Tardy Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru ‘Aux Argillas’ RRP $305
The 2016 Nuits St Georges 1er Cru Aux Argillats will be matured in 50% new oak. The western part of the vineyard was frosted, but the eastern part was left untouched. This has a vibrant, minerally bouquet that leans more toward red fruit than black, with just a faint touch of star anise in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chewy tannin, good depth and grip, quite structured toward the finish, but it maintains good tension. It will require 4 or 5 years in bottle but will be worth the wait. 91-93 points. Neal Martin, Wine Advocate December 2017
(13.1% alcohol; aging in 50% new oak but I tasted it from a one-year-old barrel): Dark red with ruby tones, but less saturated than most of the preceding wines. Discreet if slightly musky nose offers aromas of berries, spices, licorice and flowers; pure but quite reserved. Not a powerhouse but nicely balanced, suave and complex, showing well-integrated acidity and a fine dusting of tannins. The lively rising finish offers noteworthy energy. Not at all a chunky style of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Tardy told me that the northwest half of the vineyard was hit by frost flowing in through the combe, and that he ultimately lost about 30% of his production. 91-93 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media January 2018
A markedly restrained nose grudgingly displays its equally earthy and even more sauvage-inflected aromas of dark currant and cherry that are trimmed in discreet wood nuances. There is excellent intensity to the obviously stony, muscular and tension-filled flavors that possess fine delineation on the youthfully austere, compact and tightly wound finish. Patience required. 89-92 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound January 2018
2016 Jean Tardy Échezeaux Grand Cru Vieille Vigne ‘Les Treux’ RRP $742
The 2016 Echézeaux Les Treux Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru comes from 80-year-old vines in the titular lieu-dit and it will be matured in 75% new oak. Like many, these were devastated by the frost (see producer intro). It has a pure bouquet, quite intense for an Echézeaux with intense black and blue fruit, minerals, crushed violet and a discrete brine influence. The palate is medium-bodied with supple ripe tannin, a fine line of acidity and just the right sappiness toward the finish to urge you back for another sip. After racking, this will inevitably soften and gain suppleness, then give it 5 or 6 years in bottle before broaching. Very fine, though just two barrels produced. 92-94 points. Neal Martin, Wine Advocate December 2017
(75% new oak; frost reduced the crop here by 40%): Dark ruby-red. High-toned aromas of plum, graphite minerality, mocha and chocolate; showing more obvious oak influence than the village wines (this was my only 2016 sample to include juice from a new barrel). Quite suave on entry, then tangy and vinous in the middle, displaying good energy and focus but only moderate flesh to its currant and spice flavors. The most tannic of these ’16s, with brisk acidity from the second buds, which may also have diluted the blend a bit. Finishes with a faint acid edge. Will this ever display grand cru palate presence and weight? 91-93 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media January 2018
Here too there is just enough wood to mention setting off the aromas of black raspberry, cassis and warm earth along with an impressive array of spice elements. As is usually the case this is the biggest wine in the range yet despite the imposing size and weight, the middle weight plus flavors possess a caressing mouthfeel before delivering very fine length on the dusty, serious and balanced finish that offers lovely depth and persistent finish. While there is good power, there is also a certain amount of refinement. 91-93 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound January 2018