It was a crisp spring day in April 2013 when Thibault Gagey and Jacques Lardière set out to survey a well-established vineyard named Résonance. Jacques had just retired after leading winemaking at Maison Louis Jadot for 42 years, and Thibault, whose family has operated Maison Louis Jadot since 1962, was ready to enter the business with a bold new project. They immediately felt a deep connection with the place, and after tasting through dozens of wines made with the vineyard’s fruit, Jacques sat back and said, “Perfect.”
Pierre-Henry Gagey, the President of Maison Louis Jadot and Thibault’s father, agreed. They decided to keep the vineyard’s title, and they also named their new winery—Maison Louis Jadot’s first outside of Burgundy—in its honor. With the same meaning in English and French, Résonance evokes many great things to come. They added the tiny but all-important accent mark to represent this small but special connection between Oregon and France.
Maison Louis Jadot was founded by the Jadot Family in 1859—the same year as the State of Oregon. Nurturing premier and grand cru vineyards in Burgundy, Maison Louis Jadot earned a reputation for world-class wines made in small lots, capturing the attention of Rudy Kopf, an importer for Kobrand Wine & Spirits and the founder of the wine and spirits division of Macy’s department store in New York. In 1945, Rudy made a pilgrimage to visit Maison Louis Jadot, and the long-standing relationship between the Kopf and Jadot Families commenced.
Rudy soon began importing Maison Louis Jadot wines to the U.S., and the partnership continued to blossom through shared investments and appreciation for the next four decades. In 1984, Madam Jadot transferred ownership of the historic wine estate to the Kopf Family.
The relationship between the Gagey Family and Maison Louis Jadot also goes back to the mid-20th Century, when Louis Auguste Jadot invited a young winemaker named André Gagey to join his team of vintners in 1954. André was bestowed the title of President of Maison Louis Jadot when Louis Auguste Jadot passed away in 1962.
With winemaking traditions going back generations on both sides of his family, he worked closely with the Jadot and Kopf Families to build Maison Louis Jadot into the world-class global wine brand it is today. In 1992, Pierre-Henry, André’s son, took over the role of President, and he launched the search for Maison Louis Jadot’s first winery in the New World in the early 2000s. As fortune would have it, Pierre-Henry discovered Résonance Vineyard at the exact moment when the next generation of the Gagey Family, Thibault Gagey, was ready to enter the business. Thibault became the Director of Operations of Résonance in 2013.
Resonance Decouverte Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The wine reflects a beautiful and brilliant garnet color, with an expressive and complex nose of strawberry, plum, wild cherry, almond and licorice. The wine reveals an elegant palate, vibrant and complex, with delicate notes of noble wood, and very long and mineral finale.
Review:
James Suckling 93 Points
Checkerboard Kings Row Red is made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot.
2019 Checkerboard Kings Row is produced from grapes grown in the Aurora Vineyard which is located in a small valley midway up Diamond Mountain on a large knoll at an elevation of 1,200 feet. The knoll projects off the mountainside, giving the vineyard full southern exposure, open light from the east and west, and protection from Napa Valley’s summer fog. Six acres are planted in the knoll’s rich, volcanic soils that are riddled with basalt cobble and loamy clay. The remaining six acres are planted in a deep gravely mix of white volcanic ash and chips of decomposed Rhyolite that were washed down from the steep, rocky crags of Diamond Mountain above. 2019 Checkerboard Kings Row is a complex wine showcasing the Bordeaux varietals grown in the Aurora Vineyard. The nose is a swirl of dark red fruits, baking spice, and sandalwood. On the palate, the fruit dominates and offers hints of dried crushed herbs, black pepper, and freshly pressed espresso. There’s a juicy core which is persistent from the approach through to the finish.
Jean-Claude et Nicolas Fayolle Hermitage Rouge Donnieres is made from 100% Syrah.
Made from 40-year-old vines planted on granitic and rocky soils in the Lieu dit "Les Donnieres" at the bottom of the Hermitage's hill.
Intense inky ruby red color.
The wine has plenty to offer with red and black fruit aromas, as well as a good minerality.
The finish is very long, clean and juicy and offers a great spicy mouthfeel.
Soil is clay, silica and round pebbles.
Hand harvested in small crates. The grapes are then pumped into tanks (full cluster, not destemmed).
It will stay in this tank for 15 days for the skin contact maceration and the Alcoholic fermentation.
Tey will also use the "rack and return" technique (delestage).
Then the wine is transfered into neutral French Oak barrels where the wine will complete the Malo-Lactic fermentation.
Delicious with grilled red meat such as venison or lamb and most cheeses.