Maison Louis Jadot, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru (Burgundy, France) Clos St. Jacques 2005

($129, Kobrand): This is a Grand Cru wine in all respects except the label.  The story goes that when the locals were classifying the vineyards in the 1930s as either Grand or Premier Cru, the Clos St. Jacques was set to be included as a Grand Cru.  The problem was that a resident of Meursault owned the vineyard and–all politics being local–the citizens of Gevrey-Chambertin quashed its inclusion into that rarefied classification.  Jadot’s 2005 Clos St. Jacques has that magical combination of power without heaviness.  Polished and rich, the never-ending subtleties of earth, black fruit and spice bombard the palate. 95 Michael Apstein Dec 4, 2007