I was having dinner with friends last week, and the subject of Jayer came up. I mentioned that I had never had one, and not sure I ever will, but maybe one day… I have a few questions for those who have been able to drink his wines.
I’ve been reading about Jayer quite a lot in the last month and have been fascinated by what he was doing.
I think Jayer’s wines are still (somewhat) accessible. Depends on if you want his own labeled stuff or if you want to try it via Pre-2002 Emmanuel Rouget (where he apparently told/showed Rouget what to do every step of the way) or Pre-89 Meo-Camuzet.
That being said, I haven’t had any yet myself. Cros-P from him seems to be the unique one, but his GCs (Echezeaux and Richebourg) are supposed to be outstanding.
Looking forward to more experienced members on here chiming in.
Ive never tried any of his wines, but reading about the history it seems he put emphasis on low yields and precision farming when most of his peers were not. Also, I think he may have been ahead of the curve in heavy use of new oak. So an emphasis on good, low yield farming and heavy oak would have made him stand out.
Every wine maker ends up having their own signature. There are so many variables in viticulture and winemaking that its natural that he would have a unique stylistic profile.
I’m would be curious to hear what you find as a consumer of his wines to be unique about them. Ive asked people in the past what they thought was singular about the style and never really heard a clear answer.
I’ve had some, both the ‘real’ Jayer and the Meo version and the pre '02 Rouget version. Though I’m sure many on this board have had 10x or 100x my experience level.
An early advocate of destemming and ripe fruit and low yields. Also great and serious vineyard work. And he used a very reasonably amount of new oak. If someone today said “I’m de-stemming, picking ripe and using lots of oak”, they’d be vilified.
It can be and is, of course, but like when people say that Oscar Robertson or Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson was/is much better than Lebron James, it’s because of what people have in their mind, not really fact.
I’ll say Perrot-Minot or maybe Dugat-Py, or maybe even Dominique Laurent. Flameproof suit on! Really a mixture of any of these and also Leroy (for the very low yields and great vineyard management)
I guess so as he reclaimed this vineyard from artichokes and rocks or whatever it was. So the only vineyard that was completely ‘Jayer’ produced…
He was the first to start using cold soak maceration before fermentation, later popularize by oenologist Guy Accad. He never performed saignee and would always destem grapes along with 100% new oak for 18months. No wood vats for fermentation for same reason as 100%new oak, not to impart any off flavors which he claims had destroyed many wines post second world war when Burgundy wines didn’t sell so well and barrels were constantly reused. No filtration and fining only with egg whites.
Also worth reading here is the Henri Jayer Archives - Winehog - Burgundy with a passion
Mark - have you read or are you reading “A Tribute to the Great Wines of Burgundy” by Jacky Rigaux and translated by Jim Finkel? That should fill in a lot of gaps for you.
I have only had a few Jayer ('86/'98 CP) and Rouget ('92/'95 Eche) wines and they were very good, big, bold wines. Nothing feminine about them. Pricing sucks.
His wines are opulent and sexy. He made incredibly good wines in bad vintages. It is hard to dismiss the hype much like Gentaz and Foucault, ie very very good but only a few great ones. Having said that the 85 Cros Parantoux drank ten years ago is one of the top five wines of my life. For my palate, the closest wines are Comte Liger Belair and Cathiard.
I had a dinner at a two star restaurant in Dijon in the late 90s. I popped my Jayer cherry with the 94 H Jayer VR village for 70 euros. It was so good that the next day I went for a lunch and drank the 94 Cros Parantoux for 170 euros.
I am aware of a Korean guy who sold alot of fake Jayers in Korea and now lives in NYC.
Kevin, how long ago was that? Those prices… !
It was a while back. I still remember two mags of the 78 H Jayer Echezeaux selling for under $2k at Butterfields & Butterfields and thinking the price was outrageous in the late 90s.
Cool. Awesome that you got the opportunity especially at that price point.
Yes, going on wine-searcher and looking at the trend over the years is depressing. Short of some very very special event, I don’t forsee myself purchasing any Henri Jayer in the near future. Will have to bring something great to a Le Paulee event and hope to get a taste in return perhaps!
I’ve only had two both 1982’s (a lesser year) but great wine.
note that his great niece, Cecile Tremblay, is an outstanding winemaker in Burgundy (winery in Morey St. Denis). Cannot really compare her wines or methods to his as I have not had enough of his wines, but her wines are really outstanding.
^ Unfortunately, for someone seeking better/reasonnable prices, this won’t help ! Prices are very high imo for such a young producer. But, it seems that she indeed does great wines. Never had a chance to check for myself though.
Alain
The only Jayer wine I´ve ever had the opportunity to taste was a small glass of the 1987 Vosne-Romanee (Village) - but god, what a wine for a village (and the vintage)!
A perfect combination of the most elegant complex fruit with intensity but without any weight, blind could easily have been an Echezeaux, and then (12-13 years ago) in a perfect state …
First heir sure is Emmanuel Rouget, he makes stunning wines even from lesser vineyards … great balance usually …
I do see some similarities also in Liger-Belairs wines (Comte) … but Meo for instance is quite different, although I have no comparison for the Cros Parantoux with Jayer …
There are many more who try to use some of Jayers techniques, but the results count …
Also Sylvain Cathiard is (was) in that direction, although the oak is more obvious in the youth (than at Rouget) …
2000 Crox Parantoux (E. Rouget) changed my appreciation for Burgundy. Alas, the price!
Great stories Kevin.
Very passionate and well known for advocating de-stemming. He was known to ask, would you ever eat stem by itself? He was also known as a top farmer.
Not so much red, but maybe the closest producer going is Coche?
Fourrier learned from Jayer I believe but I’m sure there’s a lot lost in translation as well as a change in the times.
Ie had a Jayer and a few Rouget and Meo pre 89. All were good but nowhere near the hype let alone price. I believe he was ahead of his time but now burgundy has caught up. Last thing, i wouldnt consider a bottle now without full proof provenance. Not oh my friend boughtthis 10 years ago. More like my dad bought it from XYZ and here’s the receipt. Easiest label to copy.
I have a single Jayer left in my cellar (not counting 2002 and earlier Rouget!)
1988 Jayer ‘Parantoux’. While the auction value is nuts ($5k??), I’m holding onto it as my ‘ticket’ into some crazy high end tasting in the near or far future…
I wonder if anyone asked him if he would eat an oak barrel?
I think the reply was “would you eat salt by itself”?
Heard about the exchange on an IDTT podcast with one of the Wasserman’s.
I get what Jayer was saying though, as material other than grapes, but good point about the oak.