I have now gone through three cases or so of Francois Jobard’s 01 Meursault 1er crus, and every one has been delicious. You are not going to find any thrills here if you are looking for sweet, ripe, fleshy and/or oaky white Burgundy. But if you like lean, lithe, willowy Meursault, these will zing your strings. This 01 Meursault Poruzots starts with mellow, nutty white fruits, but they are kept taut and fresh by a lovely citrus streak and great acids which always seem to be present in Jobard’s wines. I could drink this every night and never tire of it. I go back and forth whether I prefer this or the 01 Blagny, which is leaner and more mineral. I recall Paul Hanna posting some favorable notes regarding Jobard’s 01s on the old board, and Jerry Hey had a favorable note regarding this wine recently. It seems that Jobard really excelled in 01. I am wary about the domaine be transitioned from Francois to son, Antoine, who, I sense from some comments made by Kermit Lynch, may be interested in making somewhat more fleshy wines than his father. Time will tell, but I really liked how Francois’ wines began life tight and lean, and unfurled over the years. I was also sad to see that the 06 Blagny La Piece Sous la Bois is that last vintage of that wine for Jobard; perhaps not a crowd pleaser, but, for me, a fragrant, soil-driven beauty.
Martin,
Thanks for the very beautiful note on this; I’m a huge fan of his, the Poruzots specifically (which may be my favorite version), but have never had the '01. So a fun, vicarious read. Did have the '92 recently which was drinking very well. Whatever the case, you did a good job of explaining his style of Meursault well.
Cheers,
-Robert
Robert, based upon your posts, I would expect that you would be a Francois Jobard fan. I wish I had a few 92s kickin’ around the cellar. I bet that the vintage and producer make for a lovely combination, particularly at about 20 years-old. Regarding not having the 01 Poruzots, PM will be sent. Cheers.
Hi Martin,
I would be very, very surprised if Antoine Jobard changes anything here once he fully takes over from his father. The '08s and ‘09s are absolutely snappy and minerally in a most classic, Jobard style, and I have a strong sense that Antoine is primarily in charge of what is going on in the cellars at the present time. If any change eventually happens here, my gut feeling it will be more along the lines of what is going on at Domaine Gouges in Nuits St. Georges, where Gregory Gouges’ arrival here seems to be contributing to an even greater degree of complexity, great purity and more polished tannic structures in the wines in the last few years, without deviating from the overall Gouges style of deep, reserved wines built to unfold only with extended bottle age and meant for drinking over many, many decades. There certainly is nothing in the style of the Joabard 2008s or 2009s (both brilliant, brilliant vintages chez Jobard) that would lead me to believe that they will not age significantly longer than the superb 2001s that you posted on and end up every bit as minerally and snappy as the lovely 2001 Poruzots.
All the Best,
John
A great source, utterly wonderful and ageworthy even in the most difficult vintages. Sadly not at all pox-free, though, to the extent that I won’t take the risk anymore.
I’m sad to hear the Blagny has finished, a beautiful wine from a vineyard the appreciation of which always marks out a true burgundy lover!
John, thank you for that insightful, firsthand report, which is really good news.
Tom, as with Robert, I can see that the Jobard wines, white and red, would be among those you enjoy. Regarding premox, I have had a couple of problematic 99 Genevrieres, but nothing but pristine bottles in terms of the 99-04s I have tried. Please don’t tell me that I have been lucky.
Cheers, gentlemen.
I was surprised when I saw the great leap forward in pricing for this domaine for the 2008’s. Is that a US thing or did the domaine also raise prices significantly?
I really like the wines. Even the Bourgogne is lovely and ages well.
You are so right. I had both the 82 Genevrières and the 82 Charmes in 2004 that were glorious. The vintage was good, but I hadn’t expected they’d show well.
I’m in total agreement with Marty on the 01 Jobard Poruzots - it is just drinking very well right now. Francois has been one of my go to Meursault producers since the early 80’s. I can’t tell you how many bottles I have gone through, but it has been a significant number and to a point almost every bottle has been Meursault at its best. I still have a few odds and ends from the 80’s that upon last opening were still holding together very well and could go on a few more years.
John - thanks for the insight on the next generation of Jobard. I hope they continue the wonderful winemaking of Francois.
Having read about the age-worthiness of the Jobard wines, in addition to it being my birth year, I purchased a magnum of 1979 Meursault les Genevrieres. The bottle is absolutely pristine with perfect fill and the color is simply gorgeous with no signs of oxidation. I’ve drunk the '79 Coche Dury Meursault “les Casses-Tetes” from the same cellar and it was superb.
I’m planning on opening the magnum next month. Has anyone drunk any '79 Jobards, or any tips on aerating the wine vs opening and pouring? Thanks.
had the '98 Poruzots last night with some roast chicken: “Oh My”! Do you have any left Marty?