Château des Jacques

History of Château des Jacques

The estate of Château des Jacques is documented at the lieu-dit "Les Jacques" in Romanèche-Thorins since 1679. The Sornay family made it a family home and wine trading house from 1843. In 1924, the very year the Moulin-à-Vent appellation was officially created, Amédée Rousseau, a visionary entrepreneur determined to produce truly great wines there, patiently acquired the finest plots of the appellation from some sixty different families. He immediately adopted a haute couture philosophy, with manual harvesting, destemming, lengthy vinification and aging, and estate bottling — practices extraordinarily rare for Beaujolais at the time.

In 1996, Maison Louis Jadot, founded in 1859 in Beaune by Louis Henry Denis Jadot, acquired Château des Jacques and preserved its identity while embracing ambitious environmental practices. Jadot thus became the first great Burgundian house to own a significant vineyard in Beaujolais, embodying the historical link between Burgundy and Beaujolais that has been debated since Duke Philippe le Hardi in the 14th century. In 2001, it acquired Château des Lumières and its 35 hectares on the hillside of Villié-Morgon (Côte du Py, Corcelette, Bellevue, Roche Noire, Les Charmes). The two estates were united under the name Château des Jacques in 2008. The estate is managed by Julie Pitoiset and Alexandre Pipilis.

Terroirs and Vines of Château des Jacques

The vineyard of Château des Jacques extends over 69 to 88 hectares depending on the source, spread across several crus and appellations in northern Beaujolais. In Moulin-à-Vent, the estate's 32 hectares are organized around five distinct grand clos: the Grand Clos de Rochegrès, the Clos du Grand Carquelin, Champ de Cour, La Roche, and the Clos des Thorins. These plots, all situated on the pink granite and quartz soils rich in manganese that make the reputation and specificity of Moulin-à-Vent, give the wines an unmatched structure, power, and longevity for a Gamay. The Clos de Loyse, 10 hectares of Chardonnay on clay-limestone soil, produces the estate's Beaujolais Blanc and Bourgogne Blanc.

For Morgon, the 35 hectares of Château des Lumières are located on the schist and granite terroirs of the hillside above the village of Villié-Morgon, with plots on the Côte du Py (the most renowned terroir in Morgon), Corcelette, Bellevue, Roche Noire, and Les Charmes. Each Morgon plot expresses a distinct individuality, from the mineral power of the Côte du Py to the floral finesse of Bellevue. The entire vineyard is committed to organic viticulture, with varying practices depending on the plots: HVE, organic viticulture, biodynamics, geobiology. No chemical herbicides are used.

Vinifications at Château des Jacques

The methods at Château des Jacques are resolutely "in the Burgundian style", a philosophy introduced by Louis Jadot and faithfully maintained. After manual harvesting in small crates and rigorous sorting, the bunches are almost entirely destemmed, which is exceptional in Beaujolais where whole-cluster vinification is the norm. This decision imparts a different concentration and tannic finesse compared to classic Beaujolais wines. Maceration lasts three to four weeks, with daily pigeage and pumping-over. Aging takes place in concrete tanks and oak barrels for approximately ten months for the main cuvées, with partial aging in new barrels for the top single-vineyard cuvées. This time in wood is carefully measured to allow exchanges between the wine and the oak without imparting a dominant woody character. The wines often require at least 5 years to fully express the complexity of their terroir.

The cuvées of Château des Jacques

Moulin-à-Vent Château des Jacques: The estate's flagship red blend and "Fine Wine" in Moulin-à-Vent, drawn from the five great granitic clos of the estate: Rochegrès, Carquelin, Thorins, Champ de Cour, and La Roche. Destemmed, maceration 3 to 4 weeks, aged in concrete tanks and barrels for 10 months. A powerful, rich, and elegant red wine, "perfectly illustrating the great qualities of the appellation: supple tannins, freshness, and elegance of fruit." Aging potential of 10 to 20 years in the greatest vintages. The most representative and highest-volume cuvée of the estate.

Moulin-à-Vent Grand Clos de Rochegrès: A single-vineyard grand cuvée from the Grand Clos de Rochegrès, one of the most renowned plots in Moulin-à-Vent, on granitic soils. A red wine of exceptional power and depth, with intense aromas of black fruits, spices, and granitic minerality. Extended aging in barrels. One of the estate's most admired cuvées for its aging potential and complexity.

Moulin-à-Vent Clos du Grand Carquelin: A single-vineyard cuvée from the Clos du Grand Carquelin, a distinct plot of the estate on pink granite. A red wine of great elegance and aromatic precision, with notes of violet, blackcurrant, and a characteristic granitic minerality. Typically one of the most "Pinot-like" cuvées of the estate.

Moulin-à-Vent Clos des Thorins: A single-vineyard cuvée from the Clos des Thorins, a historic plot of the estate that gives its name to the famous lieu-dit of Romanèche-Thorins. Granitic soil, particular exposure. A red wine of great richness and marked aromatic amplitude, with the black fruits and spices characteristic of age-worthy Moulin-à-Vent wines.

Moulin-à-Vent Champ de Cour: A single-vineyard cuvée from the Champ de Cour plot, one of the five great historic plots of the estate. A red wine expressing the individuality of this particular Moulin-à-Vent terroir, with its own aromatic signature within the château's range of cuvées.

Moulin-à-Vent La Roche: A single-vineyard cuvée from the La Roche plot, completing the palette of the estate's five grand clos. A red wine of characteristic floral and mineral expression, in the most elegant register of Château des Jacques' Moulin-à-Vent cuvées.

Morgon Côte du Py: A grand cuvée of Morgon from the Côte du Py, the most renowned and most mineral terroir of the appellation, on its characteristic blue schist. A red wine of unmatched minerality, depth, and power for a Gamay, with the characteristic aromas of the Côte du Py: black cherry, violet, spices, and a distinctive schistous mineral tension. A wine built to age for a minimum of 8 to 12 years.

Morgon Bellevue: A Morgon cuvée from the Bellevue plot on the hillside of Villié-Morgon, in a more floral and more accessible style than the Côte du Py. An elegant and aromatic red wine, with notes of cherry and flowers, a supple and fresh palate.

Morgon Les Charmes: A Morgon cuvée from the Les Charmes plot, expressing a "charming" and accessible style of the cru, with aromas of red fruits and a silky texture.

Morgon Roche Noire: A Morgon cuvée from the Roche Noire plot, a terroir dominated by volcanic black rock, yielding wines of dark minerality and remarkable depth.

Beaujolais Blanc Clos de Loyse: A white cuvée made from Chardonnay in the Clos de Loyse (10 hectares of clay-limestone soil) under the Beaujolais Blanc appellation. A fruity and fresh white wine, with aromas of apple, white flowers, and lemon, a lively and light palate. The white and complementary side of the château, to enjoy with fish or seafood.

Bourgogne Blanc Clos de Loyse: A prestigious white cuvée from the same Chardonnay vineyard under the Bourgogne Blanc appellation, with more careful aging. A white wine more complex and richer than the Beaujolais Blanc, with a beautiful mineral tension and a long finish. A testament to the inseparable link between Beaujolais and Burgundy that Château des Jacques has embodied since 1996.