Gevrey - Lavaux St. Jacques	1988	L. Jadot

1/95. Acquired from Beaune June-94 for $32 (imported for $40 net).
Again a Gevrey 1er Cru from Jadot's own Domaine.
Two 'firsts': The vineyard and the vintage. I never tasted this particular 1er Cru (not to be confused with its illustrious neighbor Clos St.-Jacques), and never tried any 1988 red, as I was led to believe it is an excellent but tannic vintage that needs more time. Decided to try a '88 1er Cru, as my '85 trove is dwindling. Furthermore, as we were having a roasted leg of baby lamb for dinner, I thought a tannic young wine will not be unpleasant. The bottle was opened 30 min before dinner.
COLOR: Normal ruby-red Burgundy, neither dark nor light.
NOSE: Typical (B) aroma engulfed by fresh fruit. At first a bit coarse "barnyard" bouquet, transforming in time into deeper, smooth and totally pleasing nose.
TASTE: Hard tannins only felt for the first 5-10 minutes. Then fruity velvety taste with good acidity to counter tannin. Very enjoyable flavors, though a bit monotonous. Not a great (B), and less impressive then 'Les Cazetiers'. Still, very tasty. Went deliciously with the three mushrooms ragu, the lamb and the baked potatoes with sour-cream & dill.
LENGTH: Reasonably long and pleasant after-taste though not particularly developing in the mouth.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Excellent balance between alcohol, acidity and tannins. Not really 'meaty' or 'fat' wine, though not lacking in the body department. The tannin is there, but very soft and round. Very drinkable but still feels young rather than mature.
OVERALL: A very good and ready(!) 1er Cru. So drinkable, that we had to restraint ourselves to get to the cheese and dessert with something left. Will hold at least a few more years.
MARK: 16/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Maybe.

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Jacob "Yak" Shaya.