Jacoulot - Marc de Bourgogne
At the doorstep of the Beaujolais wine region, in the town of Romanèche-Thorins, Maison Jacoulot has been offering for nearly 130 years an exclusive and extensive range of artisanal refined Spirits: Marc de Bourgogne, Fine de Bourgogne, Crèmes de Fruit and Liquors. In 2013 Philippe & Anne Vançon had an opportunity to take over the historical Maison Jacoulot, bringing forgotten spirits and liqueurs up to date, alternating brilliantly between authenticity and innovation. Note that all Jacoulot products are made in Burgundy in a genuine artisanal way. No manufacturing process is subcontracted, thus guaranteeing the excellence of Jacoulot’s know-how. Internationally recognized for its excellence and quality of its distillates, Jacoulot is distributed through a selective network of gourmet wine shops and Michelin Starred restaurants in France and Europe.
Marc de Bourgogne is compared to its Italian cousin grappa and it actually rarely finds its way out of France. Using a mobile alembic still, the pomace (Marc) of destemmed organically produced Pinot Noir grapes are distilled once to an average of 52% alcohol. After distillation the spirit is transported to Jacoulot’s cellars and left to rest in French oak barrels. 228 litre barriques and 600-700 litre demi-muids are used for élevage, and 10,000 litre foudres are used for blending. The aged spirits are cut with water at blending to produce an alcohol level of between 40-45% depending on the product. No chill filtration. No other additives are used.
This Burgundian aged ''grappa'' shows remarkable finesse, with notes of rum and raisin ice cream, a bit of spice, measured oak character, precision, good length and a warming but smooth finish. This style owes a lot to the fact that it’s made from the pomace of destemmed grapes, instead of whole bunches that can give the resulting brandy a much more rustic edge. Also, the 7-year mark indicated on the label is a legal minimum, and Jacoulot’s marcs are made from spirits aged much longer, on average. Forget the rough character of entry-level grappa. This is a drink to sip quietly, almost meditatively.
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