2020 Chateau des Jacques Beaujolais Blanc Clos de Loyse 6pk 6x750ml

Chateau des Jacques is one of the most prestigious estates in Beaujolais, a name that carries serious weight in a region too often dismissed. Founded in 1924 and acquired by Maison Louis Jadot in 1996, the estate pioneered Burgundian techniques in Beaujolais — long macerations, oak aging, the kind of winemaking discipline that separates serious bottles from summer juice.

The Clos de Loyse is a 22.3-acre walled vineyard attached to a medieval castle, once the land of the Lords of Loyse until Carthusian monks took over in 1643. The Chardonnay vines grow on alluvial soil over granite bedrock — terroir that delivers a fruitier, rounder character than you'd find in Burgundy proper. Traditional Maconnais arch pruning keeps yields in check and acidity locked in tight.

Barrel-fermented and aged in French oak from Jadot's own cooperage, this is Chardonnay built the Burgundian way. The 2020 vintage came through a mixed early season followed by a long, hot summer — the kind of year that produces memorable wines when you know what you're doing. What's in the glass is bright and energetic, citrus-driven with subtle earth and saline notes, a clean finish that keeps expanding. Melon, peach, fennel, Pear William — crisp, forward, precise.

94 Wine Advocate. $32 for barrel-fermented Chardonnay from a historic Clos. The kind of white Burgundy lovers pay double for when the label says Macon. Buy the six-pack.