Jayer Echézeaux Dinner by Christie's

Jayer Echézeaux Dinner
18:30~22:30, Wednesday 24th September 2008
Private Dining Room, The Square, 6-10 Bruton Street, London W1J 6PU
£2245 per person

Henri Jayer (1922–2006) is widely regarded as having been the greatest Burgundy vigneron of his generation. He began making wine at his father’s domaine in 1945. By the late 1970s Jayer’s fame was considerable, in part due to what is referred to as the ‘Jayer Style’ or the ‘Jayer Method’ – mostly what today we might consider fairly common practices – hard pruning, low low yields, 100% de-stemming, cold pre-ferment maceration, and – perhaps more controversially – 100% new oak maturation. Jayer was also known for very careful élévage – the looking after of the barrels of wine as they matured. The results however, were really quite exciting, and it led to a new generation of winemakers following Jayer’s methods, though perhaps seldom surpassing his results. Today these classic wines are rare and extraordinarily expensive. It has taken two years to assemble just these few carefully sourced examples.

Understanding Jayer’s wines is complicated by leasing / production sharing arrangements. In the case of Echezeaux, Jayer made wines under his own label – Domaine Henri Jayer, and for his brother Georges in what is referred to as Domaine Georges & Henri Jayer. In 1985 Henri’s nephew by marriage Emmanuel Rouget established his own domaine and came to work for Henri Jayer. Thus, three labels of Echézeaux can be found for vintages from 1985 through to 1995. As Clive Coates explained in 1997:

The arrangement with Rouget is the usual share-cropping one. Rouget gets half the fruit. In fact all the wine is made together, so what happens in effect is that half is labelled as Emmanuel Rouget – half of each of the three family plots of Echézeaux (totalling 1.43ha), for instance – the rest is bottled under one of the Jayer brothers’ names. But it is all the same wine. (1997), Côte d’Or: A Celebration of the great Wines of Burgundy, London, p497.

Henri Jayer – ‘Mis en bouteille par Henri Jayer, Viticulteur a Vosne-Romanée (Côte d’Or) – France’ Note the difference in crest used by the Henri bottles (above) and the Georges bottles (below).


Georges & Henri Jayer – ‘Produit, Vinifié, Élevé et Mis en bouteille par Henri Jayer, Georges Jayer Propriétaire a Vosne-Romanée – France’

Emmanuel Rouget – ‘Mis en bouteille à Vosne-Romanée par Emmanuel Rouget, Vigneron a Nuits-Saint-Georges – Côte-d’Or – France’

Rouget used a Jayer-type label, with no crest until 1992. From 1993 he used a new type of label which includes the same crest as found on the ‘Georges & Henri Jayer’ labels.

2000 Georges & Henri Jayer 2000 Emmanuel Rouget
1995 Emmanuel Rouget 1993 Emmanuel Rouget
1996 Georges & Henri Jayer 1989 Georges & Henri Jayer 1988 Georges & Henri Jayer
1990 Henri Jayer 1990 Georges & Henri Jayer 1990 Emmanuel Rouget
1985 Henri Jayer 1985 Georges & Henri Jayer 1985 Emmanuel Rouget
1983 Henri Jayer 1978 Henri Jayer

As well as presenting an opportunity to enjoy these great wines together with the 2 Michelin starred standard of environment, cuisine and service at The Square, this dinner event presents a rare opportunity to understand –
· The differences, if any can be discerned (allowing for corks and differences in provenance), between the different bottlings – in the case of 1985 and 1990 we shall have all three
· The transition in influence from Jayer at his peak through to just beyond his effective retirement

· The ‘Jayer Style’, over ten vintages and fifteen bottlings of Echezeaux

The event will be moderated by widely acclaimed Burgundy expert and the most genial of hosts, Anthony Hanson MW. A dinner for the serious Burgundy or fine wine enthusiast not to miss.

Tickets: conact Aiko at aiko@finewineexperience.com, or on 0845 833 5688.

**************************************************
這個酒宴，老實說，我個人真的是覺得非常值得去的！單是看十五支已可算是「神水」境界的葡萄酒，再加上有葡萄酒大師的解說，真是非常吸引！當然，要動用港幣三萬多元去吃一餐，而且更是要專程飛到倫敦出席，絕對不是一般打工仔如我可以做到的！但，香港的富豪們，我認真的建議大家可以好好考慮一下！

有人問我是否跟Christie's有甚麼關係，多次介紹他們的活動。我要澄清一下，我跟Christie's這拍賣行任何關係也沒有，只是見到他們有不同的高質素活動便覺得值得轉載一下，希望可以推動本土葡萄酒相關活動的發展罷了。倒是Christie's如有任何意見，我真的想聽聽。要是覺得我的資訊有助他們推廣業務而想請我喝兩瓶酒的話，我定切會連聲多謝的啊！

This wine dinner, altough cost more than HK$30,000, I think it is a "must-go" function if you can afford the money and time. The 15 bottles of wine can all be called legend, and chances to taste them are not frequent, actually should be rare! So, rish guys, please consider this seriously!

Someone asked me whether I am related to Christie's, I have to clarify that I am not related to the auction house in any aspect. I just think such high quality wine events should be introduced to wine lover in Hong Kong, hoping that the industry can improve in the way like that. In case Christie's wish to let me know their comments or wish to offer me one or two free bottles, I would be more than welcome to have that!