Gilles is the 3rd generation of this family domaine. He began at domaine in 1982 and has run the domaine completely since 1998. The domaine owns 10 ha 50 of vineyards. Gilles works the vineyards as natural as possible. He believes that working the soil is the 1st step in understanding the terroir of each parcel. Yields remain very small for all appellations. Soils of all vineyards are clay-limestone.
Gilles works non-interventionist in the cellar. Normally, wines are not racked and kept ‘sur lie’ until bottling. Bottling can take place from after 12-18 months of rearing (whites) and at least 18 months for the reds. The whites are reared in oak or ‘en cuve’ until bottling (except generic). Gilles does not fine whites but does lightly filter. Also, there is no batonnage until the end of the malo-lactic fermentation for whites. The reds are reared in 100% new oak (except generic) and are neither fined nor filtered. In conclusion, Gilles makes wine that are unique and with a lot personality; and though, representative of the great burgundy, the wines are just as representative of Gilles himself!
“Many Jayers make wine in Burgundy, but Gilles Jayer is easily among the best of the bunch. His wines are flamboyant and fleshy, marked by ripe, sweet fruit and lavish, spicy new oak. The estate’s Côte de Nuits-Villages is always a perfect ringer in a blind tasting with Burgundies of a higher pedigree. Domaine Jayer-Gilles is also well known for its Pinot Noirs from the Echezeaux Grand Cru vineyard. Even the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune and Haute-Côtes de Nuits bottlings reflect the style of Gilles’s more highly pedigreed wines.”
-Stephen Tanzer’s Wine Access
2005 Echezeaux du Dessus Domaine Jayer-Gilles
The 2005 Echezeaux show a gorgeous box of aromas – spices,, dark fruit, heavy oak. Very silky. On the palate, broad and lush, with chocolate, dark fruit. Very concentrated and masculine. Excellent, and very deep.
Climate and location
The plot – cadastre no 631 – is located at the northern end of Echezeaux du Dessus on the border to Les Poulailleres.
The plot is 0.54 ha, and the neighbour to the south within Echezeaux du Dessus is Niquet-Jayer – cadastre no 632 – now produced by or sold to a negociant To the north we have one of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti’s plots in Les Poulailleres.
