France is expected to see a 2025 wine harvest of around 37.4m hectolitres (mhl), said the country’s agriculture ministry today (9 September).

Heat and drought during August in several regions, especially Languedoc-Roussillon in the south and Alsace in the north-east, have dented a previous forecast of 40m to 42.5m hectolitres.

Yet it’s a mixed picture. Burgundy lovers can look forward to more wine being bottled from the 2025 vintage, compared to the small 2024 crop, with volumes expected to jump 45% year-on-year.

Winemakers in Jura should bounce back from a frost-hit 2024 vintage, with volumes soaring 200% in 2025 to 106mhl – 38% above the five-year average.

In the Loire, production was also expected to increase 26% on last year, despite localised hailstorms and drought.

Nationally, France’s 2025 wine harvest should be around 3% larger than 2024, but it will still be 13% below the country’s five-year average, said the agriculture ministry via its Agreste data service. Its report didn’t comment on likely wine quality.

Volumes in Alsace were likely to drop 11% year-on-year, while Languedoc-Rousillon should see a 5% drop in harvest volumes.

Drought has been an issue for winemakers in parts of Languedoc in recent years, but some producers in the Corbières faced a nightmare in August as France’s worst wildfire in more than 70 years affected vineyards and communities in the Aude department.

Bordeaux is likely to see a 2025 crop of similar overall size to last year, and around 15% down on the five-year average.

Early 2025 harvests and high hopes for quality

Early starts to harvest are a feature of the 2025 growing season.

St-Emilion heavyweight Château Troplong Mondot began picking grapes on 28 August, the earliest start date in its history. MD Aymeric de Gironde told Decanter the team had high hopes for quality, with conditions similar to 2022.

Alsace saw its earliest start to harvest on record, with grapes for appellation d’origine protégée (AOP) wines first picked on 25 August, said the agriculture ministry.

There was early optimism in the Rhône, where harvest began 10 days earlier than in 2024.

Volumes were still uncertain, according to the Inter Rhône trade body, but its president, Philippe Pellaton, said, ‘With this early, high-quality and balanced vintage, we are in an ideal position to manage the vintage and produce fine wines for 2025.’

Champagne’s harvest began ahead of the 10-year average. Maxime Toubart, co-president of the Comité Champagne regional body, raised hopes for the vintage by saying vineyards were in remarkable condition, according to France 24 / Agence France Presse.

Uprooting vineyards hits French wine production

Grubbing-up vineyards has also reduced potential volumes from France’s 2025 wine harvest.

More more than 20,000 hectares have been uprooted since last year’s harvest in Bordeaux, the south-west and Languedoc-Roussillon, said the ministry of agriculture’s report.

This includes 8,000ha in Bordeaux and more than 10,000ha in Languedoc-Roussillon, it said.

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Fewer than 10 domaines in the world produce wines made entirely from the white grape variety Gringet from their own vineyards.

Six are located in Ayse, the grape’s Haute-Savoie homeland.

Despite its scarcity, if you mention Gringet to somebody with deep knowledge of French wine, you will be met with a knowing smile and the name of one man: Dominique Belluard.

Belluard’s conviction

Belluard’s Gringet wines took the international wine world by storm in the 2000s and the 2010s.

Rajat Parr, ex-sommelier and now winemaker and farmer at Phelan Farm in Cambria, California, remembers: ‘The first time I drank one of Dominique’s wines in 2012 in Paris, I was deeply moved; so much so, that I began to seek out his wines all the time. I didn’t yet know how rare Gringet was, I was just captivated by the true magic and deliciousness of the wines.’

After visiting Belluard at his domaine in 2018, Rajat decided to plant one hectare of Gringet at his own domaine on the other side of the world.

When they finished planting, he opened Belluard’s Les Alpes 2010 to drink with his team, pouring some of the wine onto the soil of the vineyard itself: ‘For so many years I’ve been drinking Gringet. It’s an amazing feeling to finally put these vines in the ground.’

A unique variety

First mentioned in writing in 1766, Gringet is however likely to be much older. It was once cultivated widely across Haute-Savoie.

Due to phylloxera, migration of people away from the countryside to cities, and land demand for housing, Ayse’s overall vineyard area dwindled from about 600ha in the second half of the 19th century to just 30ha today, and around 25 of those are planted with Gringet.

Many believed Gringet to be either related to or a clone of the also-ancient Savagnin variety from Savoie’s neighbour, Jura.

Dominique Belluard, however, remained steadfastly convinced that Gringet was unique.

DNA testing for grape varieties changed everything.

Dr José Vouillamoz, a grape geneticist, travelled to Ayse to meet Belluard in 2007 to take cuttings.

Testing proved that Gringet was indeed a distinct variety with no relation to Savagnin.

Additionally, as Vouillamoz has argued very recently on the back of his research, Gringet is likely the parent of two other Savoyard varieties, one of which being Molette, the other being the obscure Roussette basse de Seyssel; meaning it is certainly very old.

This means that Gringet was historically prized, as it was purposefully re-propagated for centuries.

Vouillamoz rang Belluard to inform him. Belluard was a man who José describes as having been modest and reserved, and he received the news in the same manner.

It was only two years later, at the Les Vins des Alpes symposium in Chambéry, that Vouillamoz and indeed the audience could see how much it meant to Belluard.

He spoke with tears in his eyes about how this discovery had changed his life, giving meaning to all the years he had spent working to save the variety.

Epigenetics

A historical gem, Gringet simultaneously gives us hope for the future.

‘One of the solutions to mitigate effects of climate change is to revive old, often forgotten indigenous varieties in their birthplace,’ says Vouillamoz, ‘for the sake that they have survived several past climate changes since the Middle Ages and even earlier.’

Vouillamoz explains that as Gringet vines have been propagated for centuries in the same terroir, they benefit from ‘epigenetics’ (genetic modifications that impact gene activity without changing the DNA sequence, in other words how the environment can cause changes that affect the way in which genes work).

‘This recent field of science is still largely unknown in grapes,’ says Vouillamoz, ‘but my hypothesis is that old vines and indigenous varieties in their birthplace have kept the “memories” of past vintages, enabling them to adapt their physiological reactions to meteorological contingencies.

‘In short, an indigenous vine that has already undergone several severe drought vintages will be better equipped to resist the next one than a recently introduced foreign variety.’

Although there is no concrete evidence yet, it’s a topic that is keenly being explored.

A fitting tribute

Tragically, Belluard lost his life to suicide in 2021. He is immensely missed by those who knew him and by the wine world at large.

Jura winemaker, Jean-François Ganevat, went to Savoie to ensure the 2020 wines in the cellar made it to bottle safely.

From the 2021 Gringet harvest, several French winemakers bought the grapes and made Gringet cuvées: Anne and Jean-François Ganevat, Nicolas Jacob and Zeroine in the Jura; Jean-Marie Berrux, Théo Dancer and Maison Glandien in Burgundy; Jean-Claude Lapalu in Beaujolais; and Franck Balthazar in Cornas.

They are all beautiful expressions and homages to Belluard’s work.

When it came to selling the domaine, Valérie Belluard, Dominique’s wife, decided that young winemaker Vincent Ruiz, with his partners Miguel Sarzier, Raphaël Bennour and Cornas vigneron Franck Balthazar, would be the ones to continue Dominique’s legacy.

They are doing exactly that, under the newly named Domaine du Gringet. Farming regeneratively, this talented, dedicated quartet perpetuates Belluard’s vision, shining a light on Gringet, the Ayse terroir, and the ethereal white wines the combination creates.

Ruiz says: ‘Our Gringet vines are heritage vines; we feel so fortunate to tend to them.’

They note how well-suited Gringet is to Ayse, even when faced with the challenges global warming brings. It copes well with heat stress, and is not too susceptible to powdery mildew – a rarity.

In the past, it sometimes struggled to ripen, but with a warming climate, as Belluard proved and Domaine du Gringet continues to prove, it now consistently produces world-class still wines.

Equally, it continues to produce world-class sparkling wines. If you find yourself in Haute-Savoie, buying the exquisite sparkling wines made by Le Coteau du Môle – which sells its entire production directly from its cellar – is a must.

Ensuring a future for Gringet

The future is bright for Gringet. It is also being embraced further afield. Jean-Yves Péron has planted it in Savoie, and makes a striking macerated example, and Domaine Curtet has also planted it for use in blends.

In the Jura, Domaine de la Borde will soon release the inaugural 2024 vintage of a blend of Gringet and Savagnin from a vineyard planted in 2020.

In Oregon, Gringet forms a small part of HIYU Wine Farm’s Pandion cuvée, and LoFi Wines in California’s Santa Barbara also planted a small plot in 2024 from Phelan Farm cuttings.

Savoie in a bottle

When I finally made it to Ayse myself, I stood among the native Savoyard vegetation and wildflowers rooted next to centenarian Gringet bush vines, looking out at snow-capped mountains.

The herbal mountain scents in the air were exactly the same as those I have found, and continue to find, in Gringet wines.

I couldn’t help but think that these wines are a microcosm for the very notion of terroir. This ancient variety is the vehicle able to transport Haute-Savoie to the bottle.

How lucky we are to experience it.

Five Gringets I can’t stop thinking about

Dominique Belluard, Monsieur Gringet, Savoie, France 2020

A moving bottle that gives you an insight into Dominique’s life work. One of his last wines (finished by Jean-François Ganevat), this is a blend of individual hillside parcels La Paille (white marl), Chez Edouard (limestone scree) and Le Feu (red marl with iron). It was matured for 18 months in concrete eggs, and the label was chosen by Valérie Belluard and designed by artist Michel Tolmer. The wine showcases perfectly the complex saline and wild herb characteristics of Gringet across multiple terroirs.

Domaine du Gringet, La Bergerie, Savoie, France 2022

This cuvée exemplifies the textural potential of Gringet: fresh and delicious, while having real structure and density simultaneously. A highly versatile wine.

Domaine du Gringet, La Paille, Savoie, France 2022

From bush vines planted in 1929 and 1930. A wine that manages to combine concentration with finesse – its salty, dried chamomile and snow-like minerality lingers forever on the palate. There are so many layers to unfurl. A true showstopper that will open anybody’s eyes to the oxymoron that is the joyful seriousness of Gringet.

Domaine Béléma, Imago, Allobroges, France 2022

Made by Yann Pernuit, who spent many years working with Belluard, this is yet another striking example of Gringet from Ayse. With the same saline core, this has lovely fresh lime pith and apricot stone qualities. Highly moreish, impossible not to love.

Dominique Belluard x Jean-Claude Lapalu, Feu Follet 2019

A sparkling wine that was vinified by Belluard and finished by his good friend and one of Beaujolais’ most talented and dedicated winemakers, this is a delightful expression of sparkling Gringet. Full of life, with lemon and a touch of bitter herbs, it is highly invigorating.

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Have you ever visited somewhere so characterful and unspoilt that you’re torn between telling everyone and keeping it to yourself? Jura is that sort of place. At first sight, its unfamiliar wine styles and eclectic ranges of idiosyncratic micro-cuvées are hard to get your head around.

But the closer you look, the more compelling they become.

This is a haven of original, joyous, artisanal wines – from whites with an explosive, tangy intensity that can take your breath away to ageworthy, oxidative vins jaunes, fresh and earthy red wines, delicious crémants, sweetly saline vins de paille and Macvin, Jura’s unique liqueur.

Scroll down to see notes and scores for 15 fascinating Jura wines

France’s smallest wine region consists of a mosaic of vineyards, a quarter the size of the Côte d’Or, scattered across a landscape of gently undulating hills and farmland between Burgundy and Switzerland.

Jura’s climate is cooler and wetter than Burgundy’s, and its soil is dominated more by marl than limestone, bringing extra freshness to its wines. But it has much in common with its more prestigious neighbour, especially the focus on crafting small-scale terroir wines.

And the down-to-earth modesty of the region’s producers is reminiscent of Burgundy 20 years ago.

Key Jura grape varieties

Whites Savagnin and Chardonnay, and reds Trousseau, Poulsard and Pinot Noir are Jura’s five official grape varieties. Certain producers – Ganevat and Pignier, for example – create field blends that include other old Jura varieties, such as Enfariné and Rèze; however, these are relatively rare.

Savagnin, also known as Naturé, has high acidity and thrives on Jura’s grey marl soils. It is capable of producing wines of explosive intensity that age for decades.

Chardonnay, and its local strain Melon à Queue Rouge, are often grown on heavy marls and limestone, making rich, fresh wines, somewhere between Chablis and the Côte d’Or in style.

Trousseau, known as Bastardo in Portugal, flourishes in Jura’s flinty- clay and sedimentary soils, especially around Arbois, making structured, earthy-mineral, red-fruited wines that can age beautifully.

Poulsard, or ‘Ploussard’, is a native Jura variety that produces pale, floral wines of surprising drive and length in many styles, including reds, rosés, crémants and vins de paille.

Pinot Noir, although frequently used in Jura for blended red wines and crémant sparkling, can also make varietal wines of great finesse.

Historically a rustic backwater of the wine world, Jura is probably best known in France for Comté cheese. Its identity as a wine region has been largely linked to its oxidative white wines.

Unlike in other regions of France, the longstanding tradition here was to age white wine beneath a layer of yeast without topping up barrels in the conventional manner (which would minimise the effects of oxygen on the wine).

The distinctive character that this imparts on the wines is exemplified by vin jaune. These nutty, peaty ‘yellow wines’ are fascinating and prized by locals, but their strikingly dry, bitter-savoury umami flavour isn’t to everyone’s taste.

Much like Marmite, they tend to be either loved or loathed.

Embracing change

Jura’s image has been transformed by two (linked) developments in its winemaking: a shift to a low-intervention philosophy and to making topped-up (ouillé) versions of Savagnin, Jura’s signature grape.

In a region of France that retains a deep connection with the soil, the policy of low intervention, as pioneered by Pierre Overnoy, has made Jura a shrine for lovers of natural wine. Overnoy was also among the first here to make ouillé versions of Savagnin, unleashing lusher, fruitier flavours in the wines.

This latter shift in winemaking approach, now adopted by most domaines, has made Jura more accessible. The flavour of these topped-up whites bears some similarity to Burgundy, but they possess a fresh salinity that’s one of the region’s hallmarks.

Many topped-up whites, such as the elegant Chardonnays made by César Deriaux at Domaine de Montbourgeau in the village of L’Etoile, display subtly oxidative notes.

Jura wine styles explained

Vin jaune: Jura’s ‘yellow wine’, bottled in distinctive 62cl clavelin bottles, is made from 100% Savagnin and matured in barrel for an extended period, to be bottled only from the first day of January in the seventh year after harvest. A minimum of five years must be spent in barrels, under a layer of yeasts (voile) that forms on the surface and creates a partial barrier to air, similar to the flor in Sherry. The wine isn’t topped up as it starts to evaporate, increasing the area exposed to oxygen, which in turn leads to the creation of oxidative umami flavours. The resulting bone-dry wine has a spirit-like quality redolent of peaty malt whisky and is capable of ageing for decades. All AP Château-Chalon wines are vins jaunes.

Sous voile: Other oxidative white wine styles, made from Savagnin, Chardonnay or a blend of both, may be labelled sous voile (‘under the veil’), typé or ‘tradition’ – aged in a similar way to vin jaune, without topping up, but for shorter periods.

Ouillé: Non-oxidative styles of white wine, labelled ouillé (topped up) or ‘floral’, are made in the conventional way, with topping up of the barrels. They can be similar to white Burgundy, though often they are defined by Jura’s distinctive freshness and salinity.

Crémant: Sparkling white and rosé wine, made in the same way as Champagne, generally in a brut style from 100% Chardonnay, but also in blends from any of the five official Jura varieties.

Vin de paille: Many producers make small quantities of this intensely sweet ‘straw wine’ from grapes dried on mats in well-ventilated rooms, often a blend of Chardonnay, Savagnin and Poulsard.

Macvin: A traditional sweet liqueur wine, which is made by fortifying grape juice with marc – a grape brandy distilled from the residue of grape skins, stems and pips left over from winemaking.

Signature whites

Savagnin, for those unfamiliar with the variety, can be a revelation. A versatile grape, made in a wide range of wine styles from bone dry to ultra-sweet, in the right hands it produces wines of explosive intensity.

François Rousset-Martin who makes some of Jura’s finest expressions of Savagnin near the village of Château-Chalon, practises what he describes as ouillage à la jurassienne, topping up the maturing wine only about once a month. Irregular topping up allows a hint of oxidation, which Rousset-Martin feels adds complexity.

Jura Chardonnays, both topped up and oxidative, often have a wonderful, rich freshness, too. Among the most beguiling are those of Stéphane Tissot, who with his wife Bénédicte oversees Jura’s largest family-run estate, Domaine André & Mireille Tissot.

Tissot attributes the region’s growing success to the fact that, in an increasingly homogenous wine world, ‘people are looking for personality’ – a quality he himself has bags of.

It was the exuberant quality of Tissot’s Chardonnays that, in 2007, tempted the d’Angerville family of Volnay fame to scout for land in Jura, eventually to establish Domaine du Pélican near the town of Arbois in 2012.

Exploding interest

Although Jura is largely known for its white wines, its reds can also be delicious. Overnoy is renowned for his intense bottlings of the delicate Poulsard grape, while some of Jura’s most complex, ageworthy reds are made from the more tannic Trousseau by the Aviet family at Caveau de Bacchus near Arbois and Domaine Pignier in Montaigu (pictured below).

Pinot Noir has a long history in Jura, too, making pure, fresh wines that tend to be edgier than those from Burgundy.

The explosion of interest in Jura, on the back of the natural wine movement, has conferred cult status on several of the region’s estates, such as Domaine Jean-François Ganevat in the tiny village of Rotalier – with prices to match.

Ganevat’s sprawling range of eccentrically named wines, both domaine and négoce bottlings, are made with minimal intervention and no added sulphites. These are thrillingly taut, vibrant wines of striking energy and mouthwatering intensity, but production remains small.

‘At the moment, demand is huge but there is not much wine,’ says oenologist Jocelyn Brancard.

Domaine des Miroirs, perhaps the epitome of Jura’s cult wine phenomenon, was established by Kenjiro Kagami in Grusse, in Jura’s south, in time for a small first vintage in 2011. Kagami, a Japanese ex-pat and former engineer at Hitachi, works his vineyard of less than 4ha with his wife Mayumi.

Kagami regards monocultures as problematic and is obsessive about growing vines in harmony with the nature around them, by stimulating life in the vineyard and avoiding imported additives or working the soil.

‘I believe in making wines that are the essence of the place where they are grown,’ says Kagami. ‘As far as possible, I avoid adding anything. Great wines are never made with added SO2. You can taste the difference.’

Joël Morin, former president of the Fruitière Vinicole d’Arbois, which was established in 1906, making it one of France’s oldest cooperatives, feels that making organic wine is easier in Jura because the region avoided ‘going to the extremes’ in the days when herbicides and pesticides were introduced almost everywhere. But climate change is increasing the challenge of low-intervention winemaking.

Alice Aviet of Caveau de Bacchus says that the ‘extremes of temperature and rainfall are making it harder for organic producers to grow healthy grapes without treating their vines’.

Pierre Overnoy – a pioneer of natural wine

Living simply in a modest house in the little village of Pupillin, Pierre Overnoy’s humility belies a man who has, without seeking the limelight, become an inspiration for wine producers in Jura and beyond, and is considered one of the foremost pioneers of natural wine. He is precise and impatient with hype.

‘My wine,’ he says, ‘is not sorcery, it’s just natural, ripe grapes that have fermented.’

After oenology training in Beaune – where, he observes, he ‘learned what not to do’ – Overnoy became convinced that wines made without added SO2 tasted better. ‘From the moment you touch, you damage,’ he says. ‘The less you can intervene, the better.’

Overnoy stopped adding SO2 in the mid-1980s and remained for many years the only Jura vigneron to work like this, managing his vineyard with rigour to ensure healthy ripe grapes. ‘We are lucky here,’ he says. ‘This is a region of polyculture; the land has not been too damaged by chemicals and we still have living soils.’

At around the same time, Overnoy also started to defy Jura tradition by topping up his Savagnin barrels, a practice now adopted by most Jura producers (see ‘wine styles’ box).

Now aged 87, Overnoy leaves wine production to his protégé Emmanuel ‘Manu’ Houillon, but he still has plenty to say. He is, in particular, deeply concerned about the impact of climate change on vines, illustrated by the jars of pickled grapes he has collected in early July for more than 30 years.

‘To make good natural wine, you need low pH, a healthy yeast population and plenty of malic acid,’ he states.

‘Today, we’re heading in the opposite way. Long heatwaves mean rising pH, less yeast and little malic acid, so it’s getting harder to make wine without SO2. In 1947, the harvest began on 12 September and everyone thought it was an exception. That’s no longer unusual. Soon, it won’t be exceptional to harvest in early August. We have broken the whole chain.’

Strength of character

Jura has several assets to cope with rising temperatures. Savagnin has naturally low pH and both it and Trousseau have thick skins, making them relatively resistant to heat and disease. The region’s moisture-retaining marl soils help to delay ripening and retain freshness, but the concern about climate change among Jura’s vignerons is palpable.

Marie-Pierre Chevassu-Fassenet of the eponymous domaine in Menétrule-Vignoble describes how the ‘burning’ heat in 2022 went deep into even the marl, stressing young vines with shallow roots.

‘There has been a tipping point in pH since 2018,’ she notes. ‘The growing cycle is now hyper-concentrated, with harvests falling in late August or early September. It’s stressful, like a race.’

Despite such concerns, this relatively untouched region of France is producing some of the most exhilarating, compelling wines you’ll find. While reasonably priced at the cellar door, they can be pricey and hard to find abroad, but these are individual terroir wines with a real sense of place that are well worth tracking down.

Much to discover: 15 to try from Jura

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Paul Bonin headed to his vineyard in Gevingey to give the vines their first cut, but he was shocked to find that they had been stripped of their grapes.

The 48-year-old winemaker initially suspected that birds had devoured the grapes while he slept, but he then realised that he had fallen victim to burglary.

‘Friends showed me bunches of grapes that had fallen to the ground, neatly cut with pruning shears,’ Bonin told France 3.

Bonin had only harvested 10kg of grapes before the thieves struck, and they made off with 800kg, leaving nothing in their wake.

‘That means another year without income,’ he said. ‘I only made 200 litres of juice. It is a blow to the head.’

Bonin is not the first winemaker to be targeted by thieves in Jura, a region tucked between Burgundy and the Swiss border in eastern France.

Last year, Catherine Hannoun, of Domaine de la Loue winery in Port-Lesney, told Decanter that thieves made off with around 2,500 kg of grapes from her vineyard.

She was one of three winemakers targeted, according to French news channel TF1. Another victim, Laura Bourdy of Domaine Bourdy in Arlay, told reporters that the speed and apparent skill with which thieves stole grapes suggested they were organised and experienced.

The gendarmerie investigated the thefts, but they did not manage to catch the culprits.

Louis Cauzo, the mayor of Gevingey, reacted with fury to the theft at Bonin’s vineyard, which is roughly 0.85ha.

‘I am really outraged. He is a young winemaker who set up not long ago and who has invested a lot. It was his first real small harvest. And it is even more dramatic this year, because there are no grapes,’ he said.

It had already been a challenging year for grape growers in the region, as heavy rainfall, hailstorms and mildew ravaged vineyards across Jura.

Historically, the region’s average production is 80,000 hectolitres per year, but it is expected to fall to around 35,000 hectolitres this year, with experts blaming the climate crisis.

Police ramp up their surveillance during the harvest in Jura and other wine regions, as thieves target not only the grapes, but also agricultural machinery. However, they were unable to prevent the latest theft.

Bonin may add GPS micro-trackers to grape clusters in the future in a bid to catch the thieves.

‘I found a company that provides GPS micro-trackers the size of confetti,’ said Bonin. ‘If we slip them into a few bunches on the plot, we can track the movement of the grapes and see who received them. The pressure needs to change sides.’

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‘Historic’ can be an overused word, but Caves Jean Bourdy – or Domaine Bourdy, as it is now known following its generational change of ownership in 2022 – is indeed a historic domaine. Founded in the bucolic Jura village of Arlay in 1579, it is one of the oldest domaines in France. With cellars housing two centuries’ worth of consecutive back vintages, it has long made traditional wines that follow time-honoured methods passed down through 15 generations of the Bourdy family.

Yet change is afoot.

Scroll down to see notes and scores for nine fabulous Domaine Bourdy wines to try

In the summer of 2022 Laura Bourdy, representing the 16th generation of winemakers in her family, became the first woman to take charge in the estate’s history.

Until 2018, Laura had been working contentedly as a project manager at a neuroscience company. But while pregnant with her first child, Chloé, she began to think seriously about her family’s future.

Before she took the reins, Laura insisted on first becoming an employee of the business for one year to be sure that it was the right thing to do. She started in June 2018, working closely with her father Jean-François and her uncle Jean-Philippe.

Jean-François, an MBA graduate who had travelled widely selling the family’s wines and brand around the world, spent time teaching her about the history of the domaine, its values and its customers. But even with this solid grounding, Laura knew there was a gap in her winemaking knowledge. So, despite the demands of being a new mother, she went back to school, studying oenology at the University Institute of Vine and Wine Jules Guyot in Dijon.

‘I have no regrets,’ she says. ‘When you do something you love, you learn very fast. So everything was going really easily in my mind. As time went on, it started to feel like it was my destiny.’

Thirty years earlier, Jean-François had given up his own nascent career as a horse trainer to take over running the family domaine with Jean-Philippe. To his credit, Jean-François never once insisted that Laura should follow suit: ‘He just said he would give me all the instruction I could want – but only if I wanted it,’ she says.

Traditional & non-traditional winemaking styles in Jura

Traditional: Oxidative winemaking in old barrels that are not topped up, therefore allowing a certain amount of ullage (a gap between the wine and the top of the barrel). This can also allow for a flor to develop (known as sous voile), and is more common for white wines. Long maturation. Wines tend to be more mineral and savoury.

Non-traditional: Reductive winemaking where barrels are topped up (ouillé), or inert vessels such as stainless steel tanks are used. Shorter maturation. Wines tend to be more fruity and floral.

The above characteristics only apply to dry, unfortified wines.

A change in direction

When it came for Laura to officially take charge, one of her main objectives was to make Domaine Bourdy more approachable and fun. While the domaine was hardly frozen in time, by Laura’s own admission, it was a slightly austere place.

‘When I came back, I saw a really nice place with lovely people and a huge story,’ she says, ‘but everything was old – the buildings, the cellar, the way of working, without computers. So I thought, okay, this is gold; now I will show the world that this is gold and we will do something beautiful with it. This is my vision.’

She has already made her mark by introducing a new range of distinctly non-traditional, natural wines to the Bourdy portfolio.

Laura is not the first Bourdy to break with convention: her father and uncle went against the grain of prevailing Jura thought by converting the entire estate to biodynamic farming in 2006. But while her father and uncle have stuck to a long-established formula in the cellar (co-fermentation for the reds, direct press for the whites, then long ageing in used barrels for both – up to two years for reds and three years for whites), Laura’s new range of wines is designed to break with tradition. All named after important women in the Bourdy family, these more fruit-driven wines are aged for a short time, mostly in steel tanks, and typically with no added sulphur dioxide (SO2). Crucially, they give Laura the freedom to experiment.

Laura has already overseen a renovation of the company’s offices (complete with shiny new computers), but it’s in the cellar that the most significant changes are happening.

Domaine Bourdy: Factfile

Date founded: 1475 (wines made from 1579)

Most recent ownership change: 2022

Owned by: Laura Bourdy

Annual production: 30hl/ha over 10ha (roughly 40,000 bottles per year)

Key vineyards: most important is 0.5 ha of Château-Chalon (old-vine Savagnin, farmed by hand)

Grape varieties: Savagnin, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Trousseau, Poulsard

Key wines: Château-Chalon, Vin Jaune, Côtes du Jura (white and red), Galant des Abesses (fortified and aromatised)

Making her mark

‘People need to see that I am also an oenologist, not just the daughter of Jean-François Bourdy,’ she says. ‘They need to see that I can think for myself and not just walk in my family’s footsteps. I don’t want to change our fundamental identity, I am just saying it’s time to show something else; is it possible to show something fun and fashionable too?’

While Laura will continue to produce the family’s traditional wines, her intention has been to ‘add some colour’ to the wine range. She has taken inspiration from the two most radiant colours in her life: her daughters, Chloé, six, and Lola, three.

‘Cuvée Chloé’, first produced in 2021, is a varietal Trousseau made without added SO2, aged for a relatively short time in steel tank and bottled with a playful, colourful label that is the antithesis of the sepia-toned designs of the traditional wines.

‘Cuvée Lola’ is a sappy, refreshing blend of 50% Trousseau, 25% Poulsard and 25% Chardonnay, all co-fermented as whole bunches. Laura gave birth to Lola right in the middle of the 2021 harvest – still under pressure to manage the vinifications, she ended up working in the cellar with three-day-old Lola strapped to her in a papoose.

Then there’s ‘Douce Jeanne’, named after Laura’s first niece, which is a Chardonnay that’s been macerated on its skins for 15 days and, uniquely among the new wines, aged in barrel. Finally there is ‘Cuvée Suzanne’, named after Laura’s youngest niece; this is a crystalline, saignée-method rosé made from Pinot Noir.

All of these experimental cuvées seem to convey the essence of the Arlay terroir, which is also common to the traditional wines of the domaine: exceptional balance, subtle, savoury minerality and taut, mouthwatering acidity – Jean-François has been known to say: ‘There is no fruit in our wines!’ Yet Laura’s new wines clearly mark a departure from what has gone before.

Then again, there are elements of Laura’s approach, such as working without added sulphur where possible, which can be seen as a logical extension of the farming principles she has inherited from her father and uncle.

‘My dad and my uncle learned with the systemic methods, so they used to use SO2,’ she says. ‘They were really careful and they did not want to take risks. But then again, they had already converted the domaine to biodynamics, so they had come a long way!’

‘For me it’s really logical to reduce SO2 when you use biodynamic agriculture. I don’t know if the style of wine will change because of that. It seems that it won’t’.

Stylistically, Douce Jeanne perhaps most accurately hints at the direction Laura would like to take. It brings together Bourdy tradition (oxidative ageing in old barrels) and innovation (the first orange wine the domaine has made), effectively signposting where she has come from and where she is going.

Laura may well have saved her family’s four-centuries-old domaine from oblivion, as neither her sister nor her cousins had any desire to take over. Had she not stepped up, Jean-François and Jean-Philippe would have had to recruit someone from outside the family. ‘I’m not sure my dad would have been able to survive that decision,’ she says.

It’s a huge step but not one that Laura has shirked from. On the contrary, if her new wines are anything to go by, she is already relishing the challenge of writing a new chapter in the Bourdy family’s long winemaking history.

See notes and scores for nine Domaine Bourdy wines

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Malaysian-born Mason Ng is wine director of Singapore wine lounge and wine academy Park90, leading a team of 19 sommeliers across Singapore, Taiwan and Japan. In 2019, Mason passed his Advanced Sommelier qualification and was crowned Best Sommelier of Singapore as well as South East Asia at the age of 24, the youngest in the history of the competition. In 2022, he won the title ASI Best Sommelier of Asia & Oceania, the only candidate in southeast Asia to have won this competition.

His next aim is to qualify as a Master Sommelier.

When it comes to choosing my coup de coeur for this, it’s an easy decision – it has to be the wines of Jura in eastern France, and in particular the reds.

Jura has traditionally been known for two main things: excellent Comté cheese and its classic accompaniment vin jaune (a sensational pairing). This oxidative white wine, made from Savagnin, shows notes of straw, hazelnuts and fenugreek, backed by an extremely fresh and vibrant acidity – a wine for connoisseurs.

Located in the mountains between France and Switzerland, the region is extremely cold – white grapes have always had to strive here, producing wines of precise acidity as well as profound minerality – perfect for vin jaune. But global warming means that we are also seeing the three main red grapes of Jura – Pinot Noir, Ploussard (or Poulsard) and Trousseau – gain more attention as they can now achieve the ripeness required to produce stunning, well-balanced red wines with good colour and body. Vineyards once deemed to produce unpleasurable wines due to a lack of ripeness are coming into their own.

Elegant alternative

Just consider the effect that climate change is having in Burgundy. Looking at the 2018 vintage onwards, wines are becoming bigger, bolder and in some vineyards overripe, and it is time to look for cheaper and lighter alternatives in case Burgundy falls – heaven forbid.

I love my Burgundies but, in truth, the prices today are quite nonsensical on the secondary market and the only sane way to enjoy Burgundies is to travel all the way to the source: an unrealistic prospect for wines for daily pleasure. Jura Pinot Noirs are the closest I’ve found in terms of providing the attractions of a light, delicate, elegant Pinot Noir, hence my ‘Burgundy alternative’.

The other two native red grapes of Jura are Ploussard and Trousseau, both with no direct comparison to other grapes, in my view. They produce light, fresh and pure reds – similar to rosé in character, but with greater depth and complexity. These are wines to satisfy the soul on an afternoon when one needs a simple red with absolutely no tannins whatsoever.

I love to bring out these wines when diners need a pairing for fish – the first reaction is invariably doubtful, which transforms into fascination and approval when they try the wine.

So I urge any reader unfamiliar with the red wines of Jura to give them a try – with or without fish. These are wines that remind us not all reds need to be serious, complex or oaked. For a red that is affordable, light and refreshing, look no further than the region of Jura.

Discover Jura reds: Mason’s three to try

I’m recommending one wine each to showcase Jura’s three main red varieties. François Rousset Martin’s Cuvee 909 Pinot Noir (2019, £52.15 Natty Boy Wines) is light, fragrant and delicate without being too acidic or watery, a perfect example of Pinot Noir from Jura that shows structure, ripeness and, most importantly, freshness. I liken this to some examples of Volnay, with a bit more sour cherry character.

Next, the Domaine des Marnes Blanches, Côtes du Jura Trousseau (2021, £44.50 Natty Boy Wines), typical of the grape, very light and fragrant, with notes of raspberries, redcurrants and sour cherries. A wine with virtually no tannins, this is almost like a rosé in character, but way more enjoyable than most rosé wines. Almost Riesling-like acidity levels make it a great pairing for salmon, or even fish in red wine sauce, a classic French dish. It debunks the myth that red wine can’t be paired with fish.

Last but not least, Domaine Bornard’s Point Barre Ploussard (2020, £48-£58 Native Vine, Pure Wines, Terra Wines). This is the most ‘natural’ in style of the three, slightly funky to some who are not accustomed to natural wines – but extremely clean in style, nonetheless. The body and structure is very similar to the Trousseau – light, delicate and fragrant – but the fruit profile is wilder. Red fruits such as strawberries, raspberries and notes of orange peel and spices seem to float above the glass.

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Frequently overlooked by consumers, this rare style of wine is as confusing as it comes. From its ‘yellow’ name to its squat-sized bottle to its unique, nutty flavour profile, it’s easy to understand why Vin Jaune doesn’t always get the love it deserves. Those in the know are aware that these special wines offer some of the most enjoyable, thought-provoking drinking experiences on the planet, however. Still don’t fully understand the style? We’re breaking down everything you need to know about it here.

What is Vin Jaune?

Produced in the Jura region of eastern France, Vin Jaune is a dry style of white wine crafted from the Savagnin grape. Additionally – and most importantly – the wine ages for 6+ years under a thin layer of yeast (called sous voile ageing in France) prior to bottling, which helps the wine achieve its distinguishable flavour characteristics. ‘Vin Jaune is similar in style and flavour to Fino Sherry, except for the fact that it’s non-fortified,’ said Lauren McPhate, Director of Sales at Tribeca Wines. ‘This sous voile ageing imparts distinctly aldehydic flavours of brine, curry and nuts,’ she commented.

Courtney Wieland, Director of Private Clients at Thatcher’s Wine Consulting, added that Savagnin destined for Vin Jaune is harvested later, so as to achieve higher potential alcohol after fermentation. ‘Fermentation occurs slowly and the wine is not topped up, which allows for the voile to grow,’ she said, adding that in addition to playing a huge role in the final wine’s flavour profile, the voile also protects the wine from oxidation.

Why should I drink it?

Wieland revealed that outside of Sherry, there are few wines like Vin Jaune on the market – and the two styles aren’t exactly interchangeable. ‘When you take a closer look, or taste, it is far different from Sherry and quite unique,’ she said, highlighting that in addition to being produced from different grape varieties in different soils, Vin Jaune does not undergo fortification in the way that Sherry wines do. ‘The natural environment in the Jura cellars supports the creation of the yeasts. This defines Vin Jaune and separates it from other wines made in a similar way, creating a singular wine that can age indefinitely,’ she said.

What does it taste like?

According to McPhate, the unique cellar conditions and production methods used to create Vin Jaune define the ‘extreme style’ of the wine. ‘It’s bone dry, has a full and unctuous body, and intensely complex flavours – there are no other still wines like it,’ she said. McPhate described the wine’s partial cask ageing – which imparts gentle oxidation – plus the sous voile ageing (which keeps oxygen at bay) as creating a ‘supremely unique wine of paradoxes that is crisp yet heady, and complex yet nuanced’. Flavours often associated with Vin Jaune include toasted nuts, dried apricots, curry, mushroom, toast and brine.

Why the Clavelin?

Simply put, tons of evaporation. McPhate explained that due to the vinification and ageing process of six plus years, a good deal of wine is lost in the process. ‘Because of the length of the winemaking, a significant portion of the wine evaporates over time (called the angel’s share), and so it is bottled in a special Clavelin of just 62cl,’ she said.

Who would most enjoy Vin Jaune?

‘Vin Jaune is a premium wine for a highly engaged consumer,’ McPhate said, noting that the intense flavours and bone dry style will likely appeal to Sherry drinkers, or ‘adventurous winos looking for something way outside the everyday box’. She also mentioned that given the wine’s pungency and long, layered finish, the style could also greatly appeal to whisky drinkers.

Wieland stated that although she often reaches for Vin Jaune at the end of a meal, this versatile style of wine can be enjoyed at any point in the experience. ‘Some people think that you can only drink Sherry, Champagne or other styles of wine – Vin Jaune included – to start or end a meal, and that’s simply not true,’ she said, stating that the wine pairs beautifully with a variety of generous sauces and heartier dishes (and is equally enjoyable on its own without food).

On that note – don’t forget the food pairings

Wieland noted that if you haven’t been exposed to Vin Jaune or Sherry before, tasting it for the first time can be quite a shock. Her suggestion? Pair it alongside food to see what the wine can do, then venture further. ‘Comté cheese is an awesome pairing – it is a classic for a reason,’ she revealed. ‘If you enjoy Sherry or more esoteric wines, it is definitely something you will enjoy.’

Additionally, McPhate noted that signature autumn flavours of savoury mushrooms and pungent curries are also excellent pairings, though when in doubt, Comté reigns king. ‘To convince even the most sceptical of this rather unexpected style, one simply needs to have a piece of 24-month Comté cheese with a taste. There are few more profound pairings!’

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Thieves targeted several winemakers in eastern France’s Jura region in September, entering vineyards undetected and helping themselves to a portion of grapes making up the 2023 vintage.

It’s the not the first time thieves have stolen grapes from French vineyards on the eve of harvest. Yet, the scale of thefts in three separate incidents in the Jura were unusual, said Jean-Charles Tissot, head of Jura’s regional wine council (CIVJ), to BFMTV.

Catherine Hannoun, of Domaine de la Loue winery in Port-Lesney, told Decanter thieves stole an estimated 2,000 to 2,500kg of grapes from an area of vines spanning around 0.3 hectares (or ’30 ares’). 

‘At first, I didn’t believe it,’ Hannoun said. ‘I went up and down the lines telling myself: “it’s not possible”.’ Thieves didn’t touch the first one or two vines on each row, making it difficult to see the theft without entering the parcel of vines.

To make matters worse, the grapes in the parcel affected had been looking magnificent for the 2023 vintage, Hannoun added.

Red wine grape variety Trousseau made up around 55% of the stolen haul, said Hannoun, who had to quickly reassign a team of harvest workers after finding the affected parcel empty.

Chardonnay made up around 35% of the stolen grapes, with Savagnin accounting for a further 5% and other miscellaneous varieties also accounting for around 5%.

Hannoun described experiencing a surge of anxiety upon discovering the loss, ‘with thoughts like, “Who could have done this? Why? Why me?”.’ She subsequently realised it wasn’t personal, after another winemaker based in Arbois called to say grapes were also stolen from their vineyards.

Thieves have reportedly taken grapes from three Jura wineries, with the total stolen haul estimated at €150,000 (£130,000), reported French news channel TF1 in September. 

It quoted one victim, Laura Bourdy, of Domaine Bourdy in Arlay, as saying the speed and apparent skill with which thieves stole grapes suggested the culprits were well organised.

France’s gendarmerie, a military body with policing responsibilities, regularly patrols French vineyards during harvest time. TF1 said the local brigade in Jura reinforced its vigilance following the thefts.

Hannoun said the local gendarmerie team was very understanding when she reported the grape theft. Having considered the incident since, however, Hannoun was still at a loss to explain it. ‘I don’t see who could have done it.’ 

Jura was likely to see a relatively bumper crop in 2023, with harvest size set to rise 35% on 2022 and around 64% versus the area’s five-year average, said France’s agriculture ministry on 16 October.

Nationally, France was expected to produce around 46 million hectolitres from the 2023 wine harvest, around 3% up on the country’s five-year average. The picture varies by region, with the overall crop in Bordeaux set to be smaller year-on-year, but France is set to overtake Italy as the world’s biggest producer.

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The tiny Savoie wine region in eastern France seems to have everything going for it: a range of indigenous grapes; light, acidity-driven wines; ambitious, young producers; and those chocolate-box images of steep vineyards, with a backdrop of snow-capped Alpine peaks.

Scroll down for a selection of Savoie wines to try

On a map, its 2,100ha of vineyards appear scattered in islands or clumps, stretching from the southern shores of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) to just south of Chambéry.

Many vineyards lie on steep, limestone-based slopes above glacial river valleys; others benefit from the warming influence of nearby large Alpine lakes like Léman and Lac du Bourget, or lie high above the banks of the Rhône. Surprisingly, the altitude is not that high, with few vineyards reaching 500m. They lie mostly between 250m-440m, similar to Alsace, Jura or Burgundy’s Hautes Côtes. Yet the mountain weather systems play a big part, bringing welcome cool nights in summer, but unwelcome storms.

Alpine specialities

The influence of climate change in this region is dramatic. On the one hand, damaging spring frosts have become more frequent, and storms more violent; on the other, ripening the grapes is no longer a problem, and previously unloved indigenous varieties are in great demand. In the past, Jacquère, the most planted white grape, and Mondeuse, the best-known red grape (Gamay remains the most planted), rarely achieved more than 9.5% alcohol and wines could be thin.

Today, the warming climate, combined with lower yields and better vine farming, results in higher natural sugar levels, proper physiological ripeness and greater balance. Additionally, an exciting move to re-plant rare local varieties – such as the fascinating red Persan grape – has brought even greater diversity.

The main Savoie regional appellation has a plethora of sub-appellations and grapes. For reds, representing one-third of production, you will mainly find juicy, fruity styles from Gamay, Pinot Noir or Mondeuse (a close relative of Syrah), but the latter also gives more intense, structured and ageworthy wines.

For whites, labels do not always announce the variety, but Jacquère is a requirement for wines labelled under Apremont, Abymes, Chignin, Cruet or Jongieux, among others – these whites sing of mountain meadows and have leapt up in quality. Jacquère-dominated Crémant de Savoie is a relatively new sparkling appellation (the first wines having been released in late 2015) which offers excellent value, often eclipsing more traditional Seyssel sparkling. Chasselas is a focus in the Léman part of the region and Gringet a rare speciality grown in Ayze, made famous by the late, lamented Dominique Belluard (who died in June 2021).

A separate regional appellation, Roussette de Savoie, is exclusively for whites from the high-quality indigenous Altesse variety: one that expresses its terroir well. Chignin Bergeron is from the Roussanne grape, which gives the richest whites, yet still with hallmark mountain acidity so that, like Roussette de Savoie, it benefits from ageing.

Exports have developed in the past decade and the selection that follows represents most Savoie styles. Inevitably, many of the very best wines, usually organic, are made in such small quantities that they could not be included. Missing, for example, are the fabulous sparkling and still Ayze wines from Belluard. Grab them if you find them.

Tasting notes and scores for 18 Savoie wines to try

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For vacation-bound wine lovers, Burgundy may seem like the more obvious choice, though planning a wine-soaked weekend in the Jura promises an equally spectacular time – especially for those looking to indulge in activities beyond tasting.

Friday

Evening

Arriving in the Jura from Paris takes approximately 4 ½ hours by car or about two hours by train to Dole, depending on which line (fast TGV or local TER), then 30 minutes by rental car from there. Whether driving from Paris directly or renting a car upon arriving in Dole, having an autonomous means of transportation is essential in the Jura, as the majority of worthwhile activities cannot be accessed by public transportation.

Head straight to Closerie les Capucines (7 Rue de Bourgogne, 39600 Arbois) and check into your accommodation. Located in the heart of the village of Arbois, this intimate chambre d’hôtes provides a quaint-yet-luxurious home base for exploring the Jura. The recently renovated hotel was purchased and refurbished by renowned wine importer Neal Rosenthal, who first fell in love with the wines of the Jura back in 1994. The lodging’s hospitality-focused staff promise a warm welcome, with a thirst-quenching glass of wine or quick hit of caffeine only a simple ask away.

Kick the evening off with an apéritif at Le Bistrot des Claquets, (33 Rue de Faramand, 39600 Arbois) a no-frills wine bar just a stone’s throw away from the Closerie. (Simply cross over the bridge, take a left, and you’re there in less than one minute.) Grab a casual glass or bottle prior to dinner, and don’t be surprised if you end up bumping elbows with a few local winemakers.

For those looking to enjoy delicious food and wine without the worry of driving home, you’re in luck. Le Bistronome (62 Rue de Faramand, 39600 Arbois) is one of Arbois’ best restaurants, and happens to be just around the corner from Le Bistrot des Claquets. Do your best to snag a table by the window and delight in the sounds—and view—of the Cuisance by night. Expect seasonal French fare prepared at the hands of chefs Lisa et Jérôme, who spent five years working under world-renowned chef Jean-Paul Jeunet. For current menu offerings, as well as a complete list of where local products including escargots, bread, and coffee are sourced from, click here.

Saturday

Morning

Start the day with coffee, pastries, savoury eggs, and more at Closerie les Capucines, prepared fresh-to-order by the team. For those looking to break a sweat before a long day of exploring, depart the hotel and venture out for a scenic run along the Cuisance; those looking to lounge in luxury can simply rest by the hotel’s pool and bask in the morning sun.

For wine lovers curious to discover tasting rooms around the region, we recommend booking appointments for late Saturday morning or afternoon (not during lunch hours, of course) on Saturday over Sunday. Head southwest to the scenic Château Chalon or L’Etoile area for a breathtaking drive through the region. Explore local wineries such as Domaine de Montbourgeau or Domaine Berthet-Bondet, though be sure to call or email and reserve in advance.

Afternoon

After a long morning of tasting south of Arbois, head to lunch at Café Restaurant de l’Abbaye (1 Pl. Guillaume de Poupet, 39570 Baume-les-Messieurs) while in the area of Baume-les-Messieurs. This traditional French restaurant offers gourmet cuisine focused around local flavours and delicacies, prepared at the hands of Chef Francis Piot. All meat and fish is sourced sustainably, and a majority of the menu’s offerings are crafted from organic products. Serious cheese fans, the fondue is a must – and be sure to save room for dessert.

Although the majority of folks won’t find themselves hungry after lunch at the Café de l’Abbaye, for cheese lovers, a visit to the Maison de La Vache qui rit (25 Rue Richebourg, 39000 Arbois) is a must. Located just in 15-20 minutes by car from the restaurant, this light-hearted visit offers a journey through the company’s history, with audio tours available for visiting guests. Founded by Léon Bel’s granddaughter, Catherine Sauvin, back in 2009, this 2,200-square meter space offers insight on both cheese production marketing, and even healthy eating, all delivered in a joyful tone against a lively backdrop.

For those looking to hit a winery on the way back to Arbois, stop in Poligny and visit the dynamic, forward-thinking Valentin Morel. As always, be sure to call or email in advance. Should a trip to the cheese maison not be your thing, head back to Arbois and take a visit at the Musée de la Vigne et du Vin du Jura (Rue du Château Pecauld, 39600 Arbois) – just be sure to get there before it closes at 6:00PM.

Evening

Back in Arbois, head for a refreshing, pre-dinner apéritif at Bistrot Le Pixie’s (37 Pl. de la Liberté, 39600 Arbois) for a cold beer, tasty snacks, and if you’re lucky, a good dose of rock and roll. Over ten beers are served on tap at a time, though the bar’s non-tap offerings go far beyond what one can count on two hands. Should you find yourself peckish, hefty cheese and charcuterie boards are available.

Before heading to dinner at Le Grapiot (Rue Bagier, 39600 Pupillin), drive up to the village of Pupillin for a breathtaking, panoramic view of the Jura’s vine-covered landscape. If you’re able, secure a tasting appointment with nearby Domaine de la Renardière before heading back down for dinner – and be sure to ask for a taste of Jean-Michel’s son’s latest beer project. End the night with dinner at Le Grapiot, a wine-focused restaurant with a love for tradition and all things terroir-focused. Savour seasonal plates crafted by Julie and Samuel Richardet, finished with the restaurant’s signature nems au chocolat or ploussard-flavoured sorbet.

Sunday

Morning

Post-cozy coffee and breakfast at the Closerie, take a quiet stroll around Arbois and enjoy the medieval scenery. Take in the energy of Place de la Liberté, and be sure not to miss a stroll over the beautiful Pont des Capucins. After savouring your breath of fresh Arbois air, hop in the car and drive 12 minutes to the Cascade de Tufs, a breathtaking waterfall accessible by foot (and perfect for late-morning picnics, pastries, and if the weather permits, a quick dip).

After exploring the waterfalls, head back to Arbois and stock up on souvenirs at a handful of local purveyors, including Vins et Vinaigres (16 Grande Rue, 39600 Arbois) and Hirsinger (36 Grande Rue, 39600 Arbois), one of the finest chocolateries in all of France. This historic chocolate factory has been in the family for multiple generations and is now spearheaded by Edouard Hirsinger, fourth-generation chocolatier and Meilleur Ouvrier de France. Delight in the factory’s gorgeous, melt-in-your-mouth chocolates (be sure to taste the red tablette), and don’t leave without a visit to the iconic chocolate museum, located in the factory’s basement.

Afternoon

Post-chocolate coma, head to lunch at Aux Docks Brasserie for delicious, no fuss French cuisine. Should the weather cooperate, grab a table on the outdoor terrasse, which is perfect for people watching and taking in a bit of sun. Expect French classics like moules frites and entrecôte, and for vegetarians/vegans, you’re in luck, as the brasserie can accommodate dietary restrictions.

Upon finishing lunch, stroll along the Cuisance and pay a visit to the House of Louis Pasteur (83 Rue de Courcelles, 39600 Arbois), located on the Canal des Tanneurs. This historical site is situated in the former home of the 19th century scientist, who is best known for his research in fermentation and pasteurisation. End the afternoon on a high note with a visit to some of the region’s top tasting rooms, located right in the heart of Arbois’ city centre. Walkable (and open on Sunday) tasting rooms include Rolet Père et Fils (hours: 10AM-1230 PM, 1:30 PM-7PM), Domaine de la Pinte (9:30AM-12PM, 2:30PM-7PM) and Jacques Tissot (10AM-12PM, 3PM-7PM).

For further recommendations, check out the Decanter travel guide to the Jura.

A Note on Wine Tasting / Winery Visits

As with many French viticultural regions, a number of tasting rooms are easily accessible without reservation (see recommendations in the Sunday afternoon portion of the itinerary above). However, for those looking to dive deeper into regional domaines and vineyards, calling or emailing in advance to schedule an appointment is highly recommended. Accessing wineries in the Jura is best done by car.

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Jura’s historic Biou d’Arbois wine festival was in the running alongside French baguettes and Paris’ zinc-covered rooftops to be endorsed as the country’s latest official nomination for UNESCO’s global list of ‘intangible cultural heritage’.

According to Le Parisien newspaper and other French media outlets, culture minister Roselyne Bachelot is due make a recommendation to president Emmanuel Macron in March this year – regarding the country’s candidate for 2022.

The application process can be lengthy and a UNESCO committee has the final say.

French bakers have been seeking to join pizza-twirling in Naples on the UNESCO list, and president Macron was widely quoted in 2018 as supportive of the country’s famous baguette making the cut.

A push for Jura’s Biou d’Arbois wine festival to get UNESCO recognition has been ongoing for much of the past decade.

According to local authorities, the French government previously put the annual event forward for consideration by UNESCO in 2015.

Taking place on the first Sunday in September, a focal point of the festival is a large bunch of grapes – the ‘biou’ – weighing between 80kg and 100kg.

Winegrowers parade the grapes through the streets on a stretcher, before hanging the oversized bunch in the church of St-Just, as a tribute to the patron of the Arbois commune.

According to a dossier previously submitted to France’s culture ministry, a first mention of the ‘biou’ was recorded in 1665. It says the custom may have existed before that, too.

By offering the first fruits of the harvest in this way, it’s thought growers traditionally hoped to improve their odds of a good vintage.

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Jura is a remote island 60 miles off the West Coast of Scotland to the north of Islay with only about 200 residents, one road, one pub, one distillery and the abundant nature.

The namesake distillery was originally established in 1810 but was closed in 1901. Though once torn down to avoid paying rent, the distillery was revived in 1963 by a joint venture by blender Charles Mackinlay & Co of Leith and two of the island’s landowners.

Jura benefits from the distinct microclimate and wilderness to make some of the most attractive malt whiskies. Despite the short distance to its peers in Islay, Jura produces a less peaty style of whisky that’s more Highland in character.

Our top recommendation for this Cyber Monday is the Jura Seven Wood, a single malt whisky which has been shaped by seven separate Oak woods: first-fill ex-bourbon American White Oak, Limousin, Troncais, Allier, Vosges, Jupilles & Les Bertranges barrel.

It is currently on sale on Amazon for just £38, 36% off its original price.

Jura Seven Wood Single Malt Whisky, 70cl

Ingeniously crafted from seven different oak types for a multi-layered flavour.

£59.00 Now £38.00 on Amazon

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These ‘Seven Woods’ gave this whisky a complex nose of coffee, ginger spice and milk chocolate, in addition to layered flavours including caramelised peach, chewy liquorice and candied orange with a hint of sea-spray and smoke.

The limited discount also applies to a range of Jura malts, with the best deals below.

Jura 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky, 70 cl

A modern classic aged 12 years in ex-bourbon barrels. Refined nose of chocolate, walnut and citrus fruits, with honey, salted bananas and brown sugar on the palate, with a touch of smoke.

£38.90 Now £29.00 on Amazon

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Jura 18 Year Old Single Malt Whisky, 70 cl

Matured for 18 years in American White Oak ex-bourbon barrels and enriched by superior Premier Grand Cru Classé Bordeaux barrels.

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Have you heard of this cult wine? No, neither had I, despite 35 years of writing about wine. Joliette is a tiny vineyard of 1.5 hectares in Chapelle de Rousse, in the northeastern part of Jurançon, that bucolic region in the Pyrenees foothills.

Scroll down for Stephen Brook’s Clos Joliette tasting notes and scores

The region is home to a few local varieties, Gros Manseng being used primarily for dry wines, and Petit Manseng for the sweet wines. Unlike the great sweet wines of the Loire or Sauternes, no botrytis is required, and concentration is achieved by allowing the bunches to dry on the vine. This increases the sugar content, and as Petit Manseng is always high in acidity, there is little risk of the finished wine being cloying. The climate often allows the harvest to be protracted even into December, and some top producers release cuvées picked at various times during the autumn, the latest bottling being the sweetest and most expensive. Joliette ignores the distinction between dry and sweet, making wines in a wide range of styles.

The peculiarity of the wine is that for about 90 years it has never been sold commercially, although a tiny number of top restaurants, such as Taillevent in Paris, were supplied with a few bottles. They must have given the sommeliers sleepless nights, as until the cork was pulled there was no way for them to know whether the wine was dry or sweet. Nonetheless, this scarce wine soon gained an underground reputation, and when the estate was put on the market in 1989, applicants for its purchase included the likes of French actor Gerard Dépardieu.

However, the new owner was Michel Renaud, a wine merchant from Paris who already owned a small property in Armagnac. He continued to produce the wine – and continued not to sell it. No visits were allowed, no samples were submitted to press or trade tastings. No doubt its scarcity added to its allure. Renaud died in 2015 and while his widow and children were deliberating about Joliette’s future, they gave a lease to the negociant Lionel Osmin, a specialist in the wines of southwest France, and allowed him to put some of the wine on the market.

There was a further difficulty; the grapes, 100% Petit Manseng, were picked selectively, some picked early and vinified as dry wines, while others were late-harvested to produce the very sweet wines for which Jurançon is renowned. Each day’s crop was pressed in a vertical press, and the juice transferred to a barrique (usually sourced from Château de Fargues in Sauternes), where it fermented and then remained untouched for between four and six years before being bottled. Consequently, if there were seven different picking dates, the result was seven different wines. If harvesting records were kept, they had vanished by the time Osmin arrived. Joliette was never a DOC wine, so regulations were irrelevant. So Osmin, and selected French wine experts, tasted each lot from each vintage to determine its style and quality. This also gave them the opportunity to discard any wines that were not up to the usual standard or that were flawed.

Osmin then assembled a total of 220 6-bottle cases of wines in different styles. Each case consisted of wines from the same vintage. Each of the 19 vintages selected yielded no more than 2000 bottles, so although much stock remained, it was no easy task to assemble these different cases. Coloured capsules have been used to indicate whether the wine is dry (up to 10 grams per litre of residual sugar), off-dry (10-30), or sweet (30 and above). The label also uses the letter ‘C’ to indicate which lot the bottle is drawn from: in effect, which barrel it was aged in. The wines are now coming on the market, so Osmin saw no reason why a handful of journalists should not be invited to taste some of these legendary bottles.

By definition they are inconsistent, although bottles within each lot should be more or less identical. The oldest vintage is 1993, but the bottles were kept in ideal humid conditions inside the Joliette cellars. They are undoubtedly wines of great personality, praised to the skies by the likes of Jean-Claude Berrouet, formerly of Pétrus, and anyone fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to taste a bottle should not hesitate – price permitting.

The Osmin team have made a few modifications to the winemaking for future vintages; they will no longer use a vertical press, and any wines aged in new oak will rest in 600-litre barrels to reduce overt oakiness.

The wines were tasted, and are listed, in ascending order of residual sugar.

According to French wine retailer Clos des Millésimes prices for Clos Joliette wines start at €228.00 a per bottle.

See Stephen Brook’s Clos Joliette tasting notes and scores

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Small-berried, thick-skinned Savagnin has been cultivated in France for at least 900 years, according to research published in June 2019 that found a genetic match with a medieval grape seed recovered from Orléans.

It is also known as Traminer, as well as ‘Heida’ in Switzerland, although debate is ongoing about the grape’s birthplace.

Savagnin is today best known as the signature grape of Jura in eastern France.

It’s a late ripener but can still produce dry white wines with good acidity. In Jura, it typically has a citrus and floral character, but is also capable of more exotic tropical flavours, according to James Lawther MW, who profiled Jura for Decanter magazine last year.

Vin Jaune

An entirely different profile is possible when it comes to Savagnin’s speciality in Jura – the ‘vin jaune’ wines that are aged in oak barrels for a minimum of six years and three months.

Vins jaunes, literally translated as ‘yellow wines’, are aged under a flor-like cover of yeast and the resultant rich wines are known for their nutty, Sherry-like character – as well their intensity and ageing potential.

Jura’s Château-Chalon appellation produces exclusively ‘vin jaune’ from Savagnin.

‘It’s a far cry from ‘modern’ Jura, but a distinctive style which still has its place, especially if served with local foods such as Comté cheese,’ wrote Lawther last year.

You could try this combination for yourself at Jura’s February festival, the Percée du Vin Jaune, described by Andrew Jefford as the Glastonbury of French wine. 

Some producers have taken the ‘vin jaune’ principle and modified it. Lawther wrote, ‘The tendency these days is to age traditional Savagnin for a year or two, without topping-up, allowing some oxidative notes but retaining fruit character’.

You may also see Jura Savagnin blended with Chardonnay, which today makes up around 45% of Jura vineyards. Savagnin accounts for around 15% of the region’s vineyards, or 300 hectares, according to the Jura wine council.

The grape also plays a supporting role in Crémant de Jura sparkling wines, as one of five grapes authorised for use; the others being Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Poulsard and Trousseau.

History

Savagnin has ancestral links to a host of other varieties.

It had the prestige of being named as one of several ‘founder’ grape varieties of the modern wine scene by Jancis Robinson MW, Julia Harding MW and Dr José Vouillamoz, a world-leading grape geneticist, in their 2012 book ‘Wine Grapes’.

For example, Sylvaner is a natural cross between Savagnin Blanc and lesser known Österreich Weiss. And Gewürztraminer is believed to be a mutation of Savagnin / Traminer.

In the early 21st century, it emerged that Savagnin had journeyed beyond its European heartland in greater numbers than many had assumed.

In 2009, DNA tests showed that most of an estimated 150 hectares of ‘Albariño’ planted in Australia was, in fact, Savagnin Blanc.

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Read a full Jura profile and tasting notes on top wines to try 

Tucked between Burgundy and the Swiss border, this small area in eastern France is a missing piece of the puzzle for many wine lovers. James Lawther MW explores Jura’s bucolic charms and its characterful wines...

An hour’s drive east of Beaune across the unbroken Bresse plain lie the vineyards of the Jura. Distant cousins with hillside vineyards, Burgundy and Jura have points in common: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and clay-limestone soils to name the essentials, but here the resemblance ceases.

If Burgundy is mainstream, Jura is offbeat, with grape varieties such as Savagnin and Trousseau, and wine styles such as vin jaune offering an original journey. Even Chardonnay, both traditional and the newer ‘ouillé’ versions, is a different cup of tea.

Scroll down for James Lawther MW’s top 12 wines showing Jura at its characterful best

The Jura, in short, is a tempting proposition for the wine aesthete, but it needs to be discovered with an accompanying manual. The appellations, to some degree, help provide a guideline, but they don’t explain the subtleties of terroir, the characteristics of grape varieties or the nuances in style – ‘traditional’ in a Jura context sometimes meaning oxidative winemaking, as in the case of vin jaune, with ageing under a veil or voile of yeast.

Nor do the appellations help to explain more contemporary trends such as conventional winemaking with topping-up of the wine in barrel (ouillé) to prevent oxidation, organics, natural wines or the fact that Crémant du Jura now represents 25%-30% of the production in the region.

Jura at a glance

Area under vine: 1,950ha

Production: 11 million bottles

Wineries: 230

Soils: Different types of marl (blue, grey, red, black) on limestone strata dating from the Jurassic era (150 million years ago)

Vineyard altitude: 200m-400m

Climate: Continental

Average rainfall: 1,200mm

Average sunshine hours: 1,800

Main grapes: White Chardonnay 43%, Savagnin 23%

Red: Poulsard 14%, Trousseau 11%, Pinot Noir 7%, others 2%

Appellations: Arbois, Château-Chalon, L’Etoile, Côtes du Jura, Crémant du Jura, Macvin du Jura, Marc du Jura

Wine styles: Dry white, red, rosé, sparkling, vin jaune, vin de paille

Prior to phylloxera, the Jura was a significant wine district, with some 20,000ha under vine. Today, the figure has been reduced to about 2,000ha located in pockets over a distance of 80km, the north more preponderant than the south. The terrain is that of the Revermont: the foothills under the first plateau of the Jura mountains.

This is not a mountainous zone but one of verdant hills and valleys, the often steep-sloped vineyards overlooking the Bresse plain or tucked into coombes behind. The soils are principally marl of varying shades, the clay content greater than in Burgundy, helping to add a pithy acidity to the wine. Here and there, patches of limestone and clay-limestone scree provide lighter, warmer soils that are well adapted to the later-ripening Trousseau.

Fresh perspective

Chardonnay is the most planted grape variety, adapting as it does to a variety of soils. A fair percentage is used to produce crémant but still, dry Chardonnay abounds in both traditional and ouillé forms. A fine example of the former is the Domaine de Montbourgeau’s Cuvée Spéciale which is aged, like vin jaune, under a flor-like veil of yeast without topping up for four years. This provides a nutty nuance but there’s also plenty of lift, length and freshness. The domaine is located in the tiny appellation L’Etoile, where Chardonnay prevails and the clay-limestone soils have a marine fossil (pentacrines) content.

The style of Chardonnay that has most excited comment over the past 10 years, however, is the ouillé. Non-oxidative winemaking has brought fruit and floral flavours and aromas to the fore, the Jura terroir providing tangy acidity and a brightness to the fruit. Much of this has been driven by a new generation of vignerons – growers such as Jean Labet, who queried the old style; Jean-François Ganevat, who experienced Burgundian methods while working in Chassagne-Montrachet; and Stéphane Tissot, who returned to the family property having worked in Australia.

They paved the way for a steady stream of more recent domaines – some a first-time experience, others such as Domaine du Pélican aided by the savvy know-how of the d’Angerville family of Volnay. And as part and parcel of the new flow, a large percentage have embraced the bottling of individual parcels (old vines, specific terroir, etc), organics or biodynamics (17% of the total Jura vineyard is now farmed organically), native yeasts and minimal use of sulphites. New-wave Jura was born, the wines bottled like their traditional counterparts under the appellations Arbois or Côtes du Jura.

The Jura’s emblematic white grape, Savagnin, also has traditional and ouillé versions and is sometimes blended with Chardonnay. A later-ripening variety generally planted on grey marl soils, Savagnin is part of the Traminer family, a fact that was brought home when tasting a striking cuvée from Jean-Baptiste Menigoz of Domaine Les Bottes Rouges. The No Milk Today 2016 is made from hand-destemmed Savagnin macerated on skins for 15 days and has the distinctive Gewürztraminer lychee and rose petal aromas, but with a fresh, dry, minerally finish. Exotic fruit notes are also possible, but the typical aromatic spectrum for conventionally made Savagnin is floral and citrus.

Signature style

The exclusive variety for vin jaune and AP Château-Chalon, Savagnin (occasionally known as Naturé) takes on another dimension when handled oxidatively. The tendency these days is to age traditional Savagnin for a year or two without topping-up, allowing some oxidative notes but retaining fruit character. For vin jaune, however, the minimum ageing in barrel is six years. The wines are preselected for their low yields, acid-alcohol balance and minimum 13% alcohol, and they mature under a veil of yeast, producing a Sherry-like character, with considerable intensity and ageing potential. It’s a far cry from ‘modern’ Jura, but a distinctive style which still has its place, especially if served with local foods such as Comté cheese. Sweet vin de paille, made from desiccated Savagnin, Chardonnay and Trousseau, is another speciality.

Red wine is in the minority in the Jura, but the novelty comes with Trousseau and Poulsard rather than Pinot Noir. Poulsard, sometimes known as Ploussard, is fresh and perfumed but has a slightly reductive character, and its low pigment level gives a pale red to rosé colour. Trousseau has more depth and structure and a spicy, peppery edge.

The variety and originality of wines and dynamism of a growing band of small producers gives a strong identity to the Jura region. There’s a contemporary feel as well, with low alcohol and drinkability key factors. The only difficulty is the vagaries of climate. The Jura’s continental regime and high rainfall pose their own problems: the 2017 vintage was badly hit by frost; quantity and quality were both compromised in 2012, 2013 and 2014 by rain, mildew and the Drosophila suzukii vinegar fly. On the plus-side, 2011, 2015 and 2016 were very good to excellent.

Idiosyncratic the Jura may be, but that’s all part of the attraction.

Jura: six names to watch

Domaine André et Mireille Tissot

Stéphane Tissot is a leading player in the Jura. He has revolutionised the family domaine and expanded it from 20ha to 50ha. Winemaking decisions include the use of native yeast, limited use of sulphites and recent experiments with amphorae. A transition to organic cultivation was the natural direction following the adoption of native yeast, and biodynamics the next progression with certification from 2009. The range of terroirs explains the multiple bottlings, which include nine different Chardonnays.

Domaine Daniel Dugois

Daniel Dugois created his 10ha property in the 1970s and used to sell grapes before bottling his own wines. It’s now in the hands of his son, Philippe, who took over in 2013 following viticultural studies and vintage experience in Australia and South Africa. The house speciality is Trousseau: nearly half the domaine is planted to this variety and four different cuvées are produced based on age of vines, work practices and different terroirs.

Domaine Jean-Louis Tissot

This is another branch of the Tissot family, with the estate run by Valérie and her brother Jean-Christophe on more traditional lines. The 17ha property is located in Montigny-lèsArsures near Arbois, an area noted for its reds – and indeed both the Poulsard and Trousseau have depth of fruit and definition. In certain years a Rouge Tradition is produced – Poulsard, Trousseau and Pinot Noir vinified together. There’s also an excellent vin jaune.

Domaine Les Bottes Rouges

A teacher-turned-winemaker, Jean-Baptiste Menigoz was mentored by Stéphane Tissot and named his 6ha property after a favourite song. This relatively recent start-up (2012) follows a ‘natural’ tendency – organic cultivation, natural yeast, no fining or filtration and minimal sulphur. All five Jura grape varieties are cultivated; the wines are lively and expressive, with the Chardonnay, Savagnin and Trousseau particularly appetising.

Domaine Pignier

This domaine, run by Jean-Etienne, Antoine and Marie-Florence Pignier, has flown under the radar for an unseemly length of time. Despite appearances (one cellar dates from the 13th century, the other from the 17th), this 14ha property has been at the cutting edge for the past 20 years. Biodynamic cultivation was introduced in 1998, while more recently concrete eggs have been used for vinification with great results. All of the wines here are impressive; the multi-variety red Léandre the most original.

Les Granges Paquenesses

Loreline Laborde is representative of the new wave of growers in the Jura. Born in Montpellier, she arrived here in 2010 having worked in the Rhône and now makes Chardonnay and Savagnin, as well as Trousseau and Poulsard from parcels that are 35-60 years old, all cultivated organically. Until recently she worked the 3ha property on her own. Minimum intervention, gentle extraction, native yeasts and no filtration are part of her recipe.

See James Lawther MW’s top 12 wines showing Jura at its characterful best

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Andrew Jefford leaves no pebble unturned...

What is Savoie’s greatest wine?

The question is a fascinating and complicated one – and it’s not easy to answer. Savoie is better at exporting its vines (20 to 30 million plants are grown each year by Savoie nurserymen) than its wines, most of which are consumed in the region by thirsty skiers and hikers. ‘We regard any wine which gets beyond Lyon as an export,’ joked grower Philippe Ravier.

I took a close look at the Jacquère-based wines of Savoie back in February. They account for around half of the region’s production, and make a deliciously refreshing, slaking white wine, but you’d struggle to find any grower or local wine connoisseur who’d actually go so far as to make a case for Jacquère’s greatness — as opposed to its simple and delicious goodness.

Prior to phylloxera, when the region had 10,000ha of vines, most of them planted with red varieties rather than the 2,077 ha of principally white varieties it has today, Savoie’s most celebrated wines might well have been based on Mondeuse (which still occupies 12 to 15 per cent of the vineyards), or perhaps even the much rarer Persan.

Gamay was widely planted in Savoie in the past and remains so today, but generally performs a quenching, Jacquère-like role as a red. Pinot is a relatively recent arrival, little grown, and a long way short of its peer-group heights. Extend your reach to IGP Vin des Allobroges, and you can bring in rarer red varieties still, such as the juicy though light Douce Noir and the pungent, cherry-and-redcurrant flavoured Etraire de l’Adui.

Let me be frank, though: I don’t think Savoie’s greatest wine is red. Mondeuse is a naturally prolific producer, so it requires noble self-sacrifice on the part of its creator to discipline it into seriousness of intent (the AOP regulations allow 67 hl/ha for Vin de Savoie Mondeuse, yet 45 hl/ha is the maximum possible yield for a high quality wine from this variety). The results can be dark, fresh and crunchy, with bright fruit and floral notes in youth, but they never really have the structure or the concentration to break through into ‘fine red’ territory, or to merit ageing.

Having tried the Persan of nurseryman-producer Benoît Grisard, the Persan-based Cuvée Octavie of Adrien Berlioz at Domaine du Cellier des Cray and Jean-François Quénard’s ‘Les 2 Jean’ Persan, I’d say that this variety can certainly match the quality of Mondeuse while mimicking its fresh, light and lively style. It doesn’t seem to exceed it, though, nor do the wines have the charm of Mondeuse.

Where next? Chardonnay doesn’t acquire burgundian amplitude here, and the Chasselas of Ripaille and the other little Lac Léman crus can have buttery charm if they go through malo Swiss-style (like the wine of Ch de Ripaille itself, the major producer hereabouts and the sole producer of Ripaille) and light, grassy appleskin zest if they don’t, but never much vinous drive. Gringet and Molette both end up in slender sparkling-wine blends.

Savoie is one of the few places where you can get a taste of one of Syrah’s parents, the Mondeuse Blanche – a more impressive variety than either Gringet or Molette, though if you were tasting it blind you might guess it a parent of Viognier rather than Syrah: it tends to have an exotic apricot-like perfume.

That leaves just two varieties, both of which can furnish wines which at least aspire to greatness. One is an immigrant, albeit from just down the Rhône valley; the other a native. The immigrant is Roussanne; the native Altesse.

Anyone taking the ‘Express’ from Paris to Milan will be familiar with the Roussanne’s favourite terroir in Savoie; the train languidly wends its way past the scree slopes of the Combe de Savoie on its way past Chambéry before dawdling down through the Alps.

Roussanne loves the generous ripening it gets on these steep, south- and southwest-facing slopes of limestone rubble, and rewards all the effort they imply with wines of lusciousness and perfume, but relieved and lifted by the fresh, springlike acidity which is Savoie’s legacy, too. (Almonds and even olive trees flourish here.)

Roussanne occupies about four per cent of total Savoie plantings; it’s limited, in effect, to those very warm, very well-exposed sites, and would not ripen fully elsewhere. You will find ordinary Savoie AOP wines labeled Roussanne, but the finest from the Combe de Savoie have their own appellation of Chignin-Bergeron, Bergeron being an old Savoyard name for Roussanne. Was it brought here by shepherds or bergers coming up the Rhône? Perhaps – but locals say that the more likely origin of the name is the grape’s resemblance when ripe and freckled to the Bergeron variety of apricot, France’s most popular.

While we are on the topic of names, a colossal hazard that wine students have to confront is that the local name of Altesse is actually Roussette, and Roussette and Roussanne are all too easy to confuse. (Confusing but not illogical: both varieties tends to acquire a russet speckling as they ripen.)

The principal appellation for Altesse-based wines in Savoie is Roussette de Savoie (with or without its four cru names of Frangy, Marestel, Monterminod and Monthoux). Altesse is more widely planted than the Roussanne, with around 10% of the total Savoie vineyard area – the fourth most widely planted variety here after Jacquère, Gamay and Mondeuse, though much of it is blended rather than being made as a varietal wine.

I find it a less consistent variety than Roussanne, and its character less easy to configure; ambition, too, sometimes means that it is oak-lavished, and its delicate personality smothered. It seems to be at its best in the three crus of Jongieux, Marestel and Monthoux, sited in steep, west and southwest-facing vineyards on the back slopes of the Mont du Chat, looking out over the tumbling infant Rhône.

Here it can acquire impressive depth, finesse and nuance, with hints of walnut- and-honey richness but also a floral lift to it, too, as well as sustained acidity and a sappy core; you could almost mistake it for a Savennières.

Altesse runs to fat less evidently than Roussanne, and my feeling is that most Savoyards rate it slightly higher (indeed Maxim Dancoine of L’Aitonnement claims it is one of ‘the three finest white grape varieties in the world’). It’s also locally believed to be the best local wine for ageing, and aged examples can acquire a waxy note. But you may have to taste through a lot of lesser examples before finally seeing the light with Altesse – whereas Roussanne sings out more easily.

Here, anyway, are some notes on our two finalists. Altesse won by a short head on my scorecard, with seven wines making the cut, but it was the closest of battles.

Savoie: the hunt for greatness

 Andrew Jefford tastes some 2010 Vins Jaunes – and more...

In last week’s ‘Jefford on Monday’, I described the recent ‘Vin de Voile’ Symposium organised prior to this year’s Percée de Vin Jaune in the Jura, with the participation not only of local Vin Jaune growers but of sherry producers Equipo Navazos and Williams & Humbert, too, as well as Tokaji producer Samuel Tinon. This week, let’s take a look at the wines themselves.

Tasting Vin Jaune

Six years’ ageing means that the latest vintages of Vin Jaune to reach market are 2010 and 2011. If you’re a fan of Vin Jaune, don’t let these slip by: 2010 was a small but high quality vintage, while 2011 was an abundant vintage of good to very good wines. Subsequent vintages have usually been much tougher propositions for growers, both in terms of quantity and quality, and prices will surely rise for this sought-after but necessarily rare wine style.

Buying young Vin Jaune, by the way, is a much less riskier procedure than it once was: the controls, checks, supervision and understanding of these wines has greatly improved over the last two decades, and they are much more consistent as a consequence. Connoisseurs love to age these wines further and the producers themselves often give ‘drink by’ dates three decades hence, but I’m not convinced by this: the older vintages shown at the Symposium weren’t uniformly successful, and my own preference, save in the case of truly outstanding young wines, would be to drink within five years of purchase.

Producers are listed by alphabetical order, regardless of appellation, and the wines were tasted sighted. Most wines carry a local retail price of 25€ to 35€ on release, though those of Stéphane Tissot are more expensive.

Ch d’Arlay, Côtes du Jura Vin Jaune 2010

This beautifully labelled wine, from a property formerly owned by Moët visionary and French Resistance hero Robert-Jean de Vogüé, is mid-gold in colour, with a sweeter, creamier scent than its peers and a touch of honeysuckle charm, too. Don’t be misled, though: on the palate it’s a loosed arrow: pure, long and incisive, with more elemental Savagnin character than many of its peers, modulating towards the end of the palate towards umami and nuts. Comte Alain de Laguiche, the present owner, talks of its ‘droiteur et pureté’: an accurate description. 91 (14%)

Domaine Badoz, Côtes du Jura Vin Jaune 2010

Full gold, with a scent of crushed citrus zest and white pepper in addition to some bready warmth. It’s slender and zesty on the palate, too, but with great purity, drive and vividness from the wine’s resonant acid architecture. 90 (14.5%)

Dom Baud Génération 9, Côtes du Jura Vin Jaune 2010

Full gold in colour, with a creamy, lemony scent in which bready aldehyde notes are more than usually apparent. There’s a typical Côtes du Jura acidic nerviness to this Vin Jaune, and an almost saline edge; you might also recall bread and seaweed. The palate finishes with unexpected warmth and richness, and some apricot fruit notes. Concentrated and complex. 92 (14.5%)

Fruitière Vinicole d’Arbois, Château Béthanie, Arbois Vin Jaune 2010

With 270 ha under vines, this is the Jura’s largest producer, and its 2010 Vin Jaune is a fine effort: mid-gold in colour, with fresh, bready fruit notes lent richness by the creaminess of soft, white, new-season hazels. It’s a true Arbois on the palate: broad, vivid, rich and mouthfilling, with less overt acid strike than Côtes du Jura Vins Jaunes. Its resonant orchard fruit is qualified by dried mushroom and savoury umami notes, too. Despite its amplitude, it leaves the mouth fresh and longing for more. 93 (15%)

Fruitière Vinicole de Voiteur, Château-Chalon Vin Jaune 2010

Jura has one of the oldest co-operative traditions in France, and regional standards are admirably high; the Voiteur co-operative, sited at the foot of Château-Chalon, is the largest single producer of this rare wine, vinifying a quarter of the appellation’s 55 ha of vineyard. The wine is relatively pale at present, with soft, subtle scents combining creamy sweetness and plant sap. On the palate it is refined, pure and elegant, with well-rounded lemon fruit, stony purity and a tickle of nutty, grainy complexity on the finish which a little more bottle age will certainly amplify. A classic to buy with confidence. 93 (14.5%)

Dom Henri Maire, Château-Chalon Vin Jaune 2010

Henri Maire passed into the ownership of the Boisset group in February 2015, but most of the credit for this wine should go to the Verdoso Industries team, who took over the company in 2010. It is a fine benchmark for the region, which wasn’t always true in the past: full gold in colour, with ample bready, yeasty, mushroomy aromatic intrigue. The palate in this case delivers what the nose promised with generosity and exuberance: it’s a big, bready mouthful with a clean, long, tangy and saliva-inducing finish. 91 (14.5%)

Rolet, Arbois Vin Jaune 2010

A bright mid-gold in colour, with apple, lemon, quince and forest mushroom scents. There’s a creamy undertow, and the wine is very clean and spotless. On the palate, it is intense and vivid with more acid drive and thrust to it than many Arbois peers. That insistently taut, tight, apple-lemon fruit suggests this would be better after a two or three-year wait, with plenty of ageing potential in store. 93 (14.5%)

André et Mireille Tissot, Château Chalon Vin Jaune 2010

How do you describe Stéphane Tissot? Perhaps ‘human firework’ comes closest; he fizzes and crackles with energy, bonhomie, positivity and creativity, and he and his wife Bénédicte have, in the 25 years since he took over from his father, turned this into one of the finest French domains in any region, as well as one of Jura’s most sizeable, offering a colossal range of 28 different cuvées, including three different Arbois Vin Jaune cuvées and a Château-Chalon, too. For Tissot, the difference between the two appellations is that that Château-Chalon has “more finesse, more delicate fruit and more citrus character.” That’s certainly true of this magnificent example, still a relatively pale gold in early 2018. There’s huge aromatic complexity here, if you just give it a little time to emerge: moss, woodruff, mint and lemon verbena, cushioning understated but supportive summer or light citrus fruits – though not, as yet, much nut or mushroom complexity. On the palate, the wine almost has the acidic energy and lunge of a Riesling though the allusions seeping from that acidic force are quite different – crushed stone, green plum skins and green apple with a chicory, acorn or dandelion-sap bitterness. It’s resonant, energetic and almost caustic in the mouth, yet there is a little umami warmth, too, and given time (which this wine needs) you will see a glowing shapeliness emerge. Magnificent Vin Jaune. 97 (15%)

Jacques Tissot, Arbois Vin Jaune 2010

Mid-gold in colour, with a warm, comforting, nourishing, well-rounded nose, cleanly and sweetly expressed though without great aromatic intricacy. Ripe, rounded and tangy on the palate, with warm, earthy, savoury, meat-stock flavours lending depth and intricacy to the subdued orchard fruit. 92 (14.5%)

Jean-Louis Tissot, Arbois Vin Jaune 2010

The Arbois style tends to be forceful and exuberant compared to the nuance, subtlety, grain and finesse of Château-Chalon. This mid- to full gold example from Valérie and Jean-Christophe Tissot has a mellow, rich, enveloping aromatic profile of woodland savoury sweetness and a vivid, deep palate, combining forest mushroom and simmering stock notes with ringing, singing acidity. There’s almost a tannic dimension to its structure: grand Arbois which surely has got the legs for a decade or more. 94 (14.5%)

Philippe Vandelle, L’Etoile Vin Jaune 2010

Pale gold in colour, with scents of threshed grain, dry straw and a little peach juice. Lemon, bread and dried mushrooms provide the palate allusions in this poised, resolute and firmly structured Vin Jaune. There’s a bright, ample, satisfying finish. 92 (14.5%)

Tasting the Cousins

As I suggested last week, the sensual experience of Fino and Manzanilla (produced from low-acid Palomino in multi-vintage solera systems) is a very different one to that of Vin Jaune and other voile-aged wines produced from the high-acid Savagnin produced from a single vintage.

Two wines from Spain took us a little closer to a valid comparison. The first is the unfortified Bota de Florpower from Equipo Navazos, a 12% wine from two old-vine vineyards in Sanlúcar where you can see Palomino fruit quality (and some soft acidity) as well as the effects of flor (the current release is Bota 77 MMXV from 2015). Williams & Humbert, meanwhile, offers genuine single-vintage (añada) wine as ‘Crianza Tipo Biologica’ – see a review of the 2010 below, alongside a review of Equipo Navazos’s La Bota de Fino 68 and Samuel Tinon’s 2007 Tokaji Szamorodni Száraz.

Equipa Navazos, La Bota de Fino 68, Macharnudo Alto

This solera-aged blend draws all its new wines from the celebrated albariza vineyards of Macharnudo Alto. The flor in the solera stage itself, from which the wine is bottled, is almost exhausted – though this is drawn from the first and second criaderas, which are richer in flor, as well as the solera itself. It’s a pale burnished gold in colour with scents of milled grain, seaweed, anis and green tea, with creamy, almost chewy flor flavours of impressive breadth and depth. 93 (15%)

Williams Colección Añadas, Fino En Rama, Crianza Tipo Biológica 2010

This lightly fortified wine, from the albariza vineyards of Añina and Carrascal, is translucent pewter-gold with gently bready scents but a subdued fruit warmth, too. That fruit aroma disappears on the palate, though, which is low acid (4 g/l), plump and rounded, but bright and alive with chewy, tingly-tangy flor character; you do feel you are getting much closer to the flor in this wine than in most vins jaunes. 92 (15%)

Samuel Tinon, Tokaji Szamarodni Száraz 2007

An unfortified wine made from 90% Furmint with 10% Hárslevelű harvested at one moment using healthy, shrivelled and botrytised grapes which are fermented together to dryness. The wine is a light, translucent tawny in colour, with scents of dry leaves, varnish and old library bookshelves – the oxidative elements, in other words, are more prominent than any legacy of the voile. On the palate, the wine is tangy, bright, light, open and very clean, with something of the searching acidity of Vin Jaune (5.1 g/l here) and a dusty-apricot fruit complexity. 89 (13.8%).

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Andrew Jefford compares and contrasts winemaking methods in the Jura, Jerez and Tokaji.

Everything about the Jura is astonishing – and improbable. Not least the fact that its wine festival, the Percée du Vin Jaune, has (since its founding in 1997) become French wine’s closest equivalent to Glastonbury or Woodstock: a legendary event, attendance at which is subsequently flaunted as a badge of pride for a wine-drinking lifetime.

Somehow or other, up to 60,000 people have communally decided over the last 20 years that the best way to spend the first weekend in February every year is to court pneumonia by queuing in the cold for up to an hour outside a series of cellars in the chilly sub-Alpine hills in order to taste a succession of small samples of sharp, tangy whites and pale reds. So popular has the event become (it’s been France’s number one wine festival for some years) that numbers had to be limited to a mere 25,000 this year, and the event made ticket-only. The catastrophic spring frosts of 2017, at the end of which some Jura growers had lost 90% of a normal crop and the region as a whole 50%, means that this new, slimmer-but-sexier Percée is likely to endure.

There was another innovation, too. Alongside this year’s Percée (which took place in the village of Etoile), the region decided to organise a Symposium on ‘Vins de Voile’ – the ‘veiled’ wines of which vin jaune itself is such a notable example. I was lucky enough to attend the Symposium, which in addition to Jura speakers also featured Jesús Barquín and Eduardo Ojeda of Equipo Navazos, Paola Medina of Williams & Humbert and Samuel Tinon, founder of the Tokaji company of the same name.

What do they all have in common? Peer into a butt of Fino or Manzanilla Sherry, gawp into a cask of Vin Jaune or squint down into a cask of certain dry Szamorodni Tokaji wines (and, in former times, Aszú wines too), and you’ll see a film of yeast floating on the liquid, resembled everything from a thick blanket (in Sanlúcar) to thin pond scum (in Tokaji and the Jura). That yeast film, and the biochemical changes it brings about in the wines themselves, will condition their eventual flavour – exquisitely, for those who have acquired the taste for each. Hence the Percée queues.

After we’ve identified that basic similarity of method, though, the questions come thick and fast. Are the constituents of the yeast always the same? Are the biochemical changes in the wine always the same? Why these regions and not others? Does the similarity of method mean that these wines are kith and kin?

The Symposium marked a first, tentative step in answering some of these questions, and helped Jura producers understand the practicalities of Sherry and Tokaji winemaking a little better – but not much more than that. I can see the delicious potential for many future Symposia to come (remember that this word in Ancient Greek – symposion — meant ‘drinking party’).

Flor, or voile

Let’s take flor or voile It’s composed of Saccharomyces yeast strains, but that’s not very useful or precise. Four strains have been identified in Jerez (S. beticus, S. montuliensis, S. cheresiensis and S. rouxii), though the last of these has now been reclassified, and there are taxonomic debates as to whether the first three are actually separate species. The Symposium was told by researcher Jocelyn Broncard of the Jura’s departmental Laboratoire d’Analyses that ten Saccharomyces strains are implicated, at least initially, in the voile on Vin Jaune, and that this spectrum is different from that found in Spain. If this research has been carried out in Tokaji, we didn’t learn about it – though Samuel Tinon was at great pains to point out the importance of Cladosporium cellare (the cellar fungus so prominent in damp, cold Tokaji cellars) in the evolution of all Tokaji wines: a factor absent in both Jerez and the Jura.

Biochemical changes

What about the biochemical changes brought about by flor or voile in the wines themselves? In Jerez, the flor is anti-oxidative: it both physically protects the wine from oxidation and consumes oxygen in the cask. That’s why Fino and Manzanilla are pale and fresh. Vin Jaune, as its name suggests, is yellow (jaune) and most tasters would agree that some oxidative complexity is a part of its appeal. The same is still more true of dry Szamorodni wines. Perhaps that’s what you would expect, given that the layer of flor is generally thicker in Jerez and thinner in the Jura and Tokaji. (The sensual analogy with Pasada versions of Manzanilla or Fino-Amontillado in Jerez is marginally better.)

In all three locations, the action of the flor raises the levels of acetaldehyde (or ethanal) in the wines, and this is a vital part of their character (acetaldehyde is a volatile component in the aromas of many attractive natural substances, including tobacco leaf, ripe fruit, coffee and fresh bread): “the more, the better” according to Jocelyn Broncard. What I am unsure about is whether the umami character which can be exhibited by all three wines is related to acetaldehyde or not; chemically the substances seem quite different. Can any reader help?

Volatile acidity (VA), by contast, is a constant threat, and according to data presented by Vincent Gerbaux of the Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin, the level of VA drops as the acetaldehyde level rises in Vin Jaune, something that is also seen in Jerez.

Glycerol levels also drop in Jerez and Sanlúcar under the influence of flor, increasing the effect of pungency and freshness in what are in fact quite strong (thus normally ‘glycerous’ wines) and it may be that this is a factor in the Jura, too. However there is a difference regarding alcohol levels. These tend to drop from their lightly fortified 15% under flor-ageing in Jerez. In the Jura, by contrast, no fortification is used and alcohol levels rise during the six years of Vin Jaune ageing, which is why Vin Jaune tends to have 14.5% or 15% whereas younger vines aged under voile are often bottled at 13% or 13.5%.

Kith and kin

Perhaps we should move on to the ‘kith and kin’ question The urge to classify these wines as cousins if not siblings is almost irresistible – but does this really help consumers? There is, after all, one colossal difference between them. Anyone expecting them to taste similar to each other is in for a rude shock.

Wines made from Savagnin aged under voile in the Jura have high levels of acidity; indeed one reason why Vin Jaune is superior to younger voile-aged Savagnin is that the extra alcohol in Vin Jaune helps balance out those often disconcerting acid levels. Tokaji’s Furmint, too, is a high-acid grape.

Palomino, by contrast, is extraordinarily low in acidity, and so, too, are Fino and Manzanilla. It is only once chemical ageing takes over the relay from biological flor in Jerez and Sanlúcar, and older Finos and Manzanilla Pasada wines become true Amontillados, that acidity as such begins to register on the sherry palate.

When we are talking about the fundamental elements of balance, then, Fino and Manzanilla are quite different from Vin Jaune. Most of the balance to alcohol and flavour architecture in the former is delivered by flor and its effects. These are multi-vintage carnivals of flor, and festivals of acetaldehyde and umami.

Vin Jaune, by contrast, is a single-vintage wine whose alcohol is balanced by pronounced, lively acidity and an oxidative nuttiness. Its flavour interest comes from a subtle and intriguing blend of mature or secondary fruit flavours, brisk and quivering with acidity, which are then infused, qualified and nuanced by the further effects of the voile. In Tokaji, moreover, botrytis is added to this mix.

Why these regions in particular?

Here, we are nowhere near answer. It is possible to make vins de voile or flor-aged wines in other regions, as producers such as the Plageoles family in Gaillac and producers in Montilla-Moriles prove in Spain. Maybe, indeed, you could do it everywhere — if only you were prepared to try. But in no location does this yeast film grow with the profusion which it achieves in Jerez and, particular, Sanlúcar, on casks of lightly fortified wine based on Palomino Fino. In the Jura its acquisition is always a more difficult process, and the wastage rate is higher.

The Symposium provided splendid tasting opportunities, and I will provide tasting notes next week, including for a range of recently released 2010 Vins Jaunes.

Readers who want to learn more about the Jura should acquire Wink Lorch’s accessible, informative and beautifully designed book Jura Wine (Wine Travel Media): highly recommended.

More Andrew Jefford columns on Decanter.com

Andrew Jefford celebrates the Jacquère-based wines of Savoie....

Limestone and marl (limey clay) tend to be regarded with warm affection by wine lovers; as soil types, they bring us some of the world’s finest wines, from Montrachet to Barolo. On a wet winter’s night almost 770 years ago, though, the combination proved a deadly one, bringing about what is thought to have been the biggest landslide in recorded European history.

Here’s the geologists’ reconstruction. Mont Granier, a 1933-m peak in the French département of Savoie, is a limestone summit surrounded by extensive marl deposits, lying at the northern end of the Massif de Chartreuse. Thanks to its limestone, the mountain is riddled with water-eaten caverns, channels and faults: there are 341 sink-holes and caves in it today, and 66 km of galleries.

Scroll down for Jefford’s choice of wines

November 1248 had been a month of intense rain. During the night of the 24^th to the 25^th of November, vast slabs, blocks and sections of limestone high up on the mountain gave way, thundering down onto the sodden marls below. In rockslides, water (which has no strength) gets trapped between rock particles, rendering the entire mass of material ultra-weak (this liquefaction is also common during earthquakes). A tsunami of rock and clay then surged for seven kilometers out into the valley, burying five villages without trace, including their 1000 or more inhabitants and ‘innumerable livestock’. The collapse left a cliff face almost 900 m high, and entirely remodelled the valley lands beneath. For decades, little grew there.

The mountain was already known, back then, as Apremont, ‘bitter mountain’, so perhaps there had been previous incidents of this sort. Indeed it is still quietly haemorrhaging today: there were three further small landslides in January, April and May 2016, and its fissures are constantly surveyed. After the 1248 tragedy, the ‘bitter mountain’ was rebaptised with the name of one of its lost villages, Granier, but the original lives on as one of the two white-wine appellations sited on the debris. Abymes, no less descriptive, is the other.

I stood in these vineyards this January, and looked about. Even 770 years later, the landscape is chaotically rumpled; giant blocks of limestone sprawl here and there, and the vineyards are stitched onto the marl like a quilt made of left-over scraps of cloth, broken by woods in the tougher spots, and by ponds and marshes in the dips. What would that night have been like? A deafening roar, a sudden awakening in terror for the victims, then in all likelihood nothing more.

Mountain wine regions are complex for a reason: their topographical challenges have meant, through most of history, that they were a series of little kingdoms and fiefdoms, clinging on to specialities and traditions which reflect, with some fidelity, precise and highly contrastive local conditions. Savoie is no exception, and I’ll attempt to decode some of its nuances in a week or two. This week, though, let’s take a look not only at Abymes and Apremont, but also some of the other wines made from the variety which most relishes growing on this gigantic graveyard: Jacquère.

Few take Jacquère very seriously, at least from a critical perspective. This early budding, generously yielding variety, one of the many Gouais progeny, occupies half of the 2,077 ha of the region, so is by far the most widely planted of Savoie’s 23 grape varieties. There has, though, been a history of commercial insouciance with it, making white wines of ‘petit degré’ (11% or even less) which are bundled off up to the ski stations to be tossed back with mouthfuls of gluey cheese. Wine fans may rhapsodise about Altesse, Bergeron (Roussanne) or the rare Persan, but they tend to skim over Jacquère.

Please don’t. Even if you didn’t know its compelling backstory, a great Abymes or Apremont can represent the essence of the mountain wine ideal more memorably than any other in Savoie, and perhaps in Europe more generally. It is indeed always light in alcohol. Even when produced from older vines and October-harvested, it rarely exceeds 11.5%; its natural state, if you like, is one of aerial lightness. Its flavours are sculpted by fresh, sappy acidity, but at the same time it is not burdened by excessive or overt fruit flavours. It whispers stone rather than singing fruit. Lees contact can add a little descreet creaminess of texture — though a spritz, contrariwise, can give it even more lift and pungency. You’ll find both styles.

Above all, it’s mouthwatering; its natural balance tends to and trends towards that. Even if (like me) you’re not a skier, we can all shut our eyes and imagine what it must be like to blitz downhill in a crisp, twisting swirl of brilliance and powder and chill. Now imagine your tongue doing that, and you’ll have some idea about how a good glass of Jacquère tastes. No Roussanne or Altesse can match it for sheer downhill glee.

I asked several growers whether there was any notable differences between Apremont and Abymes. Apremont is the slightly larger of the two (400 ha compared to Abyme’s 300 ha), and is a little higher (290m to 500m) and more undulating, but in general the differences aren’t marked, and both produce good wines. The appellation regulations require a minimum of 80% Jacquère, but most are true varietals.

They aren’t the only Jacquères in Savoie, though. You’ll see the variety names used on bottles of white which have only the Savoie or Vin de Savoie AOP, and Jacquère is also the main white variety for the crus of Cruet, Chautagne, Chignin (when that name is used on its own) and Jongieux. In some of these cases, the style is a little more slalom-like and less of a downhill sprint.

Abymes and Apremont, for example, both have gently sloping cool clay-rich marls and look east in general. Chignin, facing the pair across the Cluse de Chambéry, is a very different sort of vineyard. Its steep west- or southwest-facing slopes of limestone rubble and scree make for a much warmer situation, and the wines accordingly have more breadth and wealth. (Malo is often blocked for Jacquère to maximise freshness, though wines from Altesse and Roussanne are allowed to go through malo.)

For the record, finally, Jacquère is also one of the lead varieties in the new Crémant de Savoie appellation, introduced in 2015. Jacquère on its own must account for at least 40% of the blend, or for 60% of the blend if it contains no Altesse; another six complementary varieties are allowed, with a maximum of 20% red varieties. It’s early days, but the best of the pioneer wines suggest that this may prove to be the most choice and delicate of France’s Crémants.

A taste of Jacquère

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Rosi Hanson meets Guillaume d’Angerville of the famed family domaine in Volnay, who is embarking upon the challenges of new grapes, terroirs and local acceptance in his Jura project Domaine du Pélican...

Domaine du Pélican: A Burgundian in the Jura

Picture the scene: in the elegant, two-star Michelin restaurant Le Taillevent in Paris, Guillaume d’Angerville of Domaine Marquis d’Angerville in Volnay is lunching with his wife, Pauline.

Scroll down to see our tasting notes for the wines

This is something he does regularly, following in his father’s footsteps; like many winemakers, he appreciates Le Taillevent’s extensive wine list.

On this occasion (the year is 2007), d’Angerville is about to get a big surprise, which will take him in a new direction.

It is his habit to ask the sommelier to pick a white wine, not Burgundy, and serve it to them blind. The wine is poured, the sommelier withdraws.

‘It’s definitely a Chardonnay; it’s a Burgundy – he must have forgotten the rule,’ the couple agree. The sommelier reappears for the big reveal. It is indeed a Chardonnay, a 2005, but it’s from Arbois in the Jura, made by Stéphane Tissot (his wines are stocked by Berry Bros & Rudd in the UK).

• Resaurant review: 110 de Taillevent arrives in London

• Jura wine ‘pope’ sells off vineyards to d’Angerville family

D’Angerville was taken aback by the quality of this Chardonnay. He admits he’d only thought of the Jura as a place his family had driven through on the way to ski holidays in Verbier.

Like most French people, he was aware of the big merchant-grower Henri Maire and his jokey ads for ‘vin fou’ from the Jura. They were his only way of identifying the region and he did not associate the wines with quality. D’Angerville set off on a mission to discover the Jura vineyards. Before long he was convinced that he wanted to make wine there.

Domaine Marquis d’Angerville is one of the leading estates based in Volnay, on Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune, and has been so for more than three generations. D’Angerville’s grandfather was a great champion of domaine bottling and authenticity.

His father continued that tradition and was instrumental in helping Americans to discover fine Burgundies, from his own estate and other like-minded growers. so you might think that the present marquis would be content to rest on these laurels and not take risks.

Indeed d’Angerville’s estate manager, François Duvivier, with whom he works in close partnership, needed some persuading about this possible new venture. Luckily Duvivier had friends in the Jura, and was prepared at least to visit the area. Today you would never guess that he’d had qualms.

One of the first things d’Angerville did was to phone Yves Herody, the geologist he uses for soil analysis of his vineyards in Burgundy.

‘I have a crazy idea to buy land in Jura,’ he said, tentatively. The surprising reply was: ‘It’s not a crazy idea at all – there are better terroirs there than in Burgundy!’ So began a quest to buy land, which lasted from 2008 until 2012.

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Domaine du Pélican wines tasted:

Timing it right

At that time some growers in the Jura were struggling to make good wine and find a market. The regional specialty, vin jaune, a Sherry-like wine that develops under a yeast similar to flor as it ages in barrel, may have been having a fashionable moment among sommeliers, but it remains niche.

Land seemed relatively cheap – to Burgundians. D’Angerville and Duvivier looked at many properties, all rejected by Herody.

Meanwhile, they were getting to know the beautiful, unspoilt region of Jura. Low hills, extensive forests and pretty streams make it a destination for hikers, and in winter there are trails for cross-country skiers as well as downhill runs for those who prefer something gentler than the Alps to the south.

The area attracts high rainfall – rain sweeping across France falls when it reaches the Jura’s west- facing hills and vineyards. Comté (a cheese loved by winemakers as a perfect match for both whites and reds) comes from cows that graze these lush, verdant pastures.

The d’Angerville team was happy to play the long game, but it must have felt as if nothing would come on the market that would tick all the boxes of geology, orientation, drainage and aspect that they sought. In 2012, however, they heard of two different properties that might fit the bill.

Five hectares adjoining the Château de Chavanes in the hamlet of Montigny-lès-Arsures, near the charming market town of Arbois, were available. A film producer had lavished money on the large house, and planted a scenic plot, Le Clos, next to it. Four other small vineyards completed the estate, which was worked biodynamically. Lacking the experience to market the wines, he was ready to sell the land, and the sale was completed shortly before the 2012 harvest.

The resulting wines were made before the team was familiar with the terroirs. It must also have been a challenge making wines for the first time from the local white Savagnin grape, along with red varieties Poulsard and Trousseau, as well as the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir they were used to. They were surprised, and delighted, by the quality and decided to put them on the market under their newly created label Domaine du Pélican, taking the bird from the Arbois crest.

Hardly had the first purchase of land gone through when, like the proverbial buses coming along together, d’Angerville and Duvivier were able to buy another 5ha in AP Arbois.

This was a stroke of luck as they considered the plot, Grand Curoulet, to be one of the best in the appellation. Although it had been neglected and needed extensive replanting, it had the advantage that its former owner was a proponent of natural wines and the land had hardly been treated with chemicals.

D’Angerville is often asked whether he makes his Jura wines using Burgundian techniques.

‘I have sometimes said that I make Pélican wines in a Burgundian way,’ he says, ‘but by that I simply mean that they are non-oxidative.’ His dry white Savagnin, which he considers ‘typically from the Jura’, is topped up in barrel to prevent oxidation. This is known as Savagnin Ouillé.

‘Given that the term ‘Savagnin’ can describe both a non-oxidative and an oxidative wine (a potential vin jaune that has not developed flor during seven years of barrel ageing), the phrase “made in a Burgundian way” is useful to clear the potential misunderstanding,’ he explains. As if to confuse the issue, he now makes vin jaune, but his first will only be ready in 2022.

Early learning

‘The Chardonnay is perhaps closest to what we do in Meursault, but still it is unmistakably not Burgundian,’ he emphasises. He considers Barbi, one of the plots planted to Chardonnay, deserves to be vinified separately as it is ‘a special place’, facing south. In fact he is convinced that his grandchildren will be applying for premier cru status for Barbi.

‘My red cuvée, Trois Cépages, is clearly not made in a Burgundian way because it’s a blend of Pinot Noir, Poulsard and Trousseau. It is not possible to make Jura wines in the same manner as in Burgundy because we have to adapt to the local terroir, and to how the plant behaves in such a terroir. That is one reason why this Jura project is interesting and sometimes challenging.’

There have been some welcome surprises. In 2016, when vineyards in Burgundy were decimated by frost and then hail, the Jura was untouched. A great deal of rain fell but the Pélican vineyards showed no sign of mildew, which the Burgundians cannot explain. ‘We are still at the very beginning of the learning curve,’ says d’Angerville.

Were he and his team welcomed by locals? ‘They were not so keen about our arrival! These guys were selling three-quarters of their wine locally, not even throughout France. The visibility of Jura wines is very small.’ He explains that the region’s entire wine production comes from about 2,000ha, equivalent to just three Burgundy villages.

He won over the suspicious winemakers when he told them that he planned to promote Jura wines all around the world, in all his existing markets. ‘They understand now,’ says the former international banker, who remains sensitive about mentioning his previous career. ‘I don’t want people to think I’m doing this as an investment. I love the place, the land and the people.’

And he is learning. ‘When I taste at fellow winemakers’ estates in Jura, I note their ability to be relaxed about how their wines evolve during maturation in barrel. By comparison, Burgundians are a little paranoid about “protecting” their wines. For example, I’m impressed by the quality and long-lasting character of the no-sulphur wines some well-known Jura wine producers are able to produce. There’s something to learn from that.’

D’Angerville appreciates the chance to taste at other estates. His own remains discreetly hidden; there is no sign outside. The day I visit, the battered old wooden door to the vat house and cellar is firmly shut. It seems deserted. Then a shout, and the owner comes running down the narrow muddy road, from his neighbour, the respected, well-known winemaker Jacques Puffeney, who has become a good friend. Over the past few years they have clearly done a lot of talking and tasting.

Puffeney is ready to retire and, with no children interested in taking over, he has decided to entrust his vines to Domaine du Pélican – surely a sign that the Burgundians are now fully accepted.

Rosi Hanson is a food and wine writer whose latest book is Recipes from the French Wine Harvest.

More on Jura:

• Decanter travel guide: Jura

• View all of Decanter’s Jura tasting notes

Reactions are usually set to cynical during en primeur but one conversation with an American buyer gave me pause last week...

The American buyer told me that Bordeaux was now so unfashionable in the States that many sommeliers have never even considered it for their lists – but that this means it is now a discovery wine, the new Gruner, or Jura. One that can appeal to the craft beer generation that is always open to authentic new discoveries.

• See all of Decanter’s Bordeaux 2015 en primeur scores

He wasn’t talking about the 1855 châteaux, but the Graves, the Castillons, the little guys who are affordable to buy and often have a real family story behind them.

Potentially good news for the Bordelais, but things need to change if this theory is really going to hold up. My feeling has increasingly been over the last few years that Bordeaux will never connect with the next generation of wine drinkers in significant numbers until it admits that it lost its way over terroir, and that it is slowly but surely finding its way back.

‘For too long in Bordeaux people used the concept of terroir to sell everything,’ Eric Monneret at Chateau La Pointe in Pomerol was telling me a few weeks ago. ‘It became a marketing term and so lost its meaning. But if we are going to reclaim its meaning, we need to be practical. The whole idea of terroir is often blurred, people get lost. In the 1980s and 1990s Bordeaux was very much about technical and oenological skills, and they forgot to talk about the soils. I see and feel that changing now, and am very excited about the next decade’.

La Pointe is an interesting case in point. Among the biggest estates in Pomerol, it long had a reputation for being planted on sand and producing easy drinking wines of charm but little complexity. But recent years have seen new drainage channels, careful replanting (the pulling up, for example, of Cabernet Sauvignon that was planted on soils that were never going to ripen the grape) and working the three sections – only one is on sand – of the vineyard very differently. ‘Everyone dreams of finding a sleeping beauty, of restoring an undiscovered terroir and bringing it to life. But you can only do that in the vineyard – and by taking a risk of it not working. We had to see if the wine was showing its intrinsic quality or if it was because of the way they were working the soils’.

For authenticity, you also have to be able to honest about what you have. ‘We are on the second terrace of Pomerol which means beneath the plateau but higher than the third terrace. It would be easy to try to cover that up and go for critical acclaim by cropping low and oaking high, but we have chosen instead to work on expressing the very best of this terroir. When we arrived almost ten years ago, La Pointe had the image of third terrace Pomerol, with the potential of a second terrace. We have brought it up, I hope, to the best of the second terrace, grazing the plateau, along with estates like Feytit-Clinet, Bourgneuf, La Croix, Beauregard’.

Understanding terroir is definitely an area where ‘show don’t tell’ holds strong, and for that I would recommend a trip to Chateau Olivier in Pessac Léognan. They have recently held a fascinating tasting for the 2015 vintage showing three samples of the wine made with their vineyard configuration in 2005 and 2010 as well as that of 2015.

This is another interesting estate when it comes to understanding how Bordeaux is reclaiming its terroir, for different reasons than La Pointe. There are only six Bordeaux estates classified in red and white, and yet Olivier has consistently filed under the radar. I have long thought it produces one of Bordeaux’s very best white wines, but until recently found the reds far less consistent.

When director Laurent Lebrun arrived in 2003 (originally from Pouilly-sur-Loire but working first in Champagne then at Remy Martin at Blue Pyrenees in Australia before moving to Bordeaux), he enlisted Terroir expert Xavier Choné to carry out an soil study not just of the 50-something hectares in production but the entire 230 hectares of the estate, that was once a hunting lodge. Much of the land was covered in forest, but they discovered one extremely high quality plot of deep gravels and powerfully compacted clay that was growing pine trees at the time. Separated from the main vineyard by about a 10 minute walk, this plot is now named Bel Air. It was given over to planting vines, and the grapes have slowly come into the first wine over the past decade. They have a 1760 map of the estate that shows it was planted at the time, and are currently doing historical studies in local archives to find out more.

It was the effect of this plot on the wine that this terroir tasting was demonstrating, and it proved absolutely fascinating. ‘This is a particularly fair representation,’says Lebrun, ‘because already in 2005 we had the ambition to do better, with new cellars that were finished in 2003 that brought in different small sized vats instead of the previous 220hl lithe vats. Owner Alexandre de Bethmann already was investing in the future of his estate. Money is clearly one barrier to entry for becoming an exceptional wine, but until you have the terroir you can’t fully realize your ambitions’.

The wines

Chateau Olivier 2015, version 2005

Wine composed of the vineyard plots as they were in 2005, when overall surface area was maybe 75% of size today, and zero addition of Bel Air as the vines had just been planted. Most of the terroir was still deep gravel but not as compacted with clay as Bel Air is, so less powerful. This has good clean fruit, perhaps a little too much austerity in the mid palate, a little short on the finish. 50%/50% merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Chateau Olivier 2015, version 2010

The wine used all of Bel Air at this point but low yields so only 15% of overall. So here’s 55% cab Sauvignon and 45% merlot, because using more Bel Air. Remember this is still exactly the same age wine, because made with 2015 grapes, but the colour has more violet reflections. On the palate there is a brighter and fleshier feel, more depth, not the austerity of the mid palate from the 2005 configuration.

Chateau Olivier 2015, version 2015

Bel air makes up 30% of the wine here, and vines are now ten years old. Good yield of 45 hl/h in 2015. There is also one hectare of petit Verdot in the wine, so overall blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% merlot and 5% petit Verdot. Same proportion of cabernet as in 2010 but twice the quantity from Bel Air. This has another step up in colour intensity, power and poise, the tannins here have a real rich quality, this is still fresh and poised but has more muscular frame that expands over the tasting, clear ageing potential.

More Jane Anson columns for Decanter.com:

Anson: En primeur 2015 – the word inside Bordeaux

Anson on Thursday: Siaurac and the rise of Lalande de Pomerol

Jane Anson finds out what's been changing at Château Siaurac in the Bordeaux right bank..

Anson on Bordeaux 2015 Graves and Pessac Léognan – first impression

Anson: Best Bordeaux restaurant wine lists

Jane Anson names exciting sommeliers in the city...

See which wines to drink with Gateau de Savoie by James Tidwell MS, beverage manager at Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas.

Matching wines for Gateau de Savoie

Pereira d’Oliveira, Colheita Boal, Madeira, Portugal 1983

Madeira is one of the great classic wines of the world deserving of a pairing with this classic gateau. The Boal style is rich and sweet with flavors of nuts and burnt sugar to complement the flavor of the chestnut purée. Tangy acidity enlivens the palate encouraging another bite of gateaux and sip of wine. Seldom can one find wines of such age that are guaranteed to be alive and at a relative value. The natural process of fortification, oxidation, and heating that is used to make the wine allows it to keep longer after opening than almost all other wines. So you can enjoy this wine from one of the top producers on the island over several days or even weeks.

Azienda Agricola Maculan, Dindarello, Veneto, Italy 2014

Dindarello has honey and orange blossom notes that add an extra dimension to the gateau, enhancing the cream and chestnut flavors. The wine is made from the Moscato grape grown in the best sites of the Veneto region of Italy. The grapes are harvested, then dried for one month to concentrate the flavors and sugar. Fermentation is in stainless steel to maintain the purity and pristine flavors of the grapes. All of this care yields a focused and fine wine of medium-full body and a sweetness that matches the light sweetness of the gateau. Maculan is a leading producer of dessert wines in the Veneto and the deft hand of the new generation at the winery shows in this wine.

Royal Tokaji Late Harvest, Tokaji, Hungary 2012

This is a lighter alternative to the famed Tokaji botrytis wines of Hungary. The alcohol is 11.5% and the wine is sweet without being cloying, making this a perfect match for a lighter dessert such as Gateau de Savoie. The brightness of the wine from both spice aromas and crisp acidity keep the pairing fresh. Royal Tokaji is one of the best producers from this legendary region, and this wine demonstrates their ability to make great wines across a range of styles. For a richer, sweeter and more extravagant pairing, try one of their Tokaji Puttonyos wines.

About James Tidwell MS

James Tidwell is beverage manager at Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas and is co-founder of TEXSOM, the premiere sommelier education conference in the world.

Tidwell has earned the Master Sommelier certification in addition to attaining certifications in various areas of the beverage industry, including the Wine and Spirits Education Trust Diploma; Society of Wine Educators’ Certified Wine Educator; Specialty Tea Institute’s Certified Tea Specialist and Sake Education Council’s Certified Sake Professional. Previous to entering the wine business, Tidwell graduated Louisiana State University and the Culinary Institute of America.

Tidwell has been nominated the past five years for a James Beard Foundation Award in the categories of Outstanding Wine Program 2011-2014 and Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional in 2015.

Tidwell serves the beverage industry through his current or past positions on the Boards of Directors of Court of Master Sommeliers – Americas, Guild of Sommeliers Education Foundation, and Society of Wine Educators.

I must confess, I have a bit of a sweet tooth. However, I'm not so keen on rich and heavy desserts. This French sponge cake is so light and airy it's a must when it comes to desserts or a wonderful addition to afternoon tea. Extremely versatile and easy to make, you can fill it with anything you like from butter cream to chocolate ganache. I have chosen to fill mine with a homemade chestnut purée and Chantilly cream.

Gateau de Savoie, chestnut purée and Chantilly cream

Cake Serves 6

Ingredients for the cake:

• 210gr of egg whites
• 205gr of caster sugar
• 140gr of egg yolks
• 80gr of maïzena (or cornflower)
• 6gr of baking powder
• 60gr of melted butter
• 15gr of caster sugar

Ingredients for the chestnut purée:

• 500gr of peeled chestnuts
• 300gr of sugar
• 1 cup of water

Ingredients for the Chantilly:

• 300ml of double cream
• 1 vanilla pod
• 3 tbsp. of icing sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 165
2. Whisk the egg whites until they coagulate and slowly incorporate the 120gr of sugar to create a French meringue. Put to one side in a large mixing bowl.
3. Whisk together the egg yolks and remaining 85gr of sugar until it forms a white foamy
   texture.
4. Fold the two mixtures together gently as not to break the meringue.
5. Sift and mix all the dry ingredients together and fold carefully into the meringue mix.
6. Continue folding until you obtain a homogeneous mixture. Brush the interior of your tin (this should be 20cm in diameter) with melted butter and sprinkle the 15gr of sugar to create a fine coat all around the rim.
7. Pour the rest of the melted butter into your cake mix before filling your cake tin. Cook in the oven for 40 minutes. Let it cool down completely before cutting in half.
8. Chop the peeled chestnuts and cook in a simmering syrup for at least 45 minutes until the morsels are softened. Purée with an electric mixer whilst still warm. If need be, add a little water to help the process.
9. Scrape the vanilla pod and add to the double cream. Whisk in the icing sugar progressively. Stop whisking as soon as you obtain a Chantilly texture. Do not over whisk you will obtain butter.
10. When the cake has completely cooled, evenly spread a generous layer of the chestnut puree like butter on the bottom layer of the cake. Once smooth, spread the Chantilly cream on top the same way. If you’d like, you can dust icing sugar over the top of the cake, though this isn’t necessary.

• See all Michel Roux Jr recipes on Decanter.com

The Alsace region is renowned for producing wines with fantastic floral and peachy aromas. Although it is often frowned upon when pairing with desserts as considered too sweet. However the signature Gewürztraminer from René Muré 2013 has the perfect balance for this sophisticated sponge cake.

For a richer style of pudding wine, why not try a Muscat 2013, Domaine des Bernadins, Beaumes de Venise. Notes of caramelised oranges and honey make this white wine just as special as the dessert itself.

For an extravagant finish to a meal, how about splashing out on a Champagne Rosé, Le Mesnil Grand Cru 2005. An elegant champagne full of finesse, tailor-made for this French

classic dessert.

• See wines to match Michel Roux Jr’s Gateau de Savoie recipe, by sommelier James Tidwell MS

Wines to drink with Gateau de Savoie by Michel Roux Jr.

René Muré “Gewürztraminer” 2013 – This wine encompasses the distinguishing

floral and fruity aromas of Gewürztraminer. Rose petals, peach and lychee

hit the nose first and balance beautifully with the lightness of the sponge cake.

RRP: £12.99 All About Wine

Domaine des Bernadins “Beaumes de Venise” 2013 – This wine has wonderful notes of

citrus and sweet candied fruits. It is rich yet delicate with aromas of white fruit to set the

balance.

RRP: £11.52 Richard Granger Wines

Rosé Champagne, Le Mésnil Grand Cru, 2005 – A crisp and delicate Champagne, the Le Mesnil Grand Cru is beautifully light pink in colour and delicately fruity. Its lightness is refreshing against the creaminess of the dessert.

RRP: £35.95 Berry Bros and Rudd

Dive into the complex whites and thirst-quenching reds that characterise a tiny region, which is, quite rightly, starting to catch on.

See Wink Lorch’s top wines from Jura…

Jura wines: Expert’s Choice

I watched Jurassic Park again the other day for the first time in a decade or more.

Almost all wines will have a pH of somewhere between three and four

About ten minutes in, you probably remember the bit with the DNA cartoon, where Richard Attenborough shows how his team of scientists extracted workable dinosaur DNA preserved in the blood of a mosquito found in fossilized tree saps. Using adventure-park-friendly words and pictures, the cheerful, non-threatening Mr DNA explains just how these ‘building blocks of life’ translate into a huge six-metre high Tyrannaosaurus Rex that is shortly going to begin ripping the park to shreds.

Now you might think that I should get out more, but what we need, I was thinking as I watched this, is a friendly cartoon to explain the role of pH in wine. It’s something that I often think about – pH, not Jurassic Park cartoon sequences – at this time of year, when you are analyzing great flights of wine from all over the region, trying to figure out the differences between them, and how and why one particular wine might age better or worse than another. And I’m always left thinking that this particular piece of information is much more useful for consumers than we give it credit for. I wish winemakers would routinely put the pH next to the grape variety and food suggestions on back labels, although I may be in the minority here.

In the absence of a cartoon figure zipping across the screen to explain why, I’ll just have to talk you through my reasoning. But let’s start with a definition; pH is a measure of acidity in wine, and it’s by far the easiest one to relate to. Basically winemakers record levels of acidity regularly through the year, first in the grapes and then in the cellars. They will all have their own idea of what makes the ‘right’ level, and it will depend on the vintage, their vineyard site and climate, grape varieties, and the individual style desired. Total acidity is, as the name suggests, a measure of all the different types of acids that are present along the way. It gives you an overall figure, but is not actually hugely useful for us non-oenologists, as all the various acids have a slightly different influence on the taste and structure of the final wine – the most well known here would be the biting malic acid and the softer lactic acid, but there are others. Measuring the pH basically cuts through all of this and gives you a clearer idea of how those acids will be perceived by the final drinkers of the wine. Where total acidity measures quantity, pH measures strength, power, perception.

‘The pH is the wine’s centre of gravity,’ says Pierre Seillan, the winemaker of Chateau Lassegue in Saint Emilion and La Verite in Sonoma. ‘It’s often described as the backbone, but I prefer to think of it as the centre of gravity, because that better conveys the idea of how we are walking a tightrope as we make a wine. If the pH is mishandled it can destroy all our efforts, tipping the whole thing off balance.’

Almost all wines will have a pH of somewhere between three and four – with whites tending to be on the low side of that, and reds on the high. It’s hard to give absolutes, as with anything in wine, but a low pH, say 3.1, which plenty of the whites were in 2014, means high perception of acidity. Low pH is what you want in a white as long as it tastes crisp and fresh, but go too low and you will have an enamel-stripper on your hands. Similarly a high pH, says 3.9 or 4, which you will find many reds were in the 2009 vintage in Bordeaux, or in a normal vintage in many hot climates, means low perception of acidity. These may taste fruity, round and soft, but risk issues such as barnyard aromas from unwanted yeast growth, and general losing of definition as they get older. There is one very simple reason for this – wine needs protection against the potentially disastrous effects of bacteria, yeasts and oxygen, and once wine hits a pH of around four, those protection mechanisms break down. A wine with true ageing potential needs to have a balanced pH, low enough to allow the wine to protect itself over the long years ahead – it’s why there is a clear link between the perception of freshness in Bordeaux wines and their ability to age. And it’s worth adding that it is almost certainly necessary for the wine to have achieved balance naturally, rather than by manipulations in the cellar to de-acidify or otherwise adjust the chemistry.

I started getting interested in this while studying for a tasting diploma at the Bordeaux oenology institute – I have no science background, which may be why the friendly cartoon version of Mr DNA seems so appealing to me – but it is out in vineyards that its true importance has been brought home. Looking at pH levels in a single year might give you an idea about how that individual wine will taste and age, but study them over a vertical from a single property and what you are getting is a snapshot of how healthy the vineyard is.

One of my most instructive pH-related tastings came care of Denis Durantou at L’Eglise Clinet. We tasted through hot, dry vintages such as the 2005 and 2009, against cooler vintages such as 1997, and yet it was striking that the pH remained stubbornly around 3.6, no matter what the alcohol levels were. I had found a similar stability with Cathy Corison in Napa, even if slightly higher, maybe 3.7, as clearly there are no absolutes in terms of the right numbers, and when I commented on it, Durantou ascribed it to old vines with a deep roots structure, and cool clay soils providing a sound terroir.

‘For me the stability of the pH is a shortcut to understanding a vineyard,’ said Durantou. ‘If the roots system is too close to the surface, its pH – and its wines – will be held hostage to the vintage influence. Working on sending roots lower means that they can nourish the vines while being less affected by different levels of sunshine or rain, so the wines can be truer to the nature of the soil’. So, reading it this way, pH is a sign not just of our perception of acidity, but an indicator of how seriously a winemaker takes his or her job, from how much fertiliser he applies to his irrigation choices and even his trellising system – pretty impressive information from a single digit number.

Written by Jane Anson

Decanter contributor Wink Lorch has won the Andre Simon Best Drink Book of 2014 for her crowd-funded book Jura Wine.

Best Drink Book 2014 Jura Wine; Mick Rock & Julian Barnes; Charles Jennings, Paul Keers & Julian Barnes

Lorch triumphed over four other shortlisted drinks titles including Natural Wine, by fellow Decanter contributor Isabelle Legeron MW.

The majority of the photographs in Jura Wine – funded by more than 360 supporters through Kickstarter – were taken by Mick Rock of Cephas, whose images are also regularly featured in Decanter.

Sediment, a collection of the weekly wine blog posts by Paul Keers and Charles Jennings, won the John Avery Award, named in memory of the reknowned Bristol wine merchant, Master of Wine and former Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Chair for South Africa, who died in 2012.

Man Booker Prize-winning author Julian Barnes, assessor of the drinks titles, described Jura Wine – the first book written in English on the region’s wines – as ‘a personal, deeply committed and clear-sighted guide’ that showed Lorch’s passion for the Jura and its future.

Rock, receiving the award for the absent Lorch, said it deservedly ‘put this small region in the spotlight’.

On receiving their award for Sediment, Keers and Jennings paid tribute to their wives for ‘being tolerant in their pursuit of wine’ and allowing them to smuggle four bottles into the weekly shopping trolley.

Barnes described their writing as ‘up there’ with Jay McInerney and Kingsley Amis, and ‘snortingly, choke-on-your-cornflakes funny’.

A Year at Otter Farm by Mark Diacono won the 2014 Best Food Book from six other shortlisted entries. The Virtues of the Table was awarded a special commendation.

Some 130 food books and 20 drinks books were submitted for the 2014 competition. For the full list shortlisted titles and previous winners, visit andresimon.co.uk

See also:

• Decanter book reviews

Written by Tina Gellie

Plan your trip with this in-depth Jura travel guide, with original copy by Sue Style and now updated with new recommendations for great restaurants and where to stay.

Jura travel guide: about the region

If you’d asked anyone about France’s Jura region and its wines a few decades ago, chances are you would have received a blank stare.

A few enlightened souls might have muttered something about vin jaune, or dredged up memories of faded signs for Henri Maire’s Vin Fou, affixed to the sides of dilapidated barns in the remoter parts of rural France.

Today, though, the name Jura is on many lips. The wines are enjoying cult status on both sides of the Atlantic. Wine educator Wink Lorch devoted a whole book to Jura wine in 2014, which has received critical acclaim.

How come this secret pocket of vineyards, sandwiched between Burgundy and Switzerland, has swung into the spotlight in recent years?

A contributory factor is certainly the explosion of interest in ‘natural’ wines among a section of the wine-buying public, a movement that’s well represented in the Jura.

Another is that alongside Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – whose Jura manifestations are, by the way, a world away from neighbouring Burgundy’s – the region fields little-known varieties like finely spicy Savagnin, wild-child Poulsard and the demanding but rewarding Trousseau (Portugal’s Bastardo), all indigenous to the Jura and with huge appeal for adventurous wine lovers.

Above all, attentive Jura vignerons have realised that not only is there a limited market for the bone-dry, long-aged, Sherry-reminiscent vin jaune wines, there’s also little demand for the oxidative style which formerly characterised all Jura wines, white or red, young or old, jaune or not.

Today, in place of a small selection of funky and sometimes frankly weird wines, you will find a range of more accessible styles (look out for the words ‘ouillé’ or floral), which nevertheless remain distinctly stamped with local character.

Jura: the facts

Planted area: 2,000 hectares

Main grape varieties: Chardonnay, Savagnin, Poulsard (aka Ploussard), Trousseau, Pinot Noir

Appellations: Arbois, Côtes du Jura, L’Étoile and Château-Chalon, plus ‘product’ appellations Crémant de Jura, Macvin du Jura and Marc du Jura.

Key date: This Jura travel guide wouldn’t be complete without a mention for La Percée du Vin Jaune festival, held annually on the first weekend in February to celebrate the newly bottled vintage of vin jaune.

Jura travel guide: how to visit

By plane: Fly to Lyon-St-Exupèry or Geneva, then it’s a two-hour drive to the vineyards.

By train: Take the TGV from Paris or Lille to Dole, Mouchard or Bourg-en-Bresse and hire a car. By car, take the A39 and exit.

Jura is part of the Bourgogne Franche-Comté region in eastern France and is pocket-sized – from Arbois in the north to Lons-le-Saunier in the south it’s barely 40km.

This means you could fit in plenty of tasting of both liquids and solids in a couple of days; three to four would be better still. The area is famous for its fine cheeses, game, wild mushrooms and freshwater fish.

However you land in the region, you need wheels to take you through the gentle green and gold countryside, past villages snuggled in misty hollows and through small market towns like Poligny and Arbois, their main streets lined with grand bourgeois houses in palest limestone – solid evidence of long-established prosperity.

Along the route, neat vineyards lie cheek-by-jowl with pastures grazed by Montbéliarde cows busily laying down stores of deliciousness for future – as yet unborn – wheels of Comté cheese.

The skyline is punctuated by occasional limestone crags that break through the surface of the verdant landscape.

Most dramatic of all are the reculées: steeply faced, horseshoe-shaped rock formations that form abrupt dead ends to valleys.

Jura travel guide: wineries to visit

This Decanter map shows several wineries to visit in the Jura area.

Wineries to look out for

Stay in one of the suites at Les Jardins sur Glantine on Poligny’s main street and you’ll kill two birds with a single stone. The B&B is hosted by Nathalie Eigenschenck, while her partner Ludwig Bindernagel (Les Chais du Vieux-Bourg) is one of the Jura’s burgeoning band of second-career winemakers (architecture was his first) whose natural wines have garnered an enthusiastic following, featuring on wine lists such as Noma in Copenhagen.

In addition to fine Crémant, Poulsard and Pinot Noir, he makes stellar whites from Chardonnay and Savagnin, both blended and monovarietal.

While Bindernagel’s first vintage was in 2003, at Domaine Badoz they have been making wine since 1659. Benoît, the 10th generation in an unbroken father-to-son line, returned to the family fold in the 1990s after spells in leading Old- and New-World vineyards and took over from his father in 2003.

His extra-Jurassien experience has been tactfully integrated and he skilfully balances ancient with modern – new Jura oak alongside venerable old barrels, sleek, streamlined bottles for his Chardonnay Arrogance but traditional, broad-shouldered ones for Côtes du Jura classics. Almost half the vineyards are planted with Savagnin for both early-matured wines and long-lived vin jaune, and he makes a particularly juicy Trousseau.

Heading north

North of Poligny in Pupillin, Jean-Michel and Laurence Petit manage their 7ha Domaine de la Renardière (Rue du Chardonnay; +33 3 84 66 25 10) almost unaided – as if to underline the hands-on nature of the operation, labels bear a shadowy outline of a hand.

Tastings are convivial and instructive, opening with Ploussard (as the Poulsard grape is spelt in its self-styled homeland of Pupillin) and continuing with Trousseau and some fine Chardonnays.

If you’ve never tasted Savagnin before, this is the place to start, for the Petits well understand the demands this unique grape puts on those unfamiliar with its spicy aromas and bone-dry profile. Try Les Terrasses first, a lovely example of a modern, approachable Savagnin, before advancing to more typical sorts and graduating to vin jaune.

There’s a cluster of top names in and around Arbois and Montigny-lès-Arsures but next door in Arsures, Domaine Daniel Dugois is the place to get to grips with Trousseau: almost 40% of Dugois’ vineyards are dedicated to this complicated but potentially rewarding variety, including a rare white one.

Taste its (modern, ouillé) Savagnin Auréoline against the traditional Blanc Savagnin and you’ll have a clear exposition of the two different styles to be found in Jura today.

Then cap things off with a vin de paille (straw wine) made from Chardonnay, Trousseau, Savagnin and Ploussard grapes picked at maturity, dried on trays till they resemble raisins and pressed to give a burnished, fabulously concentrated elixir.

Last stop should be Domaine Pignier, a small but significant southern outpost in Montaigu above Lons-le-Saunier. Siblings Jean-Etienne, Antoine and Marie Florence are responsible for 15ha of vines, farmed along biodynamic lines since 1998 and Demeter-certified in 2003. The estate, which once belonged to the Carthusian monastic order, has been in the family’s hands since the French Revolution.

Besides fragrant, fine-bubbled Crémant de Jura (white from Chardonnay, pink from Pinot Noir), standouts here are toothsome Trousseau and Savagnin ouillé matured in 600-litre concrete eggs, both of which sell out dismayingly fast.

Take away a parting taste of the vin jaune, which has slumbered for seven years under its veil of yeast in the spectacular 13th-century Carthusian cellar beneath the tasting room.

Original Copy by Sue Style in 2015. Edited by Decanter in 2022.

Jura travel guide: restaurants, hotels, shops and sightseeing 

The following recommendations are from Vicki Denig in 2022, unless otherwise stated.

Jura hotels

Closerie les Capucines

Relaxing hotel in the heart of the city of Arbois set in a renovated 17th century estate. Delicious homemade breakfast, welcoming staff, outdoor swimming pool, and garden area on site.

Castel Damandre

Gorgeous, 3-star hotel with heated outdoor swimming pool, restaurant, and tennis courts located just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Cascade des Tufs. Not far from Arbois, also includes on-site billiards, mountain bike rentals, and trout fishing on private property (no kill). 

Hostellerie St-Germain

Small, recently modernised hostelry in the stunning Seille valley, the incarnation of a restaurant with rooms – stay here to sample Chef Marc Tupin’s creative riffs on the local cuisine. Recommended by Sue Style in 2015.

Les Jardins sur Glantine, Poligny

A small gem hidden inside an 18th-century townhouse on Poligny’s main street with two comfortable four-bed suites. Epic breakfast and legendary table d’hôtes by former French Masterchef contestant Natalie Eigenschenck. Recommended by Sue Style in 2015.

Great Jura restaurants

Le Grapiot

Tasty French cuisine and extensive, local-heavy wine list situated in the heart of the world-renowned viticultural area of Pupillin. Good quality-to-price ratio. 

Le Bistronome

Old-fashioned style French bistro serving traditional classics alongside a long wine / digestif list. Bistro-chic decor with a quaint ambiance overlooking the Cuisance river.

Le Bistrot du Port Lesney

Cozy, waterside bistro associated with the Château de Germigney hotel featuring bistro classics—frogs legs, homemade terrines, local comté, and more—in a homey ambiance complete with red-and-white checkered tablecloths, knick-knacks, and wooden furniture.

Café Restaurant de l’Abbaye

Baume-les-Messieurs based bistro highlighting organic produce, and regional homemade delicacies, open for breakfast and lunch only. 

Aux Docks

Centrally-located Arbois brasserie with hearty plates, beer, and a long wine list; ample indoor and outdoor seating make it a go-to choice for big groups and sunny days on the terrasse. 

Le Grand Jardin

Small, homely restaurant (with rooms), perfectly placed for visiting the abbey and spectacular Cirque de Baume. Recommended by Sue Style in 2015.

Shops

Hirsinger chocolates, Arbois

Meticulously crafted chocolates by third-generation and Meilleur Ouvrier de France chocolatier made with a variety of fillings, spices, and flavors; a must-visit for those with a sweet tooth (or for snagging gifts for chocolate-loving friends and family members). 

Domaine André et Mireille Tissot, Arbois

If you can’t visit this celebrated 46-hectare biodynamic domaine in Montigny-lès-Arsures, taste the wines at their shop on Arbois’ main square. Recommended by Sue Style in 2015.

Charcuterie Brelot, Poligny

Stock up on prime porky pieces at this chic charcuterie/deli on the main street in Poligny. Recommended by Sue Style in 2015.

Les Délices du Plateau, Plasne

One of the Jura’s last remaining small-scale fruitières (dairy co-ops), making Comté from milk from farms on the plateau above Poligny. Recommended by Sue Style in 2015.

Sightseeing in Jura

Cascade des Tufs

A more quiet and wooded waterfall area that’s easily accessible by foot. Perfect for quick dips, light swims, and scenic picnics.

Les Cascades du Hérisson

Breathtaking waterfall hike spanning approximately four kilometres and featuring seven falls ranging up to 65 metres in height, sourced by the Bonlieu and Ilay lakes. A must-see for nature lovers and hikers of all origins. Suggested by Decanter.

Grand Lac de Clairvaux

Turquoise-hued lake ideal for an afternoon of swimming, picnicking, and sunbathing, located approximately 50km south of Arbois. Suggested by Decanter.

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Jura wine veteran Jacques Puffeney has announced that he has sold the vines from his namesake estate to the d’Angerville family of Volnay, as part of a retirement plan.

This year’s ‘percée du vin jaune’ festival in Jura. Image credit: Getty/AFPSebastien Bozon. Second image: Jacques Puffeney. Credit: Jacques Puffeney.

Puffeney, whose renown has seen him nicknamed as the ‘Pope of Arbois’ – the subregion of the Jura where he is based – has been seeking to move into semi-retirement for some time.

He has sold the majoirty of his vines – just over 4.2ha – to the d’Angerville family via its Domaine du Pelican estate, also in the Jura and established in 2011 by Guillaume d’Angerville. The d’Angervilles also own Domaine Marquis d’Angerville – including Clos des Ducs – in Volnay.

Puffeney confirmed to Decanter.com that he has vinified the 2014 vintage and will both mature it and sell it, but he will be stepping back from further vineyard and winery duties as of January 2015, working only as a ‘consultant for a little while’. He will remain in the family house in the village of Montigny-les-Arsures in the Arbois appellation.

Puffeney and his wife are keeping back a small area of 40-year-old Trousseau and Savignin vines, from which they will produce around 2,000 bottles per year.

‘I will continue to make wine in a small way,’ he said, ‘as I have not sold the rights to my family name along with my vines.’

Reflecting on the future for the region, Puffeney said he saw potential for red wine in the Jura, beyond its famed vin jaune. ‘We have long been known for our white wines, but the red wines have great potential here and are starting to get better recognition as working methods continue to improve.’

Puffeney’s 2014 Arbois Vin Jaune, the estate’s last wine under its current form, will not be released until 2012, following the rules of this style of wine.

Written by Jane Anson

Sparkling winemakers in France's Savoie region are set to join an elite club able to use the term 'Cremant' on labels, after gaining approval from officials.

France’s appellation body has said that Savoie wineries producing sparkling wines by the traditional Champagne method can use the term ‘Cremant‘ on labels for wines from the 2014 harvest.

The first wines could not be released until the end of 2015, according to the strict production rules.

The news is a first tentative step towards Savoie gaining a fully-fledged ‘Cremant de Savoie‘ appellation; something local producers have campaigned for several years to achieve.

Other Cremant appellations already existing in France include Cremants de Bourgogne, Alsace, Loire and Limoux.

French newspaper Le Dauphine quoted the head of Savoie wine body CIVS, Pierre Viallet,as saying Cremant de Savoie could be a ‘spearhead’ for the region’s wines across France and in foreign markets.

In April this year, the director of France’s national appellation body, Jean-Luc Dairen, wrote to Savoie member of the French Assembly, Bernadette Laclais, to say that France’s agriculture ministry would push for European Union-wide recognition of a new Cremant de Savoie denomination.

Written by Chris Mercer

A 237-year-old bottle of vin jaune from France's Jura region fetched a record price of €57,000 at a wine festival auction in the town of Arbois.

Photo: AFP

But the amateur wine group which bought the 1773 wine is not planning to sit on its investment or sell the bottle on – they’re going to drink it.

Swiss wine lover Pierre Chevrier, who bought the wine on behalf of the group, told AFP: ‘My passion is to open bottles and I am delighted to have bought this bottle of vin jaune, which I will drink.’

Bernard Badoz, founder of the annual festival, added: ‘Finally, vin jaune has hit the big league. To sell a bottle for €57,000 is not crazy.’

The grapes for the historic wine were harvested during the reign of Louis XV, in the same year as the Boston Tea Party and Captain Cook’s voyage into the Antarctic.

Jura’s vin jaune is famed for its ability to age for extended periods, thanks to its Sherry-like maturation in barrel underneath a voile or layer of yeast.

Produced exclusively from Savagnin grapes, it is aged for at least six years before release, with this year’s festival showcasing wines from the 2004 vintage.

Written by Richard Woodard

Mention Savoie and Haute-Savoie to even the most ardent of Francophile wine drinkers and the chances are that you’ll be met with either blank looks or enthusiastic accounts of trips to the area’s fabulous ski slopes. The bottom line is that while these departements are justly famed for their ski resorts, as wine-producing regions they’re virtually unknown. As far as most skiers are concerned, wine is something you heat up with spices to create a warming apres-ski tipple.

However, as the locals well know, Savoie and Haute-Savoie are home to four different appellations contrôlées: Vin de Savoie, Roussette de Savoie, Seyssel for its sparkling wines, and Crépy. To make things slightly complicated, the more predominant of these, Vin de Savoie – which spans from the shores of Lake Geneva to beyond Chambéry – can be followed by the name of one of 16 crus, usually just the name of the village where the wine is produced. The same is true for the white Roussette de Savoie, made from the grape of the same name, which has four separate crus. Given such complexity in this small and little-known wine region, it is not surprising that just one of the wines, Apremont, seems to have become synonymous for them all. Apremont is just one cru and is often a thin wine boosted by too much residual sugar, and usually reserved for making fondue. This is much to the regret of Christophe Richel of Saint Baldoph, near Chambéry, who makes his Apremont from 80-year old Jacquère vines and who goes easy on the sugar to maintain a certain crispness. Jacquère, the most common of Savoie’s white grapes, is the variety behind fresh, light wines, excellent thirst-quenchers and perfect counterparts to the heavy cheese dishes of the Savoie region.

Wine travel: France

Jongieux

Jongieux, a recent arrival among the crus of Vin de Savoie, lies west of the Lac du Bourget, over the mountain from the Royal Abbey of Hautecombe. Scattered over the south-west facing chalky slopes, the vines vie for space with cattle and maize in a region where most farms were in polyculture until recently. Sylvain Chevallier, an enthusiastic young winemaker, produces a Jongieux blanc entirely from Jacquère with a fresh, flowery nose and lively acidity. None of his whites undergo a secondary malolactic fermentation – he feels this rids the wine of its character. The estate extends to 9.5 hectares (ha) and is the only one where grapes are harvested almost entirely by machine. With the vines situated within close reach of the cellars, Chevallier doesn’t consider this detrimental to quality; you have to ‘adapt the vine to the machine’, he says. Chevallier has 1.5ha in the Marestel cru of Roussette. Made exclusively from the Roussette variety, this is a fuller more perfumed wine than Jacquère, with peach and pear aromas, and a longer finish.

Eugène Carrel believes that this is what Jongieux does best. He took over the family farm in 1968, deciding to specialise in viticulture, and he now has his son and son-in-law working with him on the 18ha estate. ‘We have top terroir for Roussette,’ he says proudly; and indeed his Jongieux and Marestel are very good, although his best wines are without doubt his reds. Carrel produces reds from three grape varieties, the well-travelled Pinot Noir and Gamay, and the more homely Mondeuse. His Gamay and Mondeuse vines are all around 60 years old and the wines are dense with good fruit and tannins. Mondeuse is frequently compared to Tannat of Madiran fame, because of its deep red colour, chewy finish and the fact that it can also be harsh without careful vinification. Along with Jacquère, it is among the latest ripening of the grapes used in Savoie and has a tendency to over-produce, so serious winemakers believe green harvesting to be indispensable.

Michel Quenard, like Carrel, destalks his Mondeuse before pressing to avoid the green tartness that, he says, ‘only the older locals really appreciate’. Quenard is at the head of a 20ha family estate on the Côteau de Torméry in Chignin, a few minutes drive from the A41 motorway south of Chambéry.

Torméry

Torméry has been reputed for quality wine production since the 15th century and the steep and stoney south-east facing terraces are perfect for the white Bergeron grape variety. This is the local name for Roussanne, more commonly found in Northern Rhône and allowed in only three villages in Savoie, of which Chignin is the best known. On these sunny terraces, the grape has no problem reaching 13% potential alcohol content with production volumes of 65 hectolitres per ha.

The Bergeron grapes here are picked in several tries, when slightly over-ripe. All the musts are then fermented using only the natural yeasts of the grapes. Quenard believes this is crucial in maintaining the typicity of the variety: highly perfumed, evoking apricots and tropical fruit after a couple of years in bottle, with a full yet delicate palate. He eschews secondary fermentation for his whites, but at the same time is experimenting with 250-litre oak casks, which seem to speed the evolution of the wine without imparting too heavy an oak flavour. In Fréterive, further east towards Albertville, G et G Bouvet is also trying out various vinification techniques on its Chignin-Bergeron, including 12-hour skin contact. The results are promising, producing full-flavoured wines with powerful aromas and good length.

In all, the Bouvets produce some 20 different wines, including some very good Mondeuse and a Roussette from the Monterminod cru. Sold as Château Monterminod, the estate has monopoly control over this cru, just as Château de Ripaille of Thonon-les-Bains, further north in neighbouring Haute-Savoie, has sole right over the cru Vin de Savoie – Ripaille.

Ripaille and Crépy

Ripaille, like all white wines from Haute-Savoie produced on the slopes leading up from Lake Geneva, is made from Chasselas, the Fendant grape of nearby Switzerland. Chasselas is a grape you’re more likely to eat than drink, but in general it produces floral wines, the perfect partner for freshwater fish. Crépy is a similar wine. It has had an appellation all to itself since 1948 and is produced above the town of Douvaine, in the villages of Loisin and Ballaison. It’s a dry white that is raised on its lees and so is slightly perlant with a fresh nose reminiscent of white flowers.

With about 75ha in production, Crépy is three times the size of the small Marin cru, near the spa town of Evian. Marin is worth visiting, if only for the magnificent view over the lake to Lausanne and into the Swiss Jura mountains. Claude Delalex and his son Samuel are the only producers to live exclusively from their vines in the tiny hamlet of Marinel. Claude has recently retired but continues to work and doesn’t feel at all outmoded by the arrival of a pneumatic press and stainless steel vats, some of which he built himself. Their Clos du Pont wine is made from the grapes of very old Chasselas vines grown on a secluded gravelly plot which is always vinified separately. It’s a delicious wine with crisp acidity – well worth trying. What better reason to start your holiday off-piste?

Savoie – the hunt for greatness