damned with faint praise, it’s a nice Pinot Noir, stems and tannins more than fruit and earth, not something I’d seek out. Nice wine, not special. Others can opine and tell me what I am missing.
FWIW
Based on my 15 notes, I would say you are missing “the rest of his wines”.
His pinot noir was the only wine I tasted which I did not enjoy enough to consider as worth seeking out again (90+ in my scoring opinion):
White
2010 Jacques Puffeney Melon à Queue Rouge Arbois
10/18/2016 - I WROTE: 90 points (Edit)
From memory. Savory, vinous, and slightly oxidative, somewhere between a traditional Jura chardonnay blend and straight savagnin, but slightly softer than the 2005.
Comment (201 views)
Red
2004 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Vieilles Vignes Red Blend
8/30/2016 - I WROTE: NR (Edit)
Light garnet. Nice nose of black fruit, bramble, a little wet dirt. The palate is medium+ intensity, dark stone and berry, with lovely tart edges, nice earthy finish.
Comment (234 views)
Red
2007 Jacques Puffeney Trousseau Arbois Les Berangères
5/3/2016 - I WROTE: 91 points (Edit)
Tawny ruby to beige edges. Medium nose of overripe red and black stone fruit, with a little old leather. The fruit on the palate is lighter and fresher, while accompanied by evidence of age, bramble and dirt. Refreshing, medium long finish.
Comment (1,001 views)
White
1997 Jacques Puffeney Savagnin Arbois
2/27/2016 - I WROTE: 92 points (Edit)
18k gold. Salty, flor-y nose, palate of overripe citrus and apples with medium yeast, nice long tangy finish. Tastes appropriately like a baby Vin Jaune. Best with some air.
Comment (382 views)
White
2005 Jacques Puffeney Melon à Queue Rouge Arbois
9/13/2015 - I WROTE: 92 points (Edit)
Based on previous notes, the aggressiveness of day one has been slipped, delicious and unique.
Comment (523 views)
Red
2004 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Vieilles Vignes Red Blend
6/26/2015 - I WROTE: 92 points (Edit)
From memory. Solid garnet. Nose of black fruit, black dirt, and tar. The palate shows this is a blend, pinot noir with rustic, bright fruit elements. The finish shows the darker nose, cleansing acids and pleasing tannins. I don’t think this wine is at all old.
Reading my previous note, it would seem that the current bottle was fuller and possibly a bit softer.
Comment (537 views)
Red
2006 Jacques Puffeney Pinot Noir Arbois
5/31/2015 - I WROTE: 89 points (Edit)
Clear medium garnet with tawny edge. Fresh nose of dark earth, bramble, blackberries, and underripe plums. The palate mixes the same themes with emphasis on stony dirt and distinct tannins. The finish is medium and cleansing, even more away from fruit. Definitely wine, not grape juice.
Another data point, the last glass about 4 hours after opening was distinctly fruitier and more pleasant.
Comment (454 views)
Red
2007 Jacques Puffeney Poulsard Arbois “M”
5/5/2014 - I WROTE: 91 points (Edit)
Slightly cloudy tawny orange-red. Modest nose of loam, leaves, very ripe blue stone fruit and berries. The palate is much brighter, more cherry/berry with a surprising tannic note. The finish is crisp and properly tart and vinous. Overall suggests that even this lightest of Jura wines can decently age.
Comment (1,799 views)
White
2006 Jacques Puffeney Chardonnay Arbois
7/12/2012 - I WROTE: 91 points (Edit)
Light lemon gold. Piercing tart apple cider nose, clean, barely oxidized citrus and pommes palate, little or no wood. The apple is back for a long winey finish. Distinctly chardonnay with a roaring personality, sophisticated but not especially elegant.
Comment (1,334 views)
Red
2006 Jacques Puffeney Poulsard Arbois “M”
4/19/2012 - I WROTE: 92 points (Edit)
From memory. Deep amber pink. Extra-fresh, flowery rocks and berry nose, initial acidity a mild shock, but overall exceptionally light in texture, but with abundant flavor. Tastes like grapes made into wine, with nothing else added. Great with shortribs.
Comment (2,180 views)
Red
2006 Jacques Puffeney Poulsard Arbois “M”
2/22/2012 - I WROTE: 92 points (Edit)
Clear cherry-blood orange. Nose of fresh flowers, pomegranate and plums. The palate is deep and ripe, reddish citric-stone fruit, a little musk and leather. The finish is medium savory sweetart, with a little sweat, and very refreshing.
Comment (2,295 views)
White
2005 Jacques Puffeney Melon à Queue Rouge Arbois
1/22/2012 - I WROTE: 92 points (Edit)
Yellow gold. Penetrating salty, slightly oxidized ripe apple nose. Palate is savory and briny, tart and vinous apple and white stone fruit. The finish is more of the same, and quite long. Somewhat aggressive the first day, much more friendly thereafter, not particularly like chardonnay. Enjoyed with onion soup and later sushi.
Comment (1,592 views)
White
2005 Jacques Puffeney Melon à Queue Rouge Arbois
10/27/2011 - I WROTE: 91 points (Edit)
Pure light gold. Waxy, salty Manzanilla and tart apple nose. The attack is very tart, offsetting a deep savory vinousness. Center has intense white fruit, and finish more savory acids and nuts, with a hint of varnish (day 2 only). Certainly does not taste like chardonnay from anywhere else, this wine needs food, preferably aromatic and fatty (like cheese).
Comment (1,622 views)
Red
2007 Jacques Puffeney Trousseau Arbois Les Berangères
7/30/2011 - I WROTE: 91 points (Edit)
Clear tawny ruby. Bright nose of cool mountain air and fresh blackberries. The attack is smooth and almost sweet, but soon becomes tart crushed fruit salad. Slightly savory and leafy finish, medium-long and very clean. Lots of flavor for a wine so light in color and texture.
Comment (2,606 views)
Red
2004 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Vieilles Vignes Red Blend
1/13/2009 - I WROTE: 93 points (Edit)
A wondrous wine! Pale red like Beaujolais, a whiff of fresh leaves and berries. An intoxicating confluence of lightness and intensity, black berries, plums, a bit of cedar and resin on the palate, and a long, slightly spicy finish. A blend of poulsard, trousseau and pinot noir, We enjoyed this wine serendipitously with sauteed red peppers and leftover penne ragu. I have no idea whether it will age well or how it will change, my first tasting of this sort of wine.
Comment (2,136 views)
I’d say you just don’t get the Jura. But Steve (above) is right: his pinot is probably the weakest in the lineup, although if you try it in a riper year, there will be more fruit. But then, this is moot, since he has sold the winery and I think 2014 may be his last wines.
To get Puffeney, I think you have to drink his Savagnin. Whether or not you like it may be a reflection of your view on the region or the varietal.
Faryan
the cuvee M is one of the top renditions of poulsard i have tasted.
His Pinot (all of his wines, really) varies wildly from vintage to vintage. His 2007 Pinot Noir is one of my very favorite wines.
I opened a bottle of his 2012 Trousseau a couple of weeks ago, and it was absolutely fantastic.
These are “geeky” wines, for sure, so they aren’t for everybody. I’m a really big fan, though, and will miss his wines.
don’t know yet if I don’t get the Jura. Seems like I nailed that this is a weak wine. Haven’t tasted many others yet.
I would agree with you Alan. If you want to try a good red, 2014 Domaine Overnoy-Crinquand Arbois-Pupillin Ploussard is terrific. A few shops in NY still list it.
Hope you’re doing well Ian. You tend to know your stuff…but this is wine that popped on to the scene a few years ago…seemingly capitalizing on the craze for Houillon Overnoy. It was pretty close to “sewage”. It’s not something I’d race to retry.
Yes, “that was then and this is now” but the quality was so awful that I’d be interested to hear how they righted the ship.
RT
Hey Rich, everything is great, and hope you are well too.
I didn’t realize that they had some early issues, but I bought several bottles of the 2014. It was delicate and pretty, with just the right hint of green, and lovely crunchy berries and just a hint of dusty tannins. It opened up quite nicely after a few hours and had some lovely texture. I had a corked bottle that I tried to exchange, and the retailer I bought it at (Amanti Vino) said the vintage was sold out, so I was pretty sad.
I’ve had mixed success with O-C. Not the same quality as H-O by any means but not a slouch. Haven’t had a sewage-esque bottle though…nevertheless, I’d prefer to plow my Jura dollars elsewhere fwiw.
I didn’t post a note but the 2010 is not a wine I’ll soon forget. Notes from others:
Matt Latuchie
“2010 Overnoy-Crinquand Arbois Pupillin Ploussard - France, Jura, Arbois Pupillin
The nose of this wine stopped my dead in my tracks. Rotting vegetables, meat drippings, decomposing leaves, and subtle cranberry notes combined to form one of the most aggressively pungent aromas I’ve ever come across. I like to think of myself as adventurous in the wine world, but WOW did this stink something awful.”
“D. Zyl3rb3rg wrote:2010 Overnoy-Crinquand Arbois Poulsard - On the Internet, I found a note from a merchant (or was it Rosenthal himself?) advising that this wine needed a “few hours in a decanter”. I’d like to find that person and skull f*ck them with a cattle prod. This has been exposed to air for 2.5 days, and still smells like I’m standing over an oil well in my days as a geologist, with wafts of toxic H2S hitting my nose with every turn of the pump. This is also brown and has other delicious reductive compounds that evoke pleasing, nostalgic aromas like fermenting cabbage and Calcutta sewage. Repulsive.”
Berry Crawford:
“I just tried this and totally agree. Flawed wine.”
RT
Goota miss Zyllerberg. Adrian’s ‘disgust’ has nothing on him!
Never had an O-C wine, and now I guess there’s a good reason why the great O from Jura decided not to pass on his revered legacy to nephew O-C, and instead passed it on to his former helper, Houillon.
Opened a '12 O-C Trousseau at a friend’s place last night. Some funk, very light, cranberry, some spritz/va but generally a pleasant, well made, but not particularly complex wine.
It’s difficult to know what they really thought without scores.