TN: Coq au Vin Jaune

COQ AU VIN JAUNE - NYC (3/30/2013)

Zach cooked some really excellent coq au vin jaune, and we opened up some great wines. Very good showings all around from some of our favorite producers. We also sampled some excellent Italian olive oils from Cornelissen and Occhipinti.

• 2008 Domaine Ganevat Côtes du Jura Les Chalasses Marnes Bleues - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura
  Another bottle that shows why this may be Ganevat’s best site. An interesting stylistic shift from the '09 that we tasted at the same time, this bottle showed a tremendous richness along with some chalky/stony notes in the nose. The intensity carried over into the palate, which, while still backed up with plenty of acidity, was ultimately balanced with a touch of bitterness on the finish. I think the comparison to serious white burgundy is very apt, and this wine should develop in some very interesting ways.
• 2009 Domaine Ganevat Côtes du Jura Les Chalasses Marnes Bleues - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura
  Fantastic acidity and minerality that defies the reputation of the vintage. In comparison to the '08 tasted side-by-side, the flavors were more linear and acid-driven with citrus nearly everywhere you look. While this one lacked some of the stuffing that was in the '08, it was still quite balanced and delicious. It should also develop considerably with more time in the cellar.
  
  
  
• 2010 Emmanuel Houillon (Maison Pierre Overnoy) Chardonnay Arbois Pupillin - France, Jura, Arbois Pupillin
  Fortunately for us, this was a bottle that illustrated in no uncertain terms the special magic of this winemaker. The vast array of bright fresh fruit on the nose is backed up by a slight hint of something smoky-- perhaps it’s a bit reductive but I think this flavor is so subtle that it actually added to the wine. The funk and flavor continue on the exceptionally well-balanced palate, and the lengthy finish is just another reminder that the producer is really on to something special.
• 2005 Emmanuel Houillon (Maison Pierre Overnoy) Savagnin Arbois Pupillin - France, Jura, Arbois Pupillin
  This wine had an incredible richness on the nose, with many savory notes and hint of butter. It was quite the contrast to the high-toned fruit that drove the younger Chardonnay we tasted alongside. However, on the palate that richness was balanced out by the strong core of minerality in this wine. The juxtaposition of these flavors is exquisite-- to use the tired phrase: “it is power without weight.” But it really is. This is wine made by a true artist.
• 1983 Camille Loye Chardonnay Arbois Cuvée Saint Paul - France, Jura, Arbois
  No amount of hype from the merchant that peddled this wine could save it. There were some nice aged caramel notes on the nose, but the wine was totally lacking in every other way. The wine is not quite over-the-hill; it survived its journey, but it was never headed anywhere worth going in the first place. Very weak especially considering the price.
  
  
  
• 1988 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Vin Jaune - France, Jura, Arbois
  This wine reminded me of some of the best older fino sherry. Nuttiness everywhere on the nose and palate, with a really powerful saline streak in the mouth. Delicious stuff.
• 1975 Jean Bourdy Château-Chalon - France, Jura, Château-Chalon
  If I had been served this blind, I might have guessed that it was a very old bottle of Huet. The nose is dominated by the same wooly/stony flavors that I usually associate with old chenin. The palate offers up a layer of tangy fruits on top of the incredibly deep minerality. With the zippy acidity and still-youthful fruit, I’d expect this wine to continue to improve with time. Definitely the wine of the night.
• 2003 Domaine Ganevat Vin Jaune Sous la Roche - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura
  A very sharp nose with notes of butter-- there is quite a bit of flavor here but it will need a lot more time to integrate. This wine is at the more powerful end of the spectrum for Vin Jaune, but it has enough acidity on the palate to be well balanced. At this age, this wine begs for a rich meal, and it was much more enjoyable with Zach’s coq au vin jaune. Give it time.
  
  
  
• 2010 Domaine Ganevat Côtes du Jura Cuvée de l’enfant terrible - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura
  Decanted to remove CO2. Certainly a nice example of poulsard, but I didn’t find it to be that exciting. There is a little hint of red fruit on the restrained nose and a bit more on the palate, but overall it was lacking depth.
• NV Château D’Arlay Macvin du Jura Vin de liqueur macvin - France, Jura, Macvin du Jura
  Tasted the Macvin Rogue. A funky nose that doesn’t give many hints as to the sweetness to come. Jam on the palate almost to the point of a strawberry fruit roll-up with some moderate herbal flavors in the background. Definitely tasty although quite cloying as there is not enough acidity in this style of wine.

Olive oils:

• Cornelissen Contadino NV - This is the entry level Cornelissen olive oil, packaged in the same 750mL bottles he uses for his wine. Of the three we tasted, it was lightest and simplest, but still quite enjoyable (and miles better than most of the plonk that is sold as olive oil in the US). The flavor was dominated by grassy notes with a bit of pepper and fruit.
• Occhipinti Gheta '11 - From 500mL. Brighter flavors than the two Cornelissens with a strong flavor of citrus. Very tasty but ultimately not as complex as the Munjebel.
• Cornelissen Munjebel NV - Packaged in 375mL. The most complex flavors of the three oils. A slight grassy note in the background, but a set of savory elements that I didn’t see in the other two. Nicely peppery on the finish with a taste that’s a bit like prosciutto. Fantastic stuff.

This was really an epic evening! Thanks to Zach for cooking and to everyone for their generosity.

What a great time, destined to be among the most memorable dinners. That Bourdy was incredible.

Looks like a nice dinner, and very nice bottles. Did you have some aged Comté with the Chateau Chalon ? That pairing is always fantastic.
May I ask which Vin Jaune did you use for the cooking or you used a bit of Savagnin “non ouillé” as well ?

I was wondering the same thing, Pierre-Yves. I would probably opt for the Savagnin “non ouillé” at less than half the cost of the Vin Jaune. Even though it might be considered heresy by the Jurassiens (is that what they’re called?), it would certainly make me more inclined to try the dish! Sounds like a great meal, loaded with wines I would love to have sampled.

Pierre-Yves,

We had a few cheeses with the wines-- Comté as well as Quadrello and one other (the name of which escapes me at the moment). Definitely a classic pairing.

For the cooking, Zach used '03 Tissot Vin Jaune. A perfectly fine Vin Jaune in its own right, but it couldn’t compare to the others we were drinking.

What a great wine line-up! I have had most of these and have some others awaiting an appropriate meal. I bought some of the '03 Tissot Vin Jaune for precisely that purpose. But to really get to the heart of the matter, what kind of chicken did you use?

Wow, looks like an amazing time. And here I was with my 30-month old Comte that I brought back from France without any Jura wines… probably because you guys bought them all!

Honestly I have no idea. I bought chicken from one of Brooklyn’s better butchers (Staubitz), just whole legs/thighs.

The Tissot was very tasty, actually, but it was cheaper than the rest and so in it went. I didn’t use any other wines in the sauce.

I admit that last time I made one I used a savagnin not topped up for the start of the cooking, and added some Montbourgeau vin jaune for the end of the cooking… And saved the Macle for the Comte

Nice job to go the whole way, but given the wines served it clearly deserved it.

Some more photos…

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one of the cooler Jura-themed nights i’ve read about in a long time. awesome stuff

My notes, for good measure:

2003 Tissot Vin Jaune – the “cooking vin jaune,” which is not at all a pejorative, it just happened to be the least expensive vin jaune around and so it was mostly sacrificed to the coq (chicken, really).

NV Buronfosse Crémant du Jura – made from Pinot Noir. Pale rose color. Delightfully fresh and energetic, just a tiny hint of sweetness on the finish. More please.

2008 Ganevat Savagnin Les Chalasses Marnes Bleues – Savagnin ouillé. A tight fist of a wine, a knotted ball of acidity wound up tight in the midpalate, but very delicious with classic gingery affect.

2009 Ganevat Savagnin Les Chalasses Marnes Bleues – Much more suave and lean than the 2008, though there’s plenty of material here. Elegant v. the 08’s power. The good doctor observes that if one tasted the two Ganevats blind one would mistake the 08 for the 09 and vice versa, based on vintage prejudices; I agree.

2010 Overnoy/Houillon Chardonnay – just lovely. Brightly acidic and effusively fresh with complex interplay of richness and austerity.

2005 Overnoy/Houillon Savagnin – a masterpiece. Lightly oxidative, this has a gorgeous texture and layered complexity that beguiles the senses.

1983 Camille Loye Chardonnay – rich caramel topnote but without sufficient body underneath; seemed tired and considerably past its prime.

2003 Ganevat Vin Jaune – really, really good. Clearly very young, with piercing cumin and gingery Savagnin flavors beautifully integrated with the sous-voile nutty richness. Masterful. Absurdly good with the coq.

1988 Puffeney Vin Jaune – just a haunting nose of very salty caramel and lemon, supremely smooth and decadently rich wine with ample mineral and herbal notes. It’s fabulous. This stood out as unusually luxuriant among the evening’s wines.

1975 Bourdy Chateau-Chalon – Jesus, what a wine. Running counter to the Puffeney’s flamboyance, the Bourdy is all chiseled stone, sherried nuttiness, and, really surprisingly, pale yellow fruit. Where the other two vin jaunes have awesome power, this shows more sophistication and restraint, with seemingly endless depth. What a treat.

2010 Ganevat Poulsard L’enfant Terrible – decanted and swirled to release CO2. Lean and sinewy as Ganevat’s reds are wont to be. I think we opened this just to open it.

NV Chateau d’Arlay Macvin Rouge – the nose is all marc funkiness but this is pale and sweetly fresh, really quite delicious. Despite general wariness of macvin most who tried it seemed to like this.

Thanks a lot for the great photos and notes. I love the wines of Jean-Francois Ganevat. They’re not easy to get, but worthwhile looking for, hell - even worth a pilgrimage to Rotalier. I recently had a marvellous experience with a 2005 CdJ Chardonnay “Chalasses Vielles Vignes” from Ganevat, such a complex wine. Funnily enough, I did find a lot of the description of the 2008 Domaine Ganevat Côtes du Jura Les Chalasses Marnes Bleues in this wine, but also some elements that - in my view - also characterize the non-ouillé Jura wines (yellow spices such as Kurkuma, Safran). It makes me believe that - after all - terroir isn’t just hokuspokus. The 2005 CdJ Chardonnay “Grandes Teppes Vielles Vignes” didn’t quite live up to the Chalasses, but was excellent nonetheless. Actually, I find that these wines - as also the wines of Houillon, Puffeney, Macle and others - require a lot of attention and time.

As for cooking coq au vin jaune or other vin jaune dishes (crayfish if I find it), I sometimes also just take Savagnin non-ouillé. In a cooked state and when mixed with cream, I think it’s hard to tell the difference.

Has anybody here ever drunk one of those really old Bourdy bottles? Some restaurants in the Jura have 19th century and early 20th century bottles on their menu (at a price, however) and Domaine Bourdy also sells them ex cellar.

wow, this is a dinner I would have loved to have attended

Not trying to threadjack, but thought this might be of interest:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/winklorch/jura-wine-the-book?ref=live

Awesome! I decided to back this book and I hope others do as well.

Guys, this dinner was one of the more memorable dinners for me in awhile. I often feel that we emphasize the wine more than the food, but this time we found what was truly the right balance, as far as I am concerned. Of course, we were quite indulgent, as well, so perhaps balanced is not the right word. But thanks, this was great. Many people have expressed an interest in attending the next one, so we may need to do a repeat or two. Not that I have any more bottles of '75 Bourdy Chateau Chalon, but we’ll figure something out.

The food and wine were harmonious from start to finish. Really, anyone who loves Jura wines, especially the whites, needs to have a coq au vin jaune evening at least once.

I’m a backer too! Glad Wink is taking on this project.

Thanks for the link. I’ll be backing it, too. I like Wink Lorch’s writing style and her knowledge and experience of the region seems to be really profound.