Continuation to our never-ending series of tastings on the wines of Jura.
If you happen to be interested, here are the previous iterations on the same theme:
Part 1 (Jura, Jura and some more Jura)
Part 2 (Another Jurassic adventure)
Part 3 (Ganevat, Cavarodes, Bienaimé, Lannay)
Part 4 (A&JF Ganevat, La Caveau de Bacchus, Vuillet & Jacques, etc.)
Part 5 (Deep into the mouse nest!)
Part 6 (Ganevat, Labet, Rijckaert, Pélican, etc.)
Part 7 (Frédérics Lornet and Puffeney + some random Bdxs)
Part 8 (stuff that the cool kids drink)
Part 9 (Ganevat, Labet, Allante & Boulanger, etc.)
As almost always, the whites were again winners here. I used to love Jura reds, but nowadays almost all the reds from Jura are just too natty bistro wines, lacking the stern firmness the wines (well, at least Trousseaus and Pinot Noirs) used to show.
I normally love Vins Jaunes, but the bottle we had here was a rather unimpressive effort. I guess it’s a feat in itself to make a 100% naturalist Vin Jaune, but I think even those wines should show the depth and intensity these wines are known for.
In addition to these wines, the person who arranged the tasting provided also a small dinner; some tasty chicken cooked in Vin Jaune, served with rice and fried morels!
- 2020 Fruitiere Vinicole d'Arbois Trousseau Arbois Revolution - France, Jura, Arbois (14.5.2024)
100% Trousseau. Fermented and macerated for two weeks in stainless steel tanks. Aged in foudres for 6 months. Vinified completely without any SO2. 13,5% alcohol.
Youthful, translucent ruby color with a subtly blueish hue. The nose feels fragrant, youthful and slightly primary with aromas of ripe strawberries, some raspberry juice, light herby green nuances, primary hints of fruit jellies and a touch of savory spices. The wine feels dry and crunchy on the palate with a medium body and bright flavors of tart lingonberries and cranberries, some sour cherry bitterness, light herby notes, a little bit of peppery spice, sweet primary hints of cherry marmalade and strawberry jelly and a touch of angular stony minerality. The wine is high in acidity with very light and supple tannins. The finish is dry, lively and crunchy with a medium-long aftertaste of tart lingonberries, some sour cherry bitterness, light strawberry nuances, a little bit of herbal spice, a primary hint of fruit jellies and a touch of stony minerality.
A nice, angular and a little bit bitter everyday red. Nothing particularly complex or memorable, but nothing to complain, either. Maybe a bit too youthful, if anything - I'd wait for a few more years, just to make the wine lose those candied primary flavors. Despite the total lack of SO2, the wine doesn't come across as natty in any way - there's no funk, elevated levels of VA or anything outside the ordinary. This is a natural wine that looks and drinks like a contemporary red. Fun stuff.
(89 points) - 2019 Domaine de Montbourgeau Trousseau Côtes du Jura - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (14.5.2024)
100% Trousseau. Half of the grapes are destemmed, half in whole bunches. Fermented and macerated with the skins in stainless steel tanks for three weeks. Aged in 500-liter demi-muids for 18 months. 14% alcohol.
Translucent and rather pale blood-red color. The nose feels savory, spicy and slightly meaty yet still rather fruit with aromas of strawberries, some red licorice, a little bit of peppery spice, light crunchy notes of redcurrants, a hint of floral lift and a touch of fresh red plum. The wine feels dry, crunchy and quite silky on the palate with a medium body and bright flavors of ripe raspberries, some tart cranberries, light youthful cherry tones, a little bit of earth, a savory hint of meaty umami and a floral touch of violets. The overall feel is a bit on the soft and supple side, thanks to the moderately high acidity and very mellow tannins that contribute a little bit to the texture and don't seem to grip at all. The finish is dry and crunchy with a moderately long aftertaste of tart lingonberries and fresh cranberries, some gravelly mineral tones, a little bit of meaty umami, light brambly raspberry tones, a hint of herbal spice and a touch of earth.
A nice but also a somewhat straightforward Trousseau that could use a little bit more structure. There's some enjoyable interplay with the sweeter fruit flavors and drier, more acid-driven red berry tones, accentuated by the savory meaty and earthy tones. However, the wine lacks a bit in depth and intensity and the overall feel is relatively soft - even when the wine was served a bit on the cool side. I like that my Jura wines are on the light and elegant side, but without much acidity or structure, they can come across as somewhat anemic. This is good, but lacks that special something to make it leave a lasting impression - I'd rather drink the traditional, funky whites of Montbourgeau instead.
(88 points) - 2019 Tony Bornard Le Ginglet - France, Jura, Arbois Pupillin (14.5.2024)
A single-vineyard Trousseau made with biodynamically farmed fruit. Fermented spontaneously in tanks. Aged in old oak barrels. Vinified and bottled without any SO2. 12,7% alcohol.
Hazy, slightly maroon pomegranate color with a subtly rusty hue. The nose feels wild, funky and rather animale with aromas of sesame seeds, some red forest fruits, light brambly notes of raspberries and a hint of burnt hair. The overall impression of the aromas goes down with every sniff. The wine feels crisp, high-strung and slightly fizzy on the palate with a light body and dry flavors of cranberries and tart lingonberries, some acetic notes of red wine vinegar, a little bit of sharp green apple, light grainy notes of mousiness, a hint of tangy salinity and a touch of gravelly minerality. The wine is very high in acidity with no tannins to speak of. The finish is crisp, dry and crunchy with flavors of tart cranberries and lingonberries, some sharp appley notes of Granny Smith apples, light acetic notes of vinegary VA, a little bit of salinity, grainy and nutty hints of mousiness and a touch of green herbs.
Ugh, this was quite a disappointing effort. Although the wine was not overtly mousy (unlike some Tony Bornard wines), it was still very much NOPE. The wine tastes borderline under-ripe with its bracing acidity - accentuated by the acetic notes of VA - and somewhat green appley flavors, so even without those grainy THP notes, this would've been a rather unpleasant wine, but the mousiness only makes these unsavory qualities just pile on. I heartily recommend to avoid.
(61 points) - 2018 Jean-François Ganevat Poulsard Côtes du Jura Cuvée de l'enfant terrible - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (14.5.2024)
100% biodynamically farmed single-vineyard Poulsard from vines planted in 1959. Fermented spontaneously. Aged in old foudres. Bottled unfined, unfiltered and without any SO2. 13% alcohol.
Almost fully clear or very slightly hazy cherry red color with a subtly evolved pomegranate hue. The nose feels pungent, funky and rather sauvage with aromas of smoky phenolic tones, some lambic-like notes of leathery funk, a little bit of sour cherry, light brambly notes of raspberries, a mineral hint of crushed rocks and a flatulent touch of skunky reduction. The wine feels dry, wild and juicy on the palate with a medium body and rather funky flavors of bretty farmhouse funk and smoky phenolic notes, some ripe raspberry tones, a little bit of cherry juice, light autumnal notes of damp leaves, a hint of wild strawberry and an acetic touch of sharp, vinegary VA. The wine is moderately high in acidity with no perceptible tannic grip. The finish is quite wild and somewhat bretty with a medium-long aftertaste of crunchy red forest fruits, some leathery funk, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light juicy notes of wild strawberries and ripe raspberries, a smoky hint of phenolic spice and a touch of acetic VA.
A rather sauvage take on Poulsard. With its bretty and phenolic aromatics and slightly acetic notes of VA, this wine reminds me more of a Kriek Lambic that has gone flat than a classic Jura red. Although Ganevat's reds have almost always had some brett and VA, I think they are getting quite a bit too natty today, whereas I thought the 2015 vintage of this same wine was quite clean and only slightly funky wine that reminded me of a deep, vibrant rosé wine rather than a red wine. I'm not that fond of the direction these Ganevat red wines are going - they are just too natty, muddled and volatile for my preference. Most of them are not particularly bad in any way, but knowing how vibrant they used to be, these new wines don't really scratch the same itch the old wines did.
(87 points) - 2019 Domaine Labet Cépage Rouge La Reine - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (14.5.2024)
100% organically farmed Gamay from a 0,28-hectare parcel planted in 2016 with a massal selection of vines. Fermented spontaneously. Aged for 9 months in old 228-liter pièces, bottled unfiltered and without any SO2 on July 16th, 2020. 12% alcohol, 0,9 g/l volatile acidity and less than 20 mg/l SO2.
Hazy, very translucent and quite pale blood-red color. The nose feels somewhat funky and slightly appley with aromas of fresh red fruits, light earthy tones, a little bit of brambly black raspberry, a floral hint of violets and a lifted touch of VA. The wine feels dry, lively and crunchy on the palate with a light-to-medium body and somewhat wild flavors of brambly raspberries, some tart cranberries and lingonberries, a little bit of salinity, light fresh appley tones, a mineral hint of wet rocks and an acetic touch of VA. The wine is high in acidity with no perceptible tannic grip. The finish is dry, crunchy and slightly lifted with a medium-long aftertaste of tart lingonberries, some cranberry sauce, light stony mineral notes, a little bit of appley greenness and a hint of acetic VA.
A nice and refreshing but also a somewhat linear and harmless red that comes across as a bit natty and - with its somewhat appley overall feel - slightly under-ripe. Perhaps the wine didn't undergo MLF completely, so there's a bit of malic acidity that lends that appley taste to the wine? If you can tolerate some VA, this is a pleasant weekday red, but seeing how the Labet wines are getting so pricey and difficult to acquire, I don't think if it makes to sense to think of this as a "weekday wine". However, to me, it drinks like one.
(89 points) - 2019 Domaine de Montbourgeau Savagnin L'Etoile Les Budes - France, Jura, L'Etoile (14.5.2024)
100% Savagnin from lieu-dit Les Budes planted in 1970. Fermented spontaneously in stainless steel tanks. Aged in old 500-liter demi-muids for 18 months. The barrels are topped up, so unlike most Montbourgeau whites, this is an ouillé wine. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 14% alcohol.
Luminous, pale golden yellow color. The nose feels sweet, creamy and fragrant with aromas of ripe Golden Delicious apple, some leesy tones, a little bit of untoasted sawdusty oak, light crunchy nectarine notes, a floral hint of apple blossom and a touch of beeswax. The wine feels firm, lively and quite salty on the palate with a medium body and bright flavors of fresh Golden Delicious apple and tangy salinity, some creamy oak tones, a little bit of crunchy golden currant, light stony mineral nuances, a woody hint of sawdust and a touch of sweet floral spice. The high acidity make the wine feel very focused and structured. The finish is lively, long and crunchy with a bright, dry aftertaste of stony minerality and spicy red apple, some creamy oak tones, a little bit of tangy salinity, light woody notes of sawdust, a hint of crunchy golden currant and a touch of fresh nectarine.
A youthful, crunchy and quite intensely-flavored ouillé Savagnin with great sense of freshness and structure. Even at almost 5 years of age, the wine is still super youthful and even quite nervous, promising a lot of potential for further aging. This is pretty open for business right now, but I can see the wine benefiting from additional aging. Terrific stuff, recommended. Good value at approx. 35€.
(92 points) - 2021 Theo Dancer Savagnin Jurassique - France, Vin de France (14.5.2024)
100% organically farmed Savagnin made with purchased fruit - some sources say the fruit is from Rotalier, others say from l'Etoile. Fermented spontaneously, aged for 15 months in old oak barrels and bottled unfiltered in November 2022. 12% alcohol. Total production 3900 bottles.
Pale and slightly hazy yellow-green color. The nose feels ripe and somewhat mineral with aromas of juicy pear, some Fuji apple tones, a little bit of kiwi fruit, light stony mineral notes, a primary hint of gummy candies and a touch of leesy creaminess. The wine feels ripe, juicy and nuanced on the palate with a medium body and vibrant flavors of ripe peach, some vanilla oak, a little bit of sweet Fuji apple, light stony and saline mineral notes, a hint of juicy pear and a touch of saffron. The moderately high acidity keeps the wine nicely in balance. The finish is lively, rich and juicy with a moderately long aftertaste of fresh white fruits, some saline mineral notes, a little bit of crunchy red apple, light vanilla oak nuances, a youthful hint of pear and a touch of saffron.
A harmonious and balanced but also quite Burgundian and thus a bit anonymous Savagnin. Even if the wine is made with Jura fruit, I would never identify this wine as a Jura white, would I taste it blind. It is not just that the wine isn't an oxidatively made traditional Jura white, but it tastes more like a Burgundy white than an ouillé Savagnin. All in all, this is not a bad wine in any way, but it doesn't scratch the itch if I want to drink a Jura Savagnin. It feels like the wine is made for people who would like to drink Jura but actually don't want to drink anything but white Burgundy - and at 78€, the wine is priced as such. I don't think this is particularly good value for the price.
(90 points) - 2018 François Rousset-Martin Savagnin Côtes du Jura Oxy "more" Voile No 4 - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (14.5.2024)
Rousset-Martin's take on traditionalist Jura white: 100% Savagnin, fermented spontaneously, aged in untopped barrels for four years sous voile (hence "Voile no. 4" in the label), bottled unfined, unfiltered and completely without any added SO2. 13,8% alcohol.
Pale straw yellow color. The nose feels very expressive and quite attractive - as long as you like sous voile wines - with intense aromas of roasted nuts, some sorrel, light curry tones, a little bit of smoky phenolic character, light caramel nuances, a hint of green almonds and a developed touch of cooked cream. The overall feel is that of a Vin Jaune, but showing more freshness instead of power. The wine feels dry, complex and focused with a medium body and intense flavors of bruised apple, some aldehydic notes of sorrel and green almonds, light mineral notes of wet stones, a little bit of caramel, a hint of cooked cream and a touch of mushroomy funk. The high acidity lends great sense of structure, intensity and electric energy to the wine. The finish is long, fresh and lively with a concentrated, somewhat oxidative aftertaste of bruised apple, some aldehydic notes of sorrel and green almonds, light caramel tones, a little bit of acacia honey, a hint of ripe peach and a touch of creaminess.
A wonderfully intense and classically styled traditionalist Jura white that drinks like a baby Vin Jaune - the overall feel is very similar to a classic Vin Jaune, but there's a bit more freshness and elegance here, and while quite prominent, the aldehydic notes are not overpowering. There's still some "white" wine lingering in the background, so the wine is not completely "yellow". Great stuff. It's hard to say how much the wine will change and evolve with additional aging, but I have no doubts this wine will at least keep for many, many years. Drink now or whenever. Highly recommended for the fans of oxidatively made white.
(93 points) - 2019 Domaine Labet Les Insolites Macération - France, Vin de France (14.5.2024)
A blend of organically farmed Savagnin (70%) and Chardonnay (30%) from lieu-dit Sur Charrière, planted in 1991; harvested on 1st of October, 2019. 30% of the fruit is destemmed. Fermented spontaneously and macerated with the skins for 14 days. Aged for 8-9 months in unlined amphorae (65%) and 228-liter pièces (35%). Bottled unfined, unfiltered and without any added SO2 on 21st of August, 2020. 13,4% alcohol, 5,8 g/l acidity, 1,16 g/l volatile acidity and pH 3,73.
Pale amber color; the first pours were crystal-clear, but the wine turns somewhat hazy towards the bottom, so careful decanting is highly advised. The nose feels wild, rich and quite acetic with somewhat natty aromas of bruised apple, some caramel, light honeyed tones, a little bit of white balsamico, a hint of rowanberry jam and a touch of nail polish. The wine feels dry, concentrated and subtly sweet-toned with a medium body and intense flavors of bruised apple, some volatile notes of white balsamico, a little bit of caramel and acacia honey, light apricot tones, mineral hints of salinity and wet rocks and a touch of phenolic spice. The rather high acidity keeps the wine in balance and there's also a little bit of tannic grip, adding a tiny bit of firmness to the palate. The finish is long, textural and gently grippy with a complex, somewhat funky aftertaste of honeyed richness, some volatile notes of white balsamico and nail polish, a little bit of apricot, light saline mineral notes, a hint of caramel and a touch of bruised apple.
A rich and complex but quite a bit too volatile orange wine. This would've been a very lovely effort if it hadn't been so darn high in VA - now you can taste there's a vibrant, intense and balanced wine underneath, but that pronounced, white balsamico-ish punch of VA is constantly fighting for your attention, whether you like it or not. This is not a bad wine, but you have to be quite VA-tolerant to be able to appreciate - or even approach - this wine.
(88 points) - 2018 Jean-François Ganevat Côtes du Jura Vieilles Vignes Les Chalasses - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (14.5.2024)
100% biodynamically farmed Chardonnay from a vineyard planted in 1902, producing a minuscule amount of concentrated and very late-ripening grapes. Aged for approximately four years on the lees in old and neutral oak barrels. Bottled unfined, unfiltered and without any added SO2 on July 25th, 2022. 13% alcohol.
Youthful, slightly hazy yellow-green appearance. The nose feels very identifiably Ganevat with its sharp, saline and leesy overall impression that opens up to reveal notes of fresh apricot and smoky, flinty mineral tones, a little bit of ripe pomelo, light honeyed nuances, a hint of waxy funk and a touch of creaminess. The wine is firm, crisp and precise on the palate with a medium body and very intense flavors of lees, sharp Granny Smith apple notes and some lemon juice, light saline nuances, a little bit of apple peel bitterness, a hint of steely minerality and a touch of waxy funk. The bracing acidity lends a tremendous sense of structure and electric energy to the wine. The finish is crisp, long and lively with a dry, palate-cleansing aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits and even some pithy grapefruit, light steely mineral notes, light crunchy Granny Smith apple tones, a hint of leesy creaminess and a touch of borderline under-ripe peach.
A textbook Ganevat Chardonnay. Tremendous sense of saline minerality, brisk acidity, leesy overtones and just piercing, electric energy here. There's also a tiniest bit of that sauvage funk that acknowledges the fact that the wine sees no SO2 whatsoever - without making the wine feel natty one little bit. At nigh 6 years old, this wine is still a mere baby, still years away from its plateau of maturity. At the moment, the wine is a nervous, high-strung mineral bomb for the acid-heads, so if you enjoy your wines a bit more mellow and relaxed, I heartily recommend letting the wine age for a good number of years more. Granted, this wine is fantastic already, but it is yet to realize its full potential - and it won't happen anytime soon. An absolute unit of ouillé Jura Chardonnay. Highly recommended.
(94 points) - 2019 Mathieu Allante et Christian Boulanger Phenomaynal - France, Vin de France (14.5.2024)
100% Chardonnay from a 90-yo vineyard in Maynal, southern Jura. Fermented spontaneously. Aged in old (10 yo) oak casks for 24 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 12% alcohol.
Quite youthful and slightly hazy greenish pale yellow color. The nose feels ripe and a bit lifted with aromas of juicy peach and fresh nectarine, some creamy oak tones, a little bit of apple jam, light mineral notes of wet rocks, a sharp hint of acetic VA, a touch of honeyed richness and a whiff of phenolic spice. The wine feels lively, dry and crunchy on the palate with a medium body and quite intense flavors of tart Granny Smith apple and tangy salinity, some sharp lemony tones, a little bit of waxy funk, light sweeter notes of honeydew melon, a hint of apple peel bitterness and a mineral touch of chalk dust. Despite the funky nuances (and the somewhat lifted nose), the wine feels surprisingly clean and precise on the palate. The racy acidity lends great sense of structure and energy to the wine, making it feel pretty high-strung. The finsih is crisp, lively and crunchy with a long, palate-cleansing aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits, some sweeter notes of honeydew melon, light stony mineral notes, a little bit of waxy funk, a hint of tangy salinity and a touch of apple peel bitterness.
I was surprised by this wine - not only was it surprisingly clean and precise on the palate, but it was also remarkably similar in style to the Ganevat whites! The combination of brisk acidity; quite pronounced mineral notes with a great emphasis on almost sharp, tangy salinity; complexity from the long élevage; and the subtle, somewhat noticeable and never overdone funk. A very nice effort and serves as a great alternative to Ganevat... or would serve, if the wines weren't so impossible to source today. This has been an excellent purchase at 35€, but at current prices (275-300€!) the wine just doesn't make sense; why buy this when you can get 3-5 bottles of outstanding Ganevat whites at the same price?
(93 points) - 2012 Domaine Didier Grappe Côtes du Jura Vin Jaune - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (14.5.2024)
100% organically farmed Savagnin. Aged sous voile in old, untopped oak barrels for 6 years. 12% alcohol.
Hazy, pale yellow-green color. The nose feels ripe, moderately aldehydic and a bit understated with rather sweet-toned aromas of apple jam, some sharp notes of green apple slices and sorrel, a little bit of white peach, light funky fusel notes of grappa, a hint of leesy creaminess and a touch of mushroomy funk. The wine feels surprisingly weightless - even thin - on the palate for a Vin Jaune with a light body and bone-dry, aldehydic flavors of lemony citrus fruits and green almonds, some green apple slices, a little bit of tangy salinity, light grapefruit notes, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of mushroomy funk. The wine is high in acidity. The finish is dry, lively and crunchy with a long, light aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits, some aldehydic notes of green almonds, green apple slices and sorrel, light grappa-like notes of fusel alcohol, a little bit of tangy salinity, a hint of fresh peachy fruit and a touch of mushroomy funk.
A surprisingly thin and mellow effort for a Vin Jaune - like a Vin Jaune with training wheels. This wine lacks the intensity and concentration typical of the style, and even if the wine exhibits those sharp, tangy aldehydic notes one would expect from a Vin Jaune, even they feel quite light and understated for the genre. I've had traditional Jura whites that have felt more Vin Jaune than this. I don't know if the wine was aged only in very cool and humid cellars if the wine lacks so much concentration and intensity - even the alcohol is strikingly low for a Vin Jaune! While not a bad wine, this is a bit disappointing. A somewhat dilute example of what should be a complex powerhouse of classic Jura wine.
(87 points)
Posted from CellarTracker