Yet another one of my tasting reports on our Jura tastings - here are the previous seven other tastings to those who are interested:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
This time we were warned beforehand that the emphasis wouldn’t be on the mavericks of the region, but instead on the hot newcomers that seem to be all the buzz and are selling like crazy (at least here in Europe) - some of these wines are actually getting quite difficult to source at the moment!
However, I must say that if these are the wines that today’s cool kids drink, I’m happily not one! 
We did have a few lovely Chardonnays and Labet never seems to fail, but most of these wines were just way too funky, unclean and natty for pleasure. I’m quite tolerant of natural wines, but a good number of these wines wouldn’t get a pass even from me.
Also, one attendee brought a bottle of Moët & Chandon as a blind extra, just to calibrate our palates - and see what we thought of this mass-produced and typically quite derided Champagne. Although the wine didn’t raise many cheers, most of us thought it was relatively good and actually surprisingly vinous compared to our previous experiences of the wine. However, a few people did think the wine seemed a bit bitter, thus slightly unbalanced and not that good. One actually said out loud that the wine is “probably some over-priced large-scale basic-level NV” - arguably the most accurate description of this wine, right off the bat!
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NV Moët & Chandon Champagne Brut Impérial - France, Champagne (8.3.2023)
A blend of Pinot Noir (30-40%), Pinot Meunier (30-40%) and Chardonnay (20-30%). Fermented with the own, unique yeast strain of the house. Composed mainly of the most recent vintage with approximately 20-30% reserve wines. No idea on the disgorgement date or base vintage - the lot number is F03-M-1-6-21. 12% alcohol, dosage 7 g/l. Tasted blind.
Pale yellow color. Quite expressive nose with aromas of nutty almonds and leesy autolysis, some youthful floral tones, a little bit of mealy red apple, light mineral notes of chalk dust and a hint of pastry dough. The wine feels ripe, juicy and quite vinous on the palate with a full body and flavors of ripe Golden Delicious apple, some marzipan tones, a little bit of autolytic brioche, light bitter notes of apple peel and chalk dust, a hint of sweet white peach and a touch of honeyed richness. Although the wine is high in acidity, the dosage shows through a little. Ample, mouth-filling mousse. The finish is juicy, ripe and quite vinous with a rich, dry-ish aftertaste of Golden Delicious apple, some apple peel bitterness, a little bit of nutty almond character, light autolytic notes of brioche, a hint of honeyed richness and a touch of sweet yellow fruits.
A rather ripe and somewhat vinous but also quite balanced and tasty Champagne. Although the wine wasn't anything particularly impressive, I was still surprised the wine turned out to be a (supposedly) quite recent degorgement of Moët & Chandon Impérial. One of the attendees in the tasting said the bitterness made him think immediately of something simple, inexpensive and unambitious Champagne, but I thought the bitterness actually set off the somewhat noticeable dosage quite nicely, actually - I myself thought the wine would've worked with a slightly lower dosage, as the overall feel was at times borderline off-dry. My guess was either a Blanc de Noirs Champagne or a sparkling wine from a more warmer region, like Franciacorta. All in all, this was probably the best iteration of young Moët & Chandon Impérial I've tasted thus far, but I really can't say the wine is worth its price at 55,99€.
(88 points) -
2020 La Bouchaude Trousseau Côtes du Jura Amour - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (8.3.2023)
The debut vintage of Anne Petitot, formerly of Tissot and Ratapoil estates. 12,5% alcohol.
Luminous and translucent medium-deep ruby color with a youthful purplish hue. The nose feels sweetish, quite wild and somewhat volatile with aromas of leathery funk and phenolic spice, some cherry marmalade, light modeling glue tones, a little bit of strawberry jam and an acetic hint of VA. The nose develops more animale nuances with air. The wine feels slightly funky and semi-crunchy on the palate with a light-to-medium body and layered flavors of tart cranberries and sweet cherry marmalade, some lingonberry jam tones, a little bit of peppery spice and phenolic tones, light juicy nuances of pomegranate, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of acetic VA. The wine is high in acidity with no perceptible tannins - apart from a tiniest sense of grip towards the aftertaste. The finish is moderately funky, somewhat sauvage and slightly bitter with a rather long aftertaste of bretty barnyard and tart cranberry, some funky notes of Band-Aid, a little bit of modeling glue, light raspberry jam tones, a hint of phenolic spice and a touch of acetic VA.
A nice and fresh but also perhaps a bit underwhelming naturalist Trousseau. Honestly, if this wine would've been blind, my guess would've been Poulsard - with its light color, soft fruit flavors and lack of tannins this is stylistically much closer to a Poulsard than a classic Trousseau of Jura. With its rather funky overall character I can't help but think this wine might be harboring the seeds of mousiness - for the period of hour we drunk this wine it didn't exhibit any mousy qualities but I'd be very surprised if the wine didn't show any mousy THP notes after a few hours of aeration. If you're planning on drinking this wine, I'd recommend drinking it quite soon after popping the cork; I doubt there is very little to gain with extended aeration. While a nice wine in its own right, I feel it is a bit pricey for the quality at 29€.
(86 points) -
2019 Jean-François Ganevat Côtes du Jura Les Grands Teppes - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (8.3.2023)
100% Pinot Noir from a vineyard planted in 2006. Grapes are fermented as whole bunches starting with carbonic maceration, followed by conventional fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Aged for a year in tronconic oak vats. Vinified without any SO2. 10,8% alcohol.
Pale, slightly hazy and fully translucent pomegranate color that makes the wine look more like a deep rosé than a red wine. The nose feels dry, spicy and moderately funky with aromas of rose hips, some weird pet shop tones, a little bit of ripe cranberry and pomegranate, light rustic farmhouse tones, a hint of spicy Pinosity, a touch of strawberry and a fragrant whiff of potpourri. The wine feels dry, crunchy and somewhat rustic on the palate with a light body and funky yet quite delicate flavors of tart lingonberries and ripe strawberries, some sweeter raspberry marmalade tones, a little bit of rose hips, light pomegranate tones, funky hints of barnyard and stable floor and a touch of cranberry sauce. The wine is quite high in acidity with very gentle and mellow tannins. The subtly grippy finish is dry, savory and moderately long with a rather sauvage aftertaste of cranberries and tart lingonberries, some barnyard tones, a little bit of dank herbal character, light strawberry tones, a hint of spicy Pinosity and a touch of bretty leather.
A very wild and quite fresh yet still somewhat dull and maybe a bit too sauvage Pinot Noir. At least this wasn't as undrinkably mousy as the 2018 vintage, but I wouldn't be surprised if this wine turned badly mousy with enough air - at least the wine is so funky and sauvage that it is quite expected. Although I love Ganevat's vibrant and saline white wines, I really can't say the same about his red wines - they might be rustic and funky, but the lack the rustic charm of the traditional Jura reds that are not big or heavy wines, but are definitely not lacking in intensity or structure. This wine, on the other hand, is so delicate that most Poulsards could overwhelm it - which is really not something I expect of Pinot Noir. While a drinkable wine, I must admit: I'm not really a fan of it.
(84 points) -
2020 Nøvice Côtes du Jura Merci - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (8.3.2023)
100% Poulsard from 50 yo vineyards. The fully destemmed fruit is fermented spontaneously and macerated for three weeks in fiberglass tanks. Aged in tanks and old 228 and 400-liter oak barrels for a year. Bottled without fining, filtration or any added SO2. 12,5% alcohol.
Translucent, pale and very slightly hazy raspberry-red color with a youthful purplish hue. The nose feels savory and relatively non-fruity with aromas of hay and floral chamomile character, reminiscent of Rhône whites, some peppery tones, a little bit of fresh red cherry, light wild strawberry tones, a pilsner-like hint of herby noble hops and a touch of wet dog. The wine feels ripe, juicy and balanced on the palate with a medium body and quite funky - even slightly dirty - flavors of black raspberries and wild strawberries, some funky notes of wet dog, a little bit of peppery spice, light bretty leather nuances, a sweet-toned hint of dark forest fruits and a touch of barnyard. The wine is high in acidity with no perceptible tannins. The finish is dry, somewhat funky and a bit phenolic with a medium-long aftertaste of crunchy cranberries, some bretty notes of leathery funk, a little bit of something animale, light pilsner-like nuances of herbal hops and chamomile, a hint of smoky phenolic spice and a sweeter touch of strawberries.
A rather funky Poulsard that is still somewhat fresh, in its own, quite animale way. I'm not particularly impressed by the wine as it feels like it offers more funk than fruit, but at least it is still pretty balanced and drinkable - at least if you don't find wines with some brett automatically faulty and unqualified for drinking purposes. However, I have a hunch a tiniest bit of SO2 during the vinification couldn't have hurt the wine.
(83 points) -
2020 Domaine Labet Poulsard En Billat - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (8.3.2023)
100% organically farmed Poulsard from two parcels in En Billat cru, the older one - the oldest vineyards owned by Labet - planted in 1895 (0,13 ha) and the one named Le Pré du Bief planted in 1988 (0,31 ha), harvested on 4th of September, 2020. All fruit destemmed, but not crushed. Fermented spontaneously. Aged in old 228-liter Burgundy pièces. Bottled withoun any SO2 on 28th of April, 20221. 13,8% alcohol, 3,5 g/l acidity, 0,94 g/l VA and pH 3,62.
Beautifully luminous, youthful and quite pale ruby color. The nose feels clean, fragrant and quite sweet-toned with heady aromas of ripe raspberries, some sweet black cherries, light nutmeg tones, a little bit of perfumed floral character, a hint of cloves, a touch of cranberry sauce and a whiff of toasted peppercorns. The wine is ripe, juicy and sweetly-fruited on the palate with a light body and quite crunchy flavors of black raspberries and juicy cherries, some brambly blackberry tones, a little bit of saline minerality, light spicy nuances, a hint of acetic VA and a touch of fragrant floral character. The structure relies entirely on the high acidity as there are no tannins to speak of. The finish is long, dry and crunchy with a quite acid-driven yet slightly sweet-toned aftertaste of redcurrants and ripe cherries, some saline mineral tones, a little bit of nutmeg, light brambly notes of raspberries, lifted hints of perfumed floral character and acetic VA and a touch of tart lingonberry.
A very lovely, fresh, tasty and pretty clean naturalist Poulsard with a wonderfully fragrant and perfumed overall character. Apart from the subtly elevated levels of VA, you really couldn't notice this was a natural wine - there are no weird funky tones, the appearance of the wine is crystal-clear and the emphasis is on the pure and beautifully expressive Poulsard fruit. Lovely stuff - it's hard to say if this wine is capable of aging / improving from here, but at least the wine is drinking mighty well right now. Yet still, I can't help but think the wine is still somewhat too pricey for its quality at 65-70€.
(91 points) -
2020 Nøvice Ja Ja A l'Envers a l'Endroit - France, Vin de France (8.3.2023)
A direct press Poulsard, making this either a blanc de noirs or a pale rosé. The biodynamically farmed fruit is fully destemmed, left to macerate for an hour or two and then pressed into a fiberglass tank for the fermentation. The wine is fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. Once the fermentation slows down, the wine is racked off the large lees into a stainless steel tank to finish fermentation. Bottled unfined, unfiltered and without any SO2. The label bears no vintage designation, but the lot number L2020PoulJaj tells the vintage. 13,5% alcohol.
Peachy and very slightly hazy orange color with a coppery core. The nose feels fragrant, floral and even somewhat Muscat-like with aromas of roses and orange blossom, some resinous phenolic tones, a little bit of mirabelle plum, light apricot nuances, a hint of quince and a touch of savory spices. The wine is juicy, slightly viscous and ever-so-slightly prickly with a tiniest bit of CO2 on the palate. The wine is medium in body with vibrant flavors of ripe nectarines, some apple jam, light Muscat-like notes of floral spice and grapey fruit, a little bit of strawberry, a hint of waxy funk and a tiniest acetic touch of VA. The medium-plus acidity keeps the wine pretty nicely in balance, but doesn't lend much freshness to it. The finish is juicy, long and still enjoyably savory with a nuanced aftertaste of ripe apricots and peach jam, some apple sauce, light grapey tones, a little bit of beeswax, a hint of phenolic spice and a faint acetic touch of sharp VA character.
A nice, juicy and pretty balanced "rosé" - perhaps a little bit too soft and slightly too acetic to be a truly great wine, but neither one of these qualities really distract from the pleasure. Most likely this wine isn't made to be aged, so I'd say drink up within the next handful of years - preferably quite chilled, just to boost that modest acidity a bit.
(89 points) -
2018 Nicolas Jacob Les Argales - France, Vin de France (8.3.2023)
A skin-contact Jura white from Nicolas Jacob, formerly of Domaine Macle and J-F Ganevat. The biodynamically farmed fruit is sourced from vineyards in l'Etoile: Chardonnay from the Là-Bas cru and Savagnin from the tiny 0,1-hectare parcel in Aux Perrières cru. Originally the fermentation for Chardonnay was sluggish and fearing halted fermentation, Jacob added 20% of actively fermenting Savagnin to Chardonnay, kickstarting the fermentation again. The spontaneous fermentation was carried out in old 228-liter oak pièces and I have no idea how long the maceration process with the skins took. Aged in oak pièces for 18 months. Bottled unfined, unfiltered and without SO2. The label bears no vintage designation, but the lot number LChSa18 tells the vintage. 12,5% alcohol.
Quite concentrated and subtly hazy golden yellow color with faint, youthful lime-green highlights. The nose feels wild, waxy and quite savory with somewhat funky aromas of cantaloupe, some apple jam, light phenolic spicy tones, a little bit of honeysuckle and a hint of ripe nectarine. With some air the nose starts to develop some unclean nuances, perhaps suggestive of emerging mousiness? The wine feels juicy, somewhat concentrated and moderately funky on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and dry flavors of phenolic spice and fresh peach, some bretty notes of leathery funk, a little bit of ripe yellow fruits, light barnyardy animale nuances, an acetic hint of VA and a touch of hay. The wine is quite high in acidity, but the tannins mainly contribute to the rich texture of the wine, not that much to its structure. The finish is ripe, rich and juicy with a quite long aftertaste of peachy fruit and waxy funk, some acetic notes of VA, a little bit of cantaloupe, light bretty notes of leather, a hint of hay and a touch of phenolic bitterness.
At first this was a somewhat funky but still clean enough to be a sophisticated and harmonious effort. Although the wine didn't turn mousy during the evening, it was still somewhat obvious that the wine started to turn more funky and somewhat unclean with air - which usually doesn't promise anything good regarding mousiness. Oh well. As long as the wine remained pretty clean, it was enjoyable and quite lovely to be a troublesome orange wine the producer had difficulties with! After all, "Argale" basically translates to "loafer" or "good-for-nothing"! A nice wine, but maybe not worth the approx. 45€.
(88 points) -
2018 Domaine de L'Octavin Betty Bulles - France, Vin de France (8.3.2023)
A pét nat made with a blend of organically farmed Molette (90%) from Domaine Trichon in Bugey and Muscat (5%) and Viognier (5%) from Beaujolais. Fermented spontaneously in tanks, bottled without fining, filtration or SO2. Disgorged in January 2019. 11% alcohol. The label bears no vintage designation, but the lot number molette18 tells the vintage.
Slightly cloudy yellow-green color. The nose feels quite restrained with underwhelming aromas of Fuji apple, some fresh white fruit tones, a little bit of unripe pineapple and a vague hint of slightly unpleasant skunky funk. The wine feels quite ripe yet still pretty neutral on the palate with a medium body and rather underwhelming flavors of fresh red apple and crunchy whitecurrants, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of tangy salinity, light bretty notes of leather and waxy funk, a hint of chopped green herbs and a faint touch of acetic VA. The wine is high in acidity with an ample, crisp and quite creamy mousse. The finish is fresh and pretty dry with a medium-long, rather neutral aftertaste of grapefruit and tangy salinity, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of crunchy green apple and a hint of waxy funk.
A relatively clean but also very neutral and underwhelming pét-nat that might be one of the cleanest Octavin wines I've tasted, yet still fails to bring anything interesting to the table. Usually the pét-nats I taste are either interesting or too funky or weird, but this is neither - just very boring stuff.
(74 points) -
2018 Domaine Bienaimé La Bulle d'Amélie Blanc de Blancs - France, Jura, Crémant du Jura (8.3.2023)
100% Chardonnay from vineyards in Château-Chalon. Fermented spontaneously, aged for 12 months in oak barrels. Aged sur lattes for 24 months, disgorged on June 30th, 2021. 12,5% alcohol, dosage 0 g/l. Total production 1650 bottles.
Youthful, quite neutral and subtly hazy whitish-green color. The nose feels fresh, sappy and subtly herby with aromas of green currants, some Granny Smith apple, a little bit of leesy autolysis and a hint of borderline unripe white fruit. The wine feels noticeably broader and showing much more ripeness on the palate with a medium body and quite intense flavors of caramel oak, some dull woolly notes of untoasted wood, a little bit of bready autolysis, light sweeter notes of Golden Delicious apple, lactic hints of creaminess or even vague buttery tones and a touch of tangy salinity. The wine is high in acidity with an ample and noticeably fizzy mousse. The finish is intense, quite woody and moderately long with a dry aftertaste of leesy creaminess, some woolly notes of untoasted wood, light lactic notes of yogurt, a little bit of toasty caramel oak, a hint of sweet red apple and a touch of saline minerality.
This was an odd bird. I don't know what I was expecting, but definitely not something that seemed slightly green and borderline unripe in the nose and rather oaky on the palate with an almost aggressively fizzy mousse. Not really a bad wine per se, but the overall feel is pretty disjointed and all over the place, lending the wine a somewhat awkward feel. The nose doesn't really promise much and while the wine doesn't come across as restrained or green as the nose suggested, the oak impact feels pretty dominant and out-of-place in the context of a brisk Jura bubbly. At 65€, this feels way overpriced for the quality - especially when you take into account how you can get two much more balanced grower Champagnes at the price of one bottle of this stuff.
(82 points) -
2018 Mathieu Allante et Christian Boulanger Sous Poids - France, Vin de France (8.3.2023)
For some reason this bottle is closed with a crown cap, fooling one into believing this is a pét-nat. Well, this is a still white wine made with Chardonnay grapes sourced from the 80-yo lieu-dit Patarate in Rotalier, vinified by Mathieu Allante and Christian Boulanger, both who have previously worked at Labet. After direct pressing of the fruit, the must is fermented spontaneously, aged for 20 months in an old foudre and bottled without fining, filtration or any added sulfites. 13% alcohol.
Medium-deep, quite intense and very slightly hazy yellow-green color. The nose feels pretty ripe and somewhat sweet-toned with a bit wild aromas of rich yellow fruits, some leathery funk, a little bit of creamy oak, light phenolic spice and a sharp hint of acetic VA. The wine feels ripe, broad and somewhat concentrated on the palate with a rather full body and rather sauvage flavors of lemony citrus fruits and sharp Granny Smith apple tones, some tangy saline notes, a little bit of woody and even slightly woolly oak character, light acetic notes of VA, a funky hint of rustic bretty character and a touch of grapefruit marmalade. The mouthfeel is slightly viscous, lending it a subtly oily feel, but there is enough acidity to keep things fresh, precise and structured. The finish is brisk, moderately funky and quite long with an intense aftertaste of ripe lemony citrus fruits, some sharp acetic notes of VA, a little bit of stony minerality, light tangy saline nuances, oaky hints of creaminess and sweet, toasty oak spice and a bretty touch of waxy funk.
I can sort of understand the hype behind these Allante-Boulanger wines - there is impressive sense of depth and concentration here, juxtaposed against brisk acidity and quite pronounced minerality, making the wine feel somewhat similar to the great whites of Ganevat, Labet and the like. However, the best producers are so great because they can make fully natural wines that don't taste natural wines at all - despite all the non-interventionist stuff and complete lack of sulfites, the wines are remarkably clean and show tremendous vibrancy of fruit. Well, this one doesn't. Although not too excessive, the VA still feels a bit too pronounced and acetic for my taste and the bretty funk doesn't really add to the freshness or precision of the wine. Furthermore, I feel the oak impact comes across pretty awkward here. All in all, there is a lot to like here, but this still ain't a bullseye. A good wine that might get even better with age, but I say it takes still a bit more work to have these wines hold a candle to the best Ganevat whites. At 39,95€ the wine is quite expensive for its quality and at its current price of approx. 70€ this wine feels quite heavily overpriced.
(87 points) -
2020 Jean Francois Ryon Chardonnay Côtes du Jura Les Coteaux de Val de Sorne - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (8.3.2023)
100% organically grown Chardonnay from the village of Vernantois. Fermented spontaneously, aged for 24 months in old oak barrels. Bottled unfined, unfiltered and without any added sulfites. 12% alcohol.
Quite intense, youthful yellow-green color. Somewhat toasty or smoky nose with aromas of peach, some smoky notes of reduction, a little bit of apple jam, light lemony tones, a hint of mushroomy funk and a faint musty touch of damp cellar. The wine is quite lithe yet still somewhat concentrated on the palate with a medium body and somewhat understated flavors of tart Granny Smith apple and tangy salinity, some smoky popcorn tones, a little bit of lemony citrus fruit, light acetic notes of VA, a hint of stony minerality and a faint musty touch of cardboard. The wine is high in acidity. The finish is long, dry and a bit dull with quite incisive flavors of tangy salinity and crunchy Granny Smith apple, some sharp citrus notes of lemon, a little bit of stone dust, light smoky nuances, a hint of mushroomy funk and a musty touch of damp cardboard.
Otherwise this seems a pretty impressive and concentrated effort for a naturalist Chardonnay, but there's a musty undertone running through from the nose all the way into the aftertaste, which makes me think this wine is slightly corked. It hasn't really stripped the wine of any fruit - as it usually happens with corked wines - but the musty cellar tones are so reminiscent of TCA that I'm marking the wine as corked. I doubt this wine is performing how it should be.
(NR/flawed) -
2020 Julien Crinquand Cuvée du D'Jopin - France, Vin de France (8.3.2023)
100% Chardonnay from Arbois. Bottled unfined, unfiltered and with minimal SO2. 12,5% alcohol.
Youthful and very slightly hazy neon yellow-green color. The fresh nose feels crisp, noticeably leesy and borderline under-ripe with intense, very Coteaux Champenois-like aromas of Granny Smith apple and saline notes of ocean air, some vegetal notes of chopped celery, a little bit of leesy creaminess, light mineral notes of stony dust, a hint of herby spice and a touch of sappy white fruit. The wine feels zippy, concentrated and quite electric on the palate with a light-to-medium body and very intense flavors of lemony citrus fruits and tangy salinity, some leesy notes of creaminess, a little bit of sharp Granny Smith apple, light saline mineral notes, hint of chalk dust and a sawdusty touch of woody oak character. Despite its bracing acidity and very dry flavor profile, the wine manages not to taste too lean or austere - just very focused, structured and incisive. The finish is long, crisp and zippy with a dry, brisk aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits and tangy salinity, some green apple tones, a little bit of key lime, light mineral notes of chalk dust, a hint of herby spices and a touch of leesy creaminess.
A very nice, brisk and immensely focused Jura Chardonnay that combines tart, borderline under-ripe green-toned fruit with impressive sense of concentration and depth of flavor. This wine reminds me quite a lot of Ganevat's Victor de la Combe - a similarly built, dry, electric and quite leesy naturalist Chardonnay. Both these wines have a sort of Coteaux Champenois feel to them, but with more intensity and sense of concentration. Although this Crinquand wine isn't too lean, it is still super youthful and thus maybe a bit awkward - maybe a few more years could help it tone down its nervous nature? A fine wine and pretty good value at 32€.
(90 points) -
2020 Julien Crinquand Le Jean sur la Côte - France, Vin de France (8.3.2023)
100% Chardonnay from Arbois. Aged in oak casks. Bottled unfined, unfiltered and with minimal SO2. 13% alcohol.
Luminous, crystal-clear and quite youthful yellow-green color. The nose feels quite ripe but also a bit reticent with aromas of fresh red apple, some crunchy quince, a little bit of chalk dust, light steely mineral notes, a grassy hint of herbal character without any vegetal overtones and a leesy touch of yeast. The wine feels firm, quite concentrated and ripe yet dry with a light-to-medium body and intense flavors of tart lemony citrus fruits and fresh Granny Smith apple tones, some steely mineral notes, a little bit of crunchy quince, light sweet and subtly lifted nuances of white balsamic, a hint of ripe grapefruit and a touch of tangy salinity. There's a little bit of viscosity to the mouthfeel, but the bracing acidity that gives the wine almost electric energy makes sure the wine doesn't really show any sense of weight. The finish is brisk, dry and zippy with a long and quite intense aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits, some crunchy green apple tones, a little bit of incisive steely minerality, light sweeter notes of white peach, a hint of tangy salinity and a sweet yet subtly volatile touch of white balsamic.
A fantastic, brisk and surprisingly concentrated Jura Chardonnay that feels a bit more fruity and concentrated and less similar to a Coteaux Champenois as the slightly less ripe 2020 Cuvée du d'Jopin Chardonnay. Fantastic stuff, very similar to the very focused and concentrated Jura Chardonnays of the local natural wine godfather, Fanfan Ganevat. Drinks really well now, but shows excellent potential for future development. An excellent purchase at 36€. Highly recommended.
(93 points) -
2020 La Bouchaude Côtes du Jura Sans Trêve Savagnin & Chardonnay - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (8.3.2023)
The debut vintage of Anne Petitot, formerly of Tissot and Ratapoil estates. A blend of Savagnin and Chardonnay. 12,5% alcohol.
Youthful, quite intense and very slightly hazy yellow-green color. The nose feels clean, electric and somewhat salty with aromas of saline ocean air and ripe Granny Smith apple, some steely mineral tones, a little bit of pomelo and lemon juice, light primary notes of juicy grapey fruit, a hint of waxy funk and a tiniest lifted touch of acetic VA. The wine feels clean and ripe yet very dry and airy on the palate with a medium body and focused flavors of lemony citrus fruits, some crunchy notes of Granny Smith apple, a little bit of tangy salinity and steely minerality, light cantaloupe tones, a hint of leathery funk and an acetic touch of VA. The bright, high acidity lends great sense of structure and intensity to the wine. The finish is long, clean and acid-driven with a dry, brisk aftertaste of ripe lemony citrus fruits, some crunchy red apple tones, a little bit of tangy salinity, light steely mineral notes, a hint of leathery funk and a touch of phenolic spice.
A lovely, zippy and quite clean Jura white that shows a tiniest bit of funk and VA - just enough not to really distract from the pleasure but to add nice complexity to the wine. Unlike some Jura ouillé whites that can feel borderline under-ripe with very pronounced green-toned fruit and leesy notes - not unlike some mountain cousins of Coteaux Champenois - this wine shows a bit more fruit, ripeness and concentration without compromising its brisk, mineral core and acid-driven quality of its fruit. Lovely stuff that drinks really well right now, but might continue to evolve and improve for at least a handful of years more. Solid value at 29€.
(92 points) -
2020 La Bouchaude Chardonnay Côtes du Jura L'Horloge - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (8.3.2023)
The debut vintage of Anne Petitot, formerly of Tissot and Ratapoil estates. 12,5% alcohol.
Surprisingly hazy - even somewhat cloudy - yellow-green color. The nose feels ripe and somewhat sweet-toned but also relatively understated and closed with a bit underwhelming aromas of juicy Golden Delicious apples and greengages, some white peach, light leesy tones and a hint of lemon zest. The wine feels somewhat ripe and concentrated on the palate, showing a bit more breadth than La Bouchaude's 2020 Sans Trêve, without coming across as weightier or bigger in any way. The wine feels medium-bodied with flavors of ripe Golden Delicious apples and bananas, some lemony tones, a little bit of stony and saline mineral notes, light zesty grapefruit nuances, sweet primary hints of pineapple and grapey fruit and a touch of leesy character. The high acidity lends good sense of freshness and structure to the wine while offsetting some of the sweetness from the ripe fruit. The finish is crisp, dry and quite zippy with a lengthy aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits and unripe pineapple, some saline notes, a little bit of sharp Granny Smith apple, light leesy tones, a hint of plantain and a subtly bitter touch of pithy grapefruit.
A distinctive, ripe and somewhat concentrated Jura Chardonnay that feels surprisingly different compared to La Bouchaude's 2020 Sans Trêve, which was tasted next to this wine. While Sans Trêve was pretty typical of Jura whites, this l'Horloge shows much more ripeness, breadth and concentration and the fruit profile was not only more youthful and primary in nature, but also showing sweeter and more exotic fruit flavors. While a markedly different in style, the wine didn't feel a lesser wine in any way. However, based on the somewhat closed nose and still somewhat primary fruit flavors, it feels like this wine could benefit from additional aging - and maybe some aeration as well. Letting the wine sit upright for some time, followed by very careful decanting might help with the hazy appearance, too. All in all, a nice wine; priced somewhat according to its quality at 29€.
(91 points) -
2019 Nicolas Jacob Chardonnay Côtes du Jura Les Chazaux - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (8.3.2023)
An ouillé Jura Chardonnay from Nicolas Jacob, formerly of Domaine Macle and J-F Ganevat. The biodynamically farmed fruit is sourced from the Les Chazaux cru planted in the 1980's. The spontaneous fermentation was carried out in old oak barrels. Aged in oak demi-muids for 22 months. Bottled unfined, unfiltered and without SO2. 13% alcohol.
Pale, almost crystal-clear lime-green color. The nose feels a bit restrained but still very nuanced and fine-tuned with seductive aromas of ripe yellow apples, some zesty citrus fruit tones, a little bit of waxy funk, light oaky notes of creaminess and toasty spice, a hint of smoky reduction and a touch of sweet white peach. The wine is ripe, slightly concentrated and a bit oily on the palate with a moderately full body and layered flavors of fresh red apples and ripe white peaches, some steely mineral tones, a little bit of waxy funk, light savory notes of MSG-like umami, stone fruit hints of sweet greengage and fresh nectarine and a touch of tangy salinity. The wine is suggesting juicy richness and sense of sweetness, while at the same time counterpointing this with brisk acidity that lends great sense of freshness and structure to the mouthfeel. The finish is ripe and concentrated yet very fresh and dry with a long aftertaste of tart Granny Smith apple and sharp salinity, some incisive notes of steely minerality, a little bit of lemony citrus fruit, light phenolic spicy tones, a hint of leathery funk and a savory touch of umami.
A rich, tasty and characterful Chardonnay that combines ripeness and concentration with focused, zippy acidity and incisive minerality. Stylistically this is very similar to the bold and precise ouillé whites of Ganevat and Labet so it's easy to see where Nicolas Jacob is coming from. The wine is still super young and maybe a bit all over the place, but as it shows great potential for future development, I'd say this will be stunning after a handful of more years. And that is not to say this wine wouldn't be fantastic now, because this is pretty darn fine stuff. However, I'm still not sure whether the wine really is worth the 75€. At half the price this would be a no-brainer.
(93 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
