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Over the past three years I have become increasingly enamored with the wines of the Jura; that impossibly picturesque French wine region situated one hour to the east of Burgundy at the foot of the Alps and a stones throw from Switzerland.
It’s a region that until recently sat comfortably outside of wines fads and fashions, a region where the local people are as down to earth as the wines that spring from their earth. It’s a region of small vineyards and producers, interesting unique wine styles and scenery that makes your head spin at every turn.
During a recent visit to the cellars of one of the regions most famous and celebrated producers, Pierre Overnoy, we sat around the kitchen table in his humble house as Pierre wanted to know everything about us and the country we came from.
It was more like sitting down with your grandfather than a visit with a legendary winemaker and before we left he made sure that we had some of his famous freshly baked bread tucked under our arms to go with his delicious 2011 Arbois Pupillin. A lovely, humble, generous old man who made us feel part of the family and a stark contrast to some of the visits we had in some of France’s more famous regions!
Recent articles by Jancis Robinson and David Schildknecht at Robert Parkers “ The Wine Advocate” singing the regions praises have swung the spotlight firmly upon the region that has managed to fly under the radar of the majority of the wine loving public for some time.
The recent sale at auction of a 1774 vin jaune for the princely sum of €57,000 before commission certainly drummed up more interest in the region and in particular it’s most famous wine style.
Ranging from mid-yellow to pale gold in hue vin jaune generally shows mesmerizing aromatic characteristics that carry through to the palate of walnuts, mushroom, sherry-like nuance and a myriad of souk-like spice including bergamot, turmeric, ginger, curry leaves, fenugreek and garam-marsala. It is high in acidity and bone dry on the finish with an alcohol of between 13-15%. To have a glass of Vin Jaune with a decent hunk of aged Comté or indeed with the local speciality poulet de bresse aux morilles et vin jaune is one of the great wine and food matches of the world.
Vin jaune is produced from 100% Savagnin and hails from the appellations of Arbois, Côte's du Jura, Toile and Château Chalon. The wine starts its life with temperature controlled fermentation in tank followed by malolactic fermentation under its own steam.
It is at this point of its gestation that things start to get interesting. At some stage in the year following vintage the wine is transferred to 228 litre French oak barrels averaging between 5-50 years of age. The barrels are not topped completely and are left with somewhere in the vicinity of 8-10 litres of ullage.
After some time in barrel, a thin layer of yeast forms on the surface of the wine, much like the famous flor used in sherry. This layer of yeast is called the voile (veil) and protects the wine from further oxidation while adding to the characteristic aromas and flavors that make the wine style so famous.
What I found interesting on a recent visit to the region was how thin the layer of yeast was....often lacy and diaphanous with a grayish hue and quite unlike the more robust examples to be found in the production of sherry.
A well ventilated cellar with wide temperature fluctuation is the preferred climate for the aging of the wine though this varies between producers. The wine is tested by an official AOC lab technician twice a year to ensure that the levels of acetic acid and ethanal fall within the required parameters for the style.
The AOC law decrees that the wine must age, in the ullaged barrels for a minimum of six years with no racking during the elevate. Today vin jaune accounts for just 3 percent of total production of the Jura wine region.
The AOC rules state that vin jaunes must be bottled in the famous, distinctly shaped Calvin ..... the squat 620mL bottle that is one of the few non-standardised bottles allowed under EU law.
While it isn’t a style of wine you are likely to see floor stacked at your local wine store, it is well worth seeking a bottle out of what is certainly one of the great wine styles of the world. Producers to look for include Pierre Overnoy, Jacques Puffeney, Michel Gamier, Stéphane Tissot and Phillipe Bornard, all of which are available in Australia.
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