«It’s 50 B.C. All of Gallia is occupied by Romans… All of it? No! There’s a small town populated by the implacable Gallic people that still stands strong…» That’s exactly how an Asterix comic book starts out and how our story about Jura, one of the oldest wine regions in France, could begin. 1,900 hectares of vineyards that resist Parker and company’s onslaught of globalization thanks to a variety of wines among which vin jaune (yellow wine) stands out, a genuine rarity parallel to fino and manzanilla by crianza bajo velo (which involves allowing a veil of flor yeast to form on the surface of the must in the casks), although the fruitiness and the savagnin acidity render a unique character in them.
Berthet-Bondet 2006
(A.O.C. Chateau-Chalon)
Château-Chalon is a legend, a small denomination of origin of only 45 hectares where yellow cult wines are made. There was no luck this time; the wine wasn’t there and although we waited, it never came. One-dimensional and with a plain smell, it reminded us, for its rusty tones, of an amontillado from Jerez and a Bavarian tavern with a persistent aroma of roasted apples.
Jacques Puffeney Vin Jaune 2007
(A.O.C. Arbois)
Puffeney is a small, old-school producer, admirer of the local yeast they use in the old barrels for the production of their wines. Complex, elegant and exuberant, it demands that you savor it slowly and appreciate the evolution of each aroma: peach, pear, apple, white flowers… Fresh, tantalizing and unctuous.
Benedict & Stephane Tissot Vin Jaune “La Vasée”
(A.O.C. Arbois)
A reference of Arbois, with 35 hectares of biodynamic land. In spite of its youth, this 2005 wine is a fact: mature, sumptuous and very easy to drink. Through the nose, a parade of aromas takes place: balsamic smells (laurel, eucalyptus) from the flor aging process, as well as sweet memories (honey, pastries).