Jura wine

Jura wineisFrench wineproduced in theJuradépartement.Located betweenBurgundyandSwitzerland,this cool climatewine regionproduceswineswith some similarity toBurgundyandSwiss wine.Jura wines are distinctive and unusual wines, the most famous beingvin jaune,which is made by a similar process toSherry,developing under aflor-like strain ofyeast.This is made from the localSavagningrape variety. Other grape varieties includePoulsard,Trousseau,andChardonnay.Other wine styles found in Jura includes avin de paillemade from Chardonnay, Poulsard and Savagnin, a sparklingCrémantdu Juramade from slightlyunripeChardonnay grapes, and avin de liqueurknown asMacvin du Juramade by addingmarcto haltfermentation.The renowned FrenchchemistandbiologistLouis Pasteurwas born and raised in the Jura region and owned a vineyard nearArbois.

Detailed map of the Jura wine region.

Climate and geography

Hillside in Jura with vineyards.

The climate of Jura iscontinentalwith many similarities to Burgundy but can be more aggressively cold, especially in the winter time. Ripeness levels of the grapes is always a concern for winemakers of the area andharvesttimes are often delayed as long as possible (usually well into late October) to try to achieve the highest sugar levels possible. To help lessen the threat of autumn frost,grapevinesare oftentrainedto theGuyot system.

The majority of the region's vineyards are found atelevationsof 250–400 metres (800–1,300 feet) between theplainsof theBresseregion and theJura Mountains.The towns ofLons-le-Saunierand Arbois are the principal cities in the wine region. Thevineyard soilstend to be composed of mostlyclayin the lower flat lands with morelimestonebased soils in the higher elevation. Deposits ofmarlare scattered throughout the region with some of the area's most regarded vineyards being found on those sites. Many vineyard slopes are quite steep which creates problems withsoil erosion.

Wine regions

A red Macvin du Jura.

• Arboisis anAppellation d'Origine Contrôléeforwinesmade in the Jura wine region ofFrance,around the town ofArbois.It was the first controlled appellation to be attributed in France, in 1936.Red androséwines can be produced fromPoulsard(locally stylized to Ploussard),Trousseau,andPinot noirgrapes,and white wines fromChardonnayandSavagningrapes.
• Château-Chalon AOCis anAppellation d'Origine Contrôléefor wines made around the village ofChâteau-Chalon.Only white wines from the Savagnin grape made in thevin jaune( "yellow wine" ) style can be made using this appellation. However, the Château-Chalon wines are not explicitly labeled asvin jaune.The wine is known for itslongevity,and ability to age for several decades.
• Crémant du Jurais anAppellation d'Origine Contrôléeforsparkling wines.White and rosé sparkling wines can be produced. White wines must be at least 70% Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Trousseau with the remainder 30% left up to the producer. Rose wines must be at least 50% Pinot Noir, Trousseau or Poulsard. The regions other grape varieties like Savagnin are sometimes blended in as well.Although the AOC only dates to 1995, the production method dates back to the late 1700s. The AOC standard mandates that the grapes be hand-picked, transported in crates with holes that let the grapes oxidise, and the pressing utilizes grape clusters. More recently many organic and biodynamic producers have made high quality brut nature or brut zero expressions made from Chardonnay.
• Côtes du Jurabecame anAppellation d'Origine Contrôléein 1937. It produces red and rosé wines from Poulsard, Trousseau, and Pinot noir grapes, and white wines from Chardonnay and Savagnin grapes.
• L'Étoileis anAppellation d'Origine Contrôléeproducing wines from Chardonnay, Savagnin, and Poulsard grapes. The wine is produced on 4 communes:L'Étoile,Plainoiseau,Quintigny,andSaint-Didier.(There are two common legends concerning the origin of the name, which means "star". One origin story attributes the name to the five hills that surround the village. The second attributes the name to the small, star-shapedpentacritefossils that abound in the soil.)
• Macvin du Jurais anAppellation d'Origine Contrôléeproducinglate harvestvin du Jurafortifiedwithmarc du Jura.On 14 November 1991 it received its AOC designation. It is the latest Jurassian AOC, becoming the thirdvin de liqueurto receive such a designation. Macvin has been in production since the fourteenth century. It is made from five permittedgrape varieties,and can be red or rosé when produced from the Poulsard, Trousseau, and Pinot noir, or white when produced from Chardonnay or Savagnin. The grapes are harvested late in season when their sugar content is at its highest. Thegrape must/juice is allowed to ferment but then Marc du Jura,pomace-basedeau-de-vie,is added at a ratio of one litre for every two of must. This halts fermentation, leaving behindresidual sugar.Macvin is usually used as an aperitif, but the residualsweetmakes it an excellentdessert winetoo.

Grapes and wine

A Poulsard wine from the Arbois AOC.

The main grapes of the region areChardonnay(known locally asMelon d'Arbois, Melon a Queue Rouge and Gamay Blanc),Savagnin(known locally asNaturé),Poulsard,Pinot noir,andTrousseau.Chardonnay and Pinot noirclippingswere brought to the region from Burgundy during theMiddle Agesand were used to a limited degree given that there were some 40 other grape varieties prevalent in Jura for most of its winemaking history. Towards the end of the 20th century both grapes began to increase in popularity, particularly the Chardonnay vine which now accounts for nearly 45% of all Jura plantings and is valued for its good sugar levels and early ripening.

Pinot noir is used to make avarietalstyle of wine or as a blend to deepen the color of the pale Poulsard grape. By itself, Poulsard makes aroséin the Arbois-Pupillinregion that is characterized by an orangecorailtint. The Poulsard grape is also one of the primary grapes for thevin de paille.The Trousseau grape performs best in the gravelly vineyards near Arbois that can give the grape the additional heat it needs to ripen into a deep colored, intensely flavored wine. The white Savagnin grape has some similarities with the possibly relatedTraminerandGewürztraminer.While the grape is permitted in all styles of white Jura wine throughout the region it is mainly found invin jaunewhere it produces a nutty,full bodiedwine that can age for an extended period of time. Savagnin is the only variety allowed for a wine to carry thevin jaunename.

A barrel ofvin jauneshowing the film of yeast that develops on top and the effects of evaporation.

Vin jaune

Vin Jaune ( "yellow wine" ) of Jura in a clavelin wine bottle

Jura's most famous and distinguishable wine isvin jaune,which is often likened to sherry. The only permitted grape variety is Savagnin. After fermentation the wine is stored in Burgundianaging barrelsfor six years or more. The barrels are filled up to the top but evaporation reduces the volume of liquid in the barrel and creates an air pocket at the top of the barrel. During this time the wineoxidizesand grows a film of yeast that is similar to, but not the same strain as, theJerezregionflor.The wine is then bottled in a signature 62-centilitreclavelinwine bottle.Vin jaune is an intensely flavored wine that often requiresdecantingbefore drinking.

Winemaking

Due to the cool climate,chaptalizationis permitted in the Jura region and is sometimes a necessity to compensate for the low sugar levels in the underripevintages.Most white wines in the region are aged inoakfor several months prior to release, while red wines are often aged in stainless steel tanks and bottled early.Producers in the Jura include Gaspard Feuillet, Chateau Béthanie, Domaine Berthet-Bondet,Frédéric Lornet,and Henri Maire.

External links

• Jura wines description