Ch. 10 – Jura Flashcards
Jura
Jura
Jura climate
Continental climate
- relatively high rainfall (above 1,100mm)
- significant rain during growing season, less at harvest
- spring frost, hail,
- weeds and fungal diseases
- good sunshine levels
Vineyards at west-facing slopes of Jura Mountains
- 250-400m
- mainly clay 80% and marl with limestone 20%
(opposit of Burgundy)
- vineyards grassed between rows against erosion
Mostly replacement-cane pruned at hight (frost)
- VSP to encourage air flow (diseases)
Yields are usually well below max yield (weather events)
(has quite a lot in common with Burgundy, wetter as the clouds break at Jura Mountains)
Hazards in Jura
Hail
Frost
Fungal diseases
Water logged soils
Grape varieties in Jura
Chardonnay Savagnin Poulsard Pinot Noir Trousseau
Chardonnay in Jura
around 40%
most goes into Cremant du Jura
Early budding
Savagnin
20% of plantings
Conventional white or oxidative style (including Vin Jaune)
Buds early
Thick skin (good resistance to fungus)
Thrives on steep slopes with marl
High acidity, med- lemon and apple
Medium body, medium alcohol
(Traminer identical, ‘Nature’ synonym)
Poulsard
also Ploussard
around 15%
Very difficult to grow
- Buds very early (vulnerable to frost)
- Prone to coulure
- Prone to all fungal diseases - extremely thin-skinned
- Ripens early
(Very reductive - reducing SO2)
Very pale ruby (almost translucent)
light intensity red fruit (redcurrant, cranberry) low tannins, high acidity, low end of medium alcohol
light body
Pinot Noir in Jura
used in multi-varietal blends, Cremant du Jura and as single varietal
Trousseau
Thick skins (fungus resistant) Can suffer from botrytis bunch rot and ESCA Prone to poor flowering and coulure
Vigorous (needs careful canopy management)
- need warm site to ripen fully (gravel, steeper slopes etc)
Pale ruby colour, light intensity red fruit (red cherry), low to medium tannins, med (high) acidity, low end of medium alcohol and light to med- body
(Bastardo in Portugal)
Conventional white winemaking
(refered to as ouille - topped up)
Typically ferment in steel or old barrels and mid range temperatures
Malolactic is commonly used
Almost no use of new oak
Some producers make Chardonnay in ‘Burgundian’ style - barrel fermented with lees stirring
New oak in Jura
Almost never used
Conventional red winemaking
Usually macerated on skins for short time 5-10 days
- below 30 degrees
Poulsard may be made carbonic or semi carbonic
Aged in old casks
Trousseau and Pinot Noir kept on skins a bit longer
Vin Jaune winemaking
- Fermenting Savagnin to dryness
- ageing in barrels with head-space (around 5yo)
- Flor-type yeast develops ‘le voile’ or veil
- not topped up or moved for around 6 years
- some barrels can be withdrawn earlier (2-3 years) to make oxidative style Savagnin
- temperature fluctuations are important for flor
- periodic tasting for VA and acetaldehyde
Producer chooses to inoculate wine with selected yeast to create flor or allow the process happen naturally (well ventilated cellar, seasonal temp changes)
- alcohol raises by about 1% up to 13.5-15% due to transpiration of water through the barrels
compulsory bottled in ‘clavelin’ bottle 62cl
Vin Jaune expression
medium lemon to med gold
pronounced aroma of bread dough, walnuts, ginger, green apple
High acidity
Dry with high alcohol and medium body
Very good to outstanding and premium to super-premium
Can age for decades
Bottle for Vin Jaune
Clavelin
62cl
what is the flor on Vin Jaune called
le voile
veil
Serving Vin Jaune
Should not served chilled
- better at 15-16 degrees
Open even a day before and decant
Vin de Paille
Very rare sweet wine made from drying grapes off the vine
All Jura varieties except Pinot Noir are permitted
Must be above 14%
Must be aged in oak for min 18 months and released no sooner than 3 years after vintage
RS usually 70-120 g/l
Appellations in Jura
+ their permitted styles
Cotes du Jura AOC
- whole Jura region
- 560 ha planted
- all five styles made
Arbois AOC
- densely planted
- 780 ha planted
- all five styles permitted
- majority of red wine made here
Chateau-Chalon AOC
- Vin Jaune only
- 54 ha
L’Etoile
- white wine only (including Vin Jaune and Vin de Paille)
- 73 ha
Wine Law and regulations
White wine
- Sauvagnin and/or Chardonnay must make min 80%
- max yield 60 hl/ha
Red and rose
- Pinot Noir, Poulsard and Trousseau make min 80%
- max yield 55 hl/ha
Vin Jaune
- Only Savagnin
- max yield 60 hl/ha (Chateau-Chalon 30 hl/ha)
- must be under le voile min 60 months during which time it cannot be racked or topped up
- Can only be sold from January seven years after harvest
- must be bottles in 62cl Clavelin bottle
Vin de Paille
- max yied 20 hl/ha
Vin Jaune law and regulations
- Only Savagnin
- max yield 60 hl/ha (Chateau-Chalon 30 hl/ha)
- must be under le voile min 60 months during which time it cannot be racked or topped up
- Can only be sold from January seven years after harvest
- must be bottles in 62cl Clavelin bottle
Wine business in Jura
0.3% of production of France
50% estates
30% negociants
4 cooperatives
Large companies: Fruitiere Vinicole d’Arbois, La Maison de Vigneron (negociant) and Henri Marie
Large proportion of organic vineyards (20%) twice a French average
Natural winemaking important for reputation of the region
Strongly affected by vintage variation
Annual wine fair - Percee du Vin Jaune
25% Cremant du Jura
5% Vin Jaune
1% Vin de Paille
5% Macvin (fortified grape juice with Marc)
(What is Macvin)
Late harvested Vin du Jura fortified with Marc du Jura
Barrel ageing for red wines is usually for less than one year.
True or false?
True
