Ch. 10 – Jura Flashcards
Jura climate
Continental climate
- relatively high rainfall
- significant rain during growing season
- spring frost, hail,
- weeds and fungal diseases
- good sunshine levels
Vineyards at west-facing slopes of Jura Mountains
- 250-400m
- mainly clay and marl, with limestone
- vineyards grassed between rows against erosion and to reduce need for herbicides
Mostly replacement-cane pruned at hight (frost)
- VSP to encourage air flow (diseases)
Yields are very low (weather events)
Machine harvesting common, where slopes aren’t too steep
Grape varieties in Jura
Chardonnay
Savagnin
Poulsard
Pinot Noir
Trousseau
Chardonnay in Jura
Most planted variety
Most goes into Cremant du Jura
Savagnin
20% of plantings
Conventional white or oxidative style (including Vin Jaune)
Buds early
Thick skin (good resistance to fungus)
High acidity, med- lemon and apple
Poulsard
Very difficult to grow
- Buds very early (vulnerable to frost)
- Prone to coulure
- Prone to all fungal diseases - thin-skinned
- Ripens early
Very pale ruby (almost translucent)
light intensity red fruit (redcurrant, cranberry) low tannins, high acidity, low to medium alcohol
light body
Pinot Noir in Jura
used in red blends, Cremant du Jura and as single varietal
Trousseau
Thick skins (resistant to fungal disease)
Can suffer from botrytis bunch rot
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 to medium alcohol and light to med- body
Conventional white winemaking in Jura
Typically fermented in steel or old barrels at 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
Conventional red winemaking in Jura
Usually macerated on skins for short time 5-10 days
- relatively low temperatures for reds
Poulsard may be made carbonic or semi carbonic
Aged in old casks
Trousseau and Pinot Noir may be kept on skins a bit longer, to make an age-worthy wine
Vin Jaune winemaking
- Fermenting Savagnin to dryness
- aging in barrels with head-space
- Flor-type yeast develops - ‘le voile’ or veil
- wine remains under flor for at least 5 years (min 6 years total aging)
- not topped up or racked during this time
- some barrels can be withdrawn earlier (2-3 years), having light aromas of both oxidative and biological aging
Producer can inoculate with selected yeast to create flor or allow the process happen naturally (well ventilated cellar, seasonal temp changes)
Alcohol increases by about 1% up to 13.5-15% due to evaporation of water
Must be 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
Vin de Paille (Jura)
Very rare sweet wine made from drying grapes off the vine
All Jura varieties except Pinot Noir are permitted
Must be above 14% abv
Must be aged in oak for at least 18 months and released no sooner than 3 years after vintage
Appellations in Jura
+ their permitted styles
Cotes du Jura AOC
- whole Jura region
- all five styles made, but mostly white
Arbois AOC
- all five styles permitted
- majority of Jura’s red wine is made here
Chateau-Chalon AOC
- Vin Jaune only
- very low max yields
L’Etoile AOC
- white wine only (including Vin Jaune and Vin de Paille)
Wine Law and regulations in Jura
Max yields are moderate, vary by style
White wine
- At least 80% Savagnin and/or Chardonnay
Red and rose
- At least 80% Pinot Noir, Poulsard and/or Trousseau
Vin Jaune
- Only Savagnin
- must be under le voile at least 60 months during which time it cannot be racked or topped up
Vin de Paille
- max yield only 20 hL/ha
