France - Jura Flashcards
Where is the region located and how did it evolve from 1850 to today?
- East of Burgundy, bordering Switzerland
- Was formerly 10 times as large as today
- Major setbacks (mildew, phylloxera, railway) led to radical reduction in land under vine
What is the region known for?
- Distinctive wines from local varieties
- White: Savagnin
- Red: Poulsard and Trousseau
Describe the climate and rain
- Moderate continental climate
- High rainfall (1,100mm)
What problems does the rainfall cause?
- Threat to flowering and fruit set
- Difficult do work in vineyards
- Additional work to control wees and diseases
What are two further potential hazards?
- Spring frost
- Hail
Where are vineyards located and what is the soil?
- West-facing slopes of Jura mountains
- 250-400m altitude
- Soils: mainly clay and marl, with limestone in some places
How are vines trained?
Mostly replacement-cane pruned (higher, bc of frost) with VSP
How is harvest conducted?
- Machine harvest if possible
- By hand if slopes are too steep
Why are yields often well below max yield levels?
- Frost
- Hail
- Heavy rain early and late in the season
What are the grape varieties in descending order (incl. %)
- White
- Chardonnay (40%)
- Savagnin (20%)
- Black
- Poulsard (15%)
- Pinot Noir (13%)
- Trousseau (8%)
Chardonnay
What is it mostly used for?
Crémant du Jura (not discussed here)
Savagnin
What types of wines are produced with this variety?
- Conventional white wines
- Oxidative styles, incl. Vin Jaune
Savagnin
What is its budding time and skin?
- Early-budding -> spring frost
- Thick-skinned -> resistance to fungal diseases
Savagnin
On what soils does the variety thrive?
Steep slopes with marl
Savagnin
Describe the characteristics of conventional wines made from this variety (intensity, aromas, acidity, body, alcohol)
- Medium(–) intensity
- Lemon, apple
- High acidity
- Medium body
- Medium alcohol
Poulsard
What is the budding/ripening time and skin?
- Early-budding -> vulnerable to spring frost
- Early-ripening -> avoid autumn rain
- Prone to coulure
- Thin-skinned -> prone to fungal diseases
Poulsard
Describe the typical style of wine from this variety (color, intensity, aromas, tannin, acidity, alcohol, body, quality, price)
- Very pale ruby
- Low intensity
- Red fruit (redcurrant, cranberry)
- Low tannins
- High acidity
- Medium alcohol (low end)
- Light body
- Good to very good quality
- Mid- to premium priced
Pinot Noir
What is it mostly used for?
- Red blends
- Single varietal red wines
- Crémant du Jura
Trousseau
Describe skin, diseases, and vigor
- Thick skin -> resistance to fungal diseases
- Can suffer from botrytis
- Prone to poor flowering and coulure
- Vigorous -> careful canopy management
Trousseau
Where is the variety planted and why?
- Warm sites (e.g., warm gravels)
- Well-exposed higher, steeper slopes
- To ripen fully
Trousseau
Describe the typical style of wine made from this variety
- Pale ruby
- Low intensity
- Red fruit (red cherry)
- Low to medium tannins
- Medium to high acidity
- Medium alcohol (low end)
- Light to medium(–) body
- Good to very good quality
- Mid- to premium priced
Winemaking
Describe the winemaking process for conventional white wines (varieties, vessels, fermentation temp, malo)
- Savagnin and Chardonnay
- Stainless steel tanks or old barrels
- Mid-range fermentation temps
- Malo commonly used
Winemaking
Describe the winemaking process for conventional red wines (maceration, fermentation temp, ageing)
- Short time on skins (5–10 days), longer for higher quality
- Fermentation temps 30°C or lower
- Poulsard may be made with carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration
- Some aged in old oak (< 1 year)
Winemaking
How much new oak is used?
Very little
Vin Jaune
Describe the winemaking process
- Fermenting Savagnin grapes to dryness
- Ageing in barrels with a headspace
- Thin layer of a flor-type yeast develops (called “the veil”)
- Min 5 years under flor
- Min 6 years of ageing in barrel
Other oxidative whites
Describe the difference to Vin Jaune
- Savagnin barrels are withdrawn earlier (e.g., 2–3 years under the veil)
- May be blended with Chardonnay, either made conventionally or aged under the veil as well
Vin Jaune and other oxidative whites
How is the veil created and what effect does it have on the wine?
- Selected yeasts or naturally (placed in a well-ventilated cellar with seasonal temperature changes)
- Conditions in the cellar are crucial to how the veil forms and how the wines develop
- Alcohol rises by 1% up to 13.5%–15% abv as water transpires
Vin Jaune
Describe the typical style of the wine (color, intensity, aromas, sweetness, acidity, alcohol, body, quality, price, ageing)
- Medium lemon to medium gold
- Pronounced intensity
- Bread dough, walnuts, ginger and green apple
- Dry
- High acidity
- High alcohol
- Medium body
- Very good to outstanding quality
- Premium to super-premium price
- Can age for several decades
Vin Jaune and other oxidative whites
How does the style of other oxidative wines compare to Vin Jaune?
- Similar but much less intense flavours
- Lower alcohol
Vin de Paille
Describe the style and requirements
- Sweet wine through drying grapes off the vine
- All varieties except Pinot Noir
- Min 14% abv
- Typically 70-120 g/L residual sugar
- Min 18 months of ageing in oak
- Earliest release: 3 years after harvest
Name the 5 appellations (incl. ha)
- Crémant du Jura (NOT in scope)
- Côtes du Jura (560 ha)
- Arbois (780 ha)
- Château-Chalon (54 ha)
- L’Etoile (73 ha)
What wines are typically produced in the larger appellations Côtes du Jura and Arbois?
- All five wine styles (red, rosé, white, Vin Jaune and Vin de Paille)
- Côtes du Jura: Mostly white
- Arbois: Mostly red
What wines are typically produced in the smaller appellations Château-Chalon and L’Etoile?
- Château-Chalon: Vin Jaune ONLY
- L’Etoile: White wines only, incl. Vin Jaune and Vin de Paille
What are the regulations for white wines, excl. Vin Jaune and Vin de Paille? (varieties, max yield)
- Min 80% of Savagnin, Chardonnay
- Max yield: 60 hL/ha
What are the regulations for red and rosé wines?
- Min 80% of Pinot Noir, Poulsard, Trousseau
- Max yield: 55 hL/ha
What are the regulations for Vin Jaune?
- Only Savagnin
- Max yield: 60 hL/ha (30 hL/ha in Château-Chalon)
- Min 5 years under the veil (no racking or topping up)
- Earliest release: January, 7 years after harvest
- Must be bottled in 62 cL clavelin bottle
What are the regulations for Vin de Paille?
Max yield: 20 hL/ha
Wine Business
What businesses are involved? (incl. %)
- Estates (50%)
- Négociants (30%)
- Four co-ops (20%)
Wine Business
Name the three companies that account for 50% of wine sold
- Fruitière Vinicole d’Arbois (co-op)
- La Maison de Vigneron (négociant)
- Henri Maire (owned by Boisset)
Wine Business
Comment on organic and natural winemaking
- 20% organic
- Natural winemaking important as well
Wine Business
How much is exported and what is the trend?
- 20%
- Rapid increase
