France - Jura Flashcards
Location
Current vineyard size
Previous vineyard size (prior to 1850)
Reasons for decline
Ressurection
- location: east of Burgundy, on the border with Switzerland.
- has approx. 0.5% of all land under vine in France.
- it was once 10x its size today; reasons: a) powdery mildew; b) phyloxera; c) arrival of railway (wines from the south to Paris); d) world wars.
- since 2000’s, has attracted attention from somms & wine enthusiasts because of its distinctive style.
Climate (2 considerations)
Climatic challenges (5)
Effects of climate change (2)
- climate: a) moderate continental climate; b) high rainfall (above 1,100 mm / year).
- climatic challenges: a) spring frost; b) rain in early summer (flowering / fruit set); c) rain at harvest (risk of botrytis / dilute grapes); d) excessive rain makes work in the vineyard difficult; e) hain has been a problem over the last decade.
- effects of climate change: a) region has become warmer; b) the number of extreme weather events (frost, hail) has increased.
Location of best sites (altitude / orientation)
Soil types (2)
How to combat erosion caused by excessive rain?
Why has machine harvesting become more common?
Why have the yields average below max in recent years?
- best sites: a) located on the slopes of the Jura Mountains (250 - 400m ASL); b) west facing slopes
- soil types: a) mostly clay & marl; b) limestone pockets in some places.
- to combat erosion caused by rain; many vineyards are grassed between rows.
- harvest: machine harvest has become more common (except on steeper slopes).
- reasons for recent low yields: a) weather hazzards: frost, hail, heavy rain eearly in the season; b) excessive heat / drought later in the season.
Why is it the most planted grape variety in Jura?
How much does it represent of the total plantings?
- it’s the most planted grape variety (40%) but much of it goes into Cremant du Jura.
Budding / ripenning
Advantage
Disadvantage
Flavour characteristics
- early budding / ripening n/a
- advantages: a) it has a thick skin (less vulnerable to botrytis)
- disadvantages: a) vulnerable to spring frost.
- flavour characteristics: med (-) intensity of lemon and apple, high acid, med body and med alcohol.
% of land under vine
Budding /ripening
Advantages & disadvantages
Flavour characteristics
- most planted black grape variety (15%).
- early budding / early ripening.
- advantage: a) less vulnerable to autum rains.
- disadvantage: a) vulnerable to spring frost; b) thin skinned; c) vulnerable to all fungal diseases; d) prone to coulure
- flavour characteristics: very pale ruby in colour, low intensity of red fruit (redcurrant, cherry), low tannins, high acid, low to med alc and light body; typically good to v. good in price, mid - premium priced.
% of plantings
Where it’s used (3)
- 2nd most planted black variety (just below 15% of total plantings)
- used in: a) red blends; b) Cremant du Jura; c) more increasingly as a varietal wine.
Budding / ripening
Advantage
Disadvantages (3)
Flavour characteristics
- budding n/a, late ripening
- advantage: thick-skinned (good resistance to fungal diseases).
- disadvantages: a) vigorous variety; b) prone to poor flowering / coulure; c) if it’s not on a warm site, won’t ripen fully.
- flavour characteristics: pale ruby, low intensity of red fruit (red cherry), low to med tannins, med to high acid, low to med alc and light to med body; typically good to v. good and mid-priced to premium.
Conventional white winemaking considerations (3)
Red winemaking considerations (5)
Oak usage (4 considerations)
- Conventional whites: a) typically fermented in stainless steel / old barrels; b) mid-range temps (fruity esters not desired); c) malo commonly used.
- red wines: a) typically short maceration (5-10 days); b) temp limited to 30oC or below; c) Poulsard may be made with carbonic; d) some are aged in old oak for a few months; e) Trousseau and Pinot maybe kept on skins for longer (more structure wine).
- oak usage: a) most winemaking (white & red) is done in old oak; b) very little NFO is used; c) white and red matured in tank or old oak to preserve primary; d) some producers make Chardonnay in a ‘Burgundian’ style (barrel fermented lees stirring).
Vin Jaune winemaking considerations (6)
Other oxidative whites (3)
Vin Jaune style
- Vin Jaune winemaking: a) Savagnin fermented to dryness; b) aged in barrels with headspace; c) development of le voile (flor-like yeast); d) barrels must not be topped for 60 months; e) le veil yeast may be inoculated or natural; f) alc level rises by about 1 degree to 13.5% to 15% (transpiration of water through barrels).
- Other oxidative whites: a) Savagnin barrels can be withdrawn much earlier (2-3 years); b) can be blended with Chardonnay; c) this Chardonnay may be conventional or aged under the veil.
- Vin Jaune style: med lemon to med gold in colour, pronounced aromas of bread dough, walnuts, ginger and green apple; high acid, high alc, med body; good to outstanding, premium to super-premium; can age for several decades.
Permitted varieties
Rules (5)
- made by drying the grapes off the vines.
- all Jura varieties (except Pinot) are permitted.
- rules: a) must be above 14% alc; b) grapes must have been dried off the vines; c) RS typically between 70 - 120 g/L; d) must be aged in oak for a min of 18 months; e) can’t be released before 3 years after vintage.
Cotes du Jura AOC (location, permitted styles and most produced style)
Arbois AOC (location, permitted styles, most produced style
Chateau Chalon AOC (location and permitted style)
L’Etoile AOC (locatoin and permitted style)
- Cotes du Jura AOC: a) regional app. for the whole of Jura;
b) styles = all 5; c) most wine produced under this app is white. - Arbois AOC: a) densily planted AOC around the city of Arbois; b) styles = all 5; c) majority of Jura’s red is made here.
- Chateau-Chalon AOC: a) located south of Arbois; b) restricted to Vin Jaune.
- L’Etoile AOC: a) located sout-east of Chateu-Chalon; b) white wines only (including Vin Jaune & Vin de Paille)
All the appellations share the same production rules
Conventional white wine (blend / yield)
Red & rose wines (blend / yield)
Vin Jaune (blend, yield inc Chateu-Chalon, ageing rules, size of the bottle)
Vin de Paille (permitted varieties, sugar concentration method, cellar maturation, min alc level)
- the appellations share the same production rules:
- conventional white wine: a) Savagnin and/or Chardonnay = min of 80% of the blend; b) max yield: 60 hL/ha
- red & rose wines: a) Pinot, Poulsard & Trousseau = min of 80% of the blend; b) yield: 55 h/L.
- Vin Jaune: a) Savagnin only; b) yield = 1) VJ: 60 hL/ha; CC: 30 hL/ha; c) must be aged under veil for 60 months; d) wine mustn’t be racked / topped up; e) can only be sold from Jan 7 years after the harvest; f) must be bottle in 62 cL bottles.
- Vin de Paille: a) grapes must be dried off the vines; b) wine must be aged in barrels for 18 months; c) can only be release 3 years after vintage; d) must be above 14% alc.
Production by vol (estates x negociants x coops)
Reasons for Jura’s reputation for artisan wines (2)
What’s the main impact of vintage variation?
International x domestic markets
- production by vol: a) estates = 50%; b) negociants = 30%;
c) coops = 20%. - Jura has a reputation for artisan wines: a) 20% of vineyards are organic (2x French average); b) low-intervention / natural winemaking are very important in the region.
- production volume is strongly affected by vintage variation.
- domestic market = 80%
- export market = 20%
