France - Jura and Savoie

Question 1

AOP’s of Jura

Answer 1

• Côtes du Jura AOP- Blanc, Rosé, Rouge, Blanc Vin de Paille, Blanc “Vin Jaune”
• Macvin du Jura AOP-Vdl Blanc / Rosé / Rouge
• Crémant du Jura AOP- Vin Mousseux Blanc & Rosé
• Arbois AOP-Blanc, Rosé, Rouge, Blanc Vin de Paille, Blanc “Vin Jaune”
• Château-Chalon AOP- Blanc “Vin Jaune”
• l’Etoile AOP-Blanc “Vin Jaune”

Question 2

AOP’s of Savoie

Answer 2

• Vin de Savoie/Savoie AOP
  Blanc, Rosé, Rouge, Mousseux/Pet-Nat & Rosé
• Crémant de Savoie AOP-Mousseux Blanc
• Roussette de Savoie AOP- Blanc
• Roussette de Savoie AOP- Blanc, Mousseaux Blanc
• Bugey AOP- Blanc, Rosé, Rouge & Vin Mousseux/Pétillant Blanc & Rosé
• Roussette du Bugey AOP-Blanc

Question 3

Cotes de Jura AOP

Answer 3

• Permitted varietals- Chardonnay, Savagnin, Pinot Noir, Trousseau, Poulsard (Plousard) Blanc, Rouge, Rosé, and Vin de Paille wines may be single varietal wines or blends. Principal varieties must account for a majority of any blend. Blanc min abv 10.5% Rouge/Rose 10% min abv
• Vin de Paille - must be harvested manually in successive tries. Grapes for Vin de Paille must be dried for a min. 6 weeks. Minimum alcohol 19%
• Vin Jaune -Must be 100% Savagnin
  Bottle Shape: Vin Jaune wines must be bottled in a 62 cl “Clavelin” (20 oz) 10.5% min alcohol
  Aging: Must be aged in barrel (228L) until Dec. 15 of the sixth year following the harvest without topping, including at least 60 months under the “voile”, may be released on Jan.1 of the seventh year following the harvest
• Vine training- Preference is for high trellising, to keep the vines safe from the ground frosts
• Producers Ganevat, Buronfosse

Question 4

Macvin du Jura AOP

Answer 4

• Vin de Liqueur Blanc: Chardonnay and/or Savagnin
• Vin de Liqueur Rosé / Rouge Pinot Noir, Poulsard, and/or Trousseau
• Minimum/Maximum Alcohol: 16-22%
• Mutage: fortification with eau-de-vie of at least 52% abv. (the eau-de-vie must be aged in oak for at least 14 months prior to mutage) Eau-de-vie (Marc) is a distillate from grape pomace
• Min. 10 months in oak

Question 5

Cremant du Jura AOP

Answer 5

• Est. 1995
• Méthode traditionelle
• Mousseux Blanc: Min. 70% combined Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and/or Trousseau
• Mousseux Rosé: Min. 50% combined Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Trousseau, and/or Poulsard
• Aging-Traditional Method Secondary Fermentation. Must spend min. 9 months on the lees prior to dégorgement, may not be released for a min. 12 months after the date of tirage

Question 6

Vin de Paille (Straw wine)

Answer 6

• Chardonnay, Savagnin, Poulsard, Trousseau
• Vin de Paille ‘straw wine’, made only in the ripest vintages. Best known example is made in the Cotes du Jura (Arbois and sometimes L’Étoile) May be labeled Arbois, L’Etoile, or Côtes du Jura.
• This sweet wine is made from raisined/dried grapes. Ripe but not botrytised grapes are left to dry for a minimum of six weeks after harvest. Either spread out on straw (paille) or laid or hung on wooden racks in well-ventilated rooms. This causes water content to evaporate and the sweetness/total extract content to increase enormously.
• Fermentation lasts between 12-24 months, then 3 years minimum aged in oak. Bottled in half bottles 375ml. - Min abv 14%

Question 7

Arbois AOP

Answer 7

• Red/white/rose/Vin Jaune/Vin de Paille
• Located within Cotes du Jura appellation
• Rouge/rose: Poulsard, Trousseau, PN
• Blanc: Chardonnay, Savagnin
• Assemblage: Blanc, Rouge, Rosé, and Vin de Paille wines may be single varietal wines or blends. Principal varieties must account for a majority of any blend.
• Min abv- Blanc/Vin Jaune: 10.5%
  Rouge/Rosé: 10%
  Vin de Paille: 19% (14% acquired)
• Soil-Rich alluvial soils surrounding the Cuisance river to the east
• Vine training -High trellising to keep vines safe from ground frosts
• Producers- Benedicte & Stephane Tissot, Domaine du Pelican

Question 8

L’Etoile AOP

Answer 8

• White wine-only appellation, takes its name from a local fossil, shaped like a five-pointed star. L’Etoile translates to star.
• Chardonnay, Poulsard, and Savagnin
  Generally bottled late in an oxidative style
• Min alcohol-
  Blanc/Vin Jaune: 10.5%
  Vin de Paille: 19% (14% acquired)
• Vin Jaune: Wines must be aged in barrel until Decemeber 15 of the sixth year following the harvest without topping, including at least 60 months under the “voile”,, and may be released on January 1 of the seventh year following the harvest.
• Vin de Paille: Wines must be aged until November 15 of the third year following the harvest, including a min. 18 months in oak, and may be released on December 1 of the third year following the harvest.
• Additional Requirements for Vin de Paille: Grapes must be harvested by hand in successive tries. Chaptalization is forbidden.Grapes must be dried for a min. 6 weeks
• Producers- Domaine de Montbourgeau,
  Nicolas Jacob, Domaine Philippe Vandelle

Question 9

Château-Chalon AOP

Answer 9

• Vin Jaune only
• 100% Savagnin
• Min alcohol 12%
• Must be aged in barrel until December 15 of the sixth year following the harvest without topping, including at least 60 months under the “voile”,, and may be released on January 1 of the seventh year following the harvest
• Must be bottled in a 62 cl “Clavelin”
• Vine training - Single or Double Guyot and Cordon de Royat
• Producers: Jean Bourdy, Domaine Jean Macle, Domaine Berthet-Bondet

Question 10

Roussette de Savoie AOP

Answer 10

100% Altesse (Rousette)

Question 11

Seyssel AOP

Answer 11

• Vin Mousseux must include min. 75% Molette and min. 10% Altesse
• Still Seyssel wines are typically 100% Altesse
• Varietally labelled Molette (100%) also permitted

Question 12

Savoie AOP

Answer 12

• Continental Alpine climate
• Moderated by Lake Bourget and the larger Lake Geneva, known as Lac Léman in France
• Vin de Savoie AOP (one of six AOPs) is the region’s overarching appellation.

Main Varietals:
* Blanc- Jacquère (most commom) Altesse, Roussanne (Bergeron), and Chardonnay
* Rouge- Gamay, Mondeuse, Pinot Noir, Persan
* Others- Chardonnay, Gringet, Chasselas, Mondeuse Blanc, Marsanne, Verdesse, Cab Sauv, CF

• Minimum Potential Alcohol:
  Rouge/Rosé: 9.5%
  Varietal Pinot Noir/Gamay: 9.5%
  Other Varietal Red/Rosé: 9%
  Blanc: 9%
  Varietal Chardonnay: 10%
  Varietal Jacquère: 8.5%
  Other Varietal Whites: 9%
  Base wines for Vin Mousseux/Pétillant: 9%
• Chignin-Bergeron produces 100% Roussanne wines exclusively, while the crus of Marignan, Ripaille, and Crépy—all located along the southern shores of Lake Geneva—mandate a minimum 80% Chasselas.
• Mostly lime-rich glacial material
• Producers: Domaine Belluard (RIP), Domaine des Ardoisieres, Dolin (Vermouth),

Question 13

Roussette du Bugey AOP

Answer 13

100% Altesse