France: Jura, Savoie and Bugey Flashcards
Outline the climate of Jura.
Cool continental
Harshly cold in the winter
What are the most significant climactic hazards Jura experiences?
- Spring frosts
- High rainfall (1100ml per year) including significant rain during the growing season
- Hail
Describe the topography of Jura.
Vineyards are located on west-facing slopes of the Jura mountains with altitudes of 250-400m.
Clay and marl soils with limestone in some places.
What are the three red grape varieties of Jura?
- Pinot Noir
- Trousseu
- Poulsard
What are the two most important white grape varieties of Jura?
Chardonnay
Savagnin
Outline the characteristics of Savignin.
Savagnin buds early
and thus is prone to spring frosts. It is a thick-skinned variety with good resistance to fungal
diseases and thrives on the steep marlstone slopes.
The conventional wines have high acidity
and medium (–) lemon and apple fruit, a medium body and medium alcohol.
What is the most planted grape variety of Jura?
Poulsard
Outline the characteristics of Poulsard.
- Early budding (prone to spring frosts) early ripening
- Susceptible to coulure and fungal diseases (due to thin skin)
- The wines are very pale ruby, almost translucent in colour and have
low intensity red fruit (redcurrant, cranberry), low tannins, high acidity, low end of medium
alcohol and a light body.
Outline the characteristics of Trousseau.
- Thick skins - resistant to fungal disease
- Can suffer from botrytis
- Prone to poor flowering and coulure
- Vigourous
- Requires a warm site to fully ripen
Outline the winemaking for conventional white wines in Jura.
Savagnin and Chardonnay for conventional white wines are typically fermented in stainless
steel tanks or old barrels at mid-range fermentation temperatures because fruity esters are not desired. Malolactic conversion is commonly used.
What is Vin Jaune?
Literally ‘yellow wine’
Deliberately oxidised wine produced exclusively from Savagnin.
Outline the winemaking of Vin Jaune wines in Jura.
This wine is made by fermenting
Savagnin grapes to dryness and then ageing the wine in barrels with a headspace. A thin layer of a flor-type yeast develops, here called le voile or the veil.
What are the elevage requirements of Vin Jaune in Jura?
- Vin Jaune has to remain under flor for
a min. of 5 years/60months (without topping). - Must be aged in oak until Dec 15, 6 years after harvest.
- Cannot be released until Jan, 7 years after harvest.
What is the bottle reserved for Vin Jaune, Jura?
62 cl “Clavelin”
Is the flor for Vin Jaune wines natural or encouraged?
Either
Producers may choose to inoculate the
wine with selected yeasts to create flor, or allow the process to happen naturally by making sure the barrels are placed in a well-ventilated cellar with seasonal temperature changes.
Describe a Vin Jaune wine from Jura.
Vin Jaune is typically medium lemon to medium gold in colour with pronounced aromas of bread dough, almond, ginger and green apple. Acidity is high. The wines are dry, often with high alcohol and medium body. They are very good to outstanding in quality and premium to super-premium in price. They are renowned for being able to age for several decades owing
to their flavour concentration, complexity and oxidative winemaking.
What are Vin de Paille wines in Jura?
This is a sweet wine made using grapes dried off the vine
What grape varieties are permitted for Vin de Paille wines in Jura?
Chardonnay, Poulsard, Savagnin, and Trousseau
What are the requirements for Vin de Paille wines in Jura?
- Permitted varieties Chardonnay, Poulsard, Savagnin and Trousseau (all but Pinot Noir).
- Must be harvested in tries
- Must be 14% abv +
- Grapes destined for Vin de Paille must be dried for a min. 6 weeks
- They must be aged in oak for a min. of 18 months and released no sooner than 3 years after vintage.
What are the six appellations in Jura?
- Côtes de Jura AOP
- Macvin de Jura AOP
- Crémant de Jura AOP
- Arbois AOP
- Château-Chalon AOP
- l’Etoile AOP
What styles of wine are produced under the Côtes de Jura AOP?
All five styles
Blanc, Rosé, Rouge, Vin de Paille, “Vin Jaune
What single commune of Arbois AOP may append its name on the label?
Pupillin
What styles of wine are made under the Arbois AOP?
Blanc, Rosé, Rouge, Blanc Vin de Paille, Blanc “Vin Jaune”
What is the leading AOP for Jura?
Arbois AOP
What styles of wine are made under the L’Etoile AOP?
Blanc, Vin Jaune and Vin de Paille wines only
How did the L’Etoile AOP get its name?
Named after the local fossil shaped like a star
L’Etoile = the star
What style styes of wine are made under the Château Chalon AOP?
Vin Jaune only
What are the assemblage requirements for Cremant de Jura?
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and/or Trousseau must comprise a minimum of 70% of the cuvée. Rosés must contain a minimum of 50% gray or black varieties.
What are the elevage requirements for Crémant de Jura?
Min. 9 months on lees, 12 months total
What is Macvin de Jura?
Vin de Liqueur of Jura
Name three producers in Jura.
- Domaine Jacques Tissot
- Domaine Rolet
- Jean-François Ganevat
What are the max. yields for blanc, rouge and vin de paille wines in Jura?
Blanc: 60hL/ha
Rouge: 55hL/ha
Vin de Paille: 20hL/ha
What are the assemblage requirements for Jura’s white wines? (excluding Château Chalon).
White wines must contain a min. 80% combined Savagnin and Chardonnay
What are the assemblage requirements for Jura’s red and rosé wines?
Pinot Noir, Poulsard and Trousseau must make up a minimum of 80 per cent of the blend.
What are the max. yields per hectare for Vin Jaune wines in Jura?
60hL/ha
30hL/ha in Château Chalon
Who owns what in Jura? (business type).
Estates control 50 per cent of wine volumes
produced in Jura. Négociants are the next
biggest business section, with nearly 30 per
cent. Four co-operatives account for the rest
What are the three most important companies of Jura?
Three companies account for nearly 50% of the wine sold:
* the co-operative Fruitière Vinicole d’Arbois
* the négociant La Maison de Vigneron and
* Henri Maire(small négociant with large vineyard holdings)
Alongside these three, there are many small
estates.
What is the name of the wine fair held in Jura annually?
Percée du Vin Jaune
What percentage of Jura’s production is exported?
Around 20%
What is the biggest economical issue for Jura? Example?
Significant vintage variation.
For example, the yield of 2019 was around half of the yield of 2018.
Where is Savoie?
The French Alps
Borders both Italy and Switzerland
What two lakes moderate the climate of Savoie?
Lake Bourget
Lake Geveva
What are the five most important grape varieties of Savoie?
- Jacquère
- Altesse
- Roussane
- Chardonnay
- Chasselas
What are the three most important red grape varieties of Savoie?
- Gamay
- Mondeuse
- Pinot Noir
What is Roussane known as locally in Savoie?
Bergeron
What are the six AOPs of Savoie?
- Vin de Savoie
- Crémant de Savoie
- Roussette de Savoie
- Seyssel
- Bugey
- Roussette de Bugey
Roussette is a synonym for what grape variety in Savoie?
Altesse
Name two producers of Savoie.
- Domaine Belluard
- Domaine des Ardoisières
