Jura

Question 1

Jura History

Answer 1

This small region, which has around 0.5 per cent of all land under vine in France, is to the east of Burgundy and borders Switzerland. It was once ten times its size today. In the century following 1850 a series of major setbacks (mildew, phylloxera, arrival of the railway enabling transport of wines from the south of France to Paris, world wars) led to a radical reduction in land under vine.

Question 2

Jura Climate

Answer 2

• Jura has a moderate continental climate with relatively high rainfall (above 1,100 mm per year) including significant rain during the growing season. In early summer rain can pose a threat to flowering and fruit set (reducing yield) and excessive rain in the vineyards can make any work in the vineyard very difficult.
• (Spring frost can also be a problem.)
• Long periods of wet weather during the season (exacerbated by the heavy clay soils) means additional work to control weeds and combat fungal diseases, adding cost.
• Hail has been a problem during the last decade, causing losses.
• Climate change has brought significant extra warmth and the Jura enjoys good sunshine levels.

Question 3

Jura Vineyard Sites(direction, altitude, soil, grass)

Answer 3

• The vineyards are located on west-facing slopes of the Jura Mountains at altitudes of between 250 and 400 m with soils that are mainly clay and marl, with limestone in some places.
• Many vineyards are grassed between the rows to reduce erosion due to the slope and limit herbicide use (grass grown between rows means that herbicide use can be limited to the ground immediately below the vines)

Question 4

Jura Pruning Options

Answer 4

• The vines are mostly replacement-cane pruned at some height above the ground to mitigate the frost risk.
• Vertical shoot positioning is used to encourage the flow of air to reduce the threat of fungal disease.
• Machine harvest has become more popular except where slopes are too steep, reducing cost and enabling growers to harvest rapidly and efficiently.

Question 5

Jura Yields

Answer 5

• Yields have averaged well below the maximum yield figures allowed in the decade to 2017, due to various weather hazards, (frost, hail, heavy rain early in the season causing mildew outburst and excessive heat/drought later in the season) and caused increased costs.
• For example, red wine at AOC level averaged only 23 hL/ha in 2017, less than half the maximum allowed.1

Question 6

Jura Top varieties

Answer 6

• Chardonnay (40%)
• Savagnin (20%)
• Poulsard (red) (15%)
• Pinot Noir (13%)
• Trousseau (8%)

Question 7

Chardonnay

Answer 7

• This is the most planted variety but much of it goes into Crémant du Jura.
• As an early budding variety, it is prone to spring frosts.

Question 8

Savagnin Vine Characterisitcs

Answer 8

• This white variety makes both conventional white wine and wine in oxidative styles including Jura’s most distinctive wine, Vin Jaune.
• Savagnin buds early and thus is prone to spring frosts. It is a thick-skinned variety with good resistance to fungal diseases. It thrives on the steep slopes with marl.

Question 9

Savagnin wine styles conventional

Answer 9

• The conventional wines have high acidity and medium (–) lemon and apple fruit, a medium body and medium alcohol.

Question 10

Poulsard Vine Characteristics

Answer 10

• Also known as Ploussard, this is the most planted black variety. As a variety that buds very early, it is vulnerable to spring frost. It ripens early, enabling growers to harvest it if there is a threat of autumn rain.
• It is also prone to coulure (leading to reduction in yield) and to all the fungal diseases as it is thin-skinned (and thus requires constant attention in the vineyard, adding to cost).

Question 11

Poulsard Wine Style, quality, price

Answer 11

• 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.
• The wines are typically good to very good in quality and mid- to premium priced.

Question 12

Pinot Noir

Answer 12

• This is the second most planted black variety and is used in multi-variety red blends, in Crémant du Jura and increasingly as a single variety red wine.

Question 13

Trousseau

Answer 13

• This is a black variety with thick skins, giving it resistance to fungal diseases, though it can suffer from botrytis bunch rot. It is prone to poor flowering and coulure, reducing yields. As a vigorous variety, it requires careful canopy management.
• To ripen fully it needs a warm site (for example, warm gravels and by planting it on either the warm lower part of the slope or on well-exposed higher, steeper slopes).

Question 14

Trousseau Wine Styles, quality, and price

Answer 14

• The wines are pale ruby in colour and have low intensity red fruit (red cherry), low to medium tannins, medium to high acidity, low end of medium alcohol and a light to medium (–) body.
• The wines are typically good to very good in quality and mid- to premium priced.

Question 15

Jura Chardonnay & Savagnin Winemaking

Answer 15

• Typically fermented in stainless steel tanks or old barrels at mid-range fermentation temperatures as fruity esters are not desired. Malolactic conversion is commonly used.

Question 16

Jura red winemaking

Answer 16

• Most red wines are macerated on the skins for a short time (5–10 days) with temperatures limited to 30oC (86oF) or below.
• Poulsard may be made with carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration, contributing to a fruity style of wine. Some are aged in large old oak barrels and casks for a few months before bottling and release.
• Trousseau and Pinot Noir may be kept on the skins for longer for a more structured wine (more flavour concentration and more tannins) with the capacity to age in bottle.
• Ageing in barrel for red wines is usually less than one year.

Question 17

Jura winemaking use of oak

Answer 17

• Much winemaking for both white and red wines is in old barrels of various sizes with very little new oak being used.
• Both white and red wines are matured either in tank or in old wood barrels, preserving primary fruit and reducing cost.
• Some estates make Chardonnay in what is known as a Burgundian style, i.e. barrel fermented with possible lees stirring for added richness.

Question 18

Vin Jaune and related whites general winemaking

Answer 18

• Vin Jaune is made by fermenting Savagnin grapes to dryness and then ageing in barrels with a headspace. A thin layer of a flor-type yeast develops, here called le voile or the veil
• The wine has to remain under flor for a minimum
  of five years within a total ageing requirement of six years in the barrel.

Question 19

Vin Jaune and related whites in depth winemaking

Answer 19

• Producers may choose to inoculate the wine with selected yeasts to create the flor or allow the process to happen naturally by making sure the barrels are placed in a well-ventilated cellar with seasonal temperature changes.
• The barrel- ageing cellar location and conditions are considered crucial to how the veil forms and how these wines develop in barrel
• As the level of flor is thin and there is no fresh wine added, the wines develop the aromas of both biological and oxidative ageing.
• The alcohol level rises by about 1 degree up to 13.5%–15% abv due to the transpiration of water through the barrels.

Question 20

Vin Jaune and related whites wine style, quality, and price

Answer 20

• Vin Jaune is typically medium lemon to medium gold in colour and has pronounced aromas of bread dough, almond, ginger and green apple with high acidity. The wines are dry, often with high alcohol and are medium bodied.
• 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.
• Other related white wines have similar but much less intense flavours and are not so high in alcohol.

Question 21

Savagnin/chardonnay that didnt make it to vin Jaune

Answer 21

Many Savagnin barrels are withdrawn earlier than wines destined to be Vin Jaune. These are used to make Savagnin with light aromas from biological and oxidative ageing (having only had 2–3 years under the veil) or to be blended with Chardonnay. The Chardonnay may have been made conventionally, or itself aged under the veil.

Question 22

vin de paille

Answer 22

• Jura also makes very small amounts of Vin de Paille, a sweet wine made by drying the grapes off the vine.
• All Jura varieties except Pinot Noir are permitted.
• The wines must be above 14% abv, and residual sugar levels are typically 70–120 g/L.
• They must be aged in oak for a minimum of 18 months and released no sooner than three years after vintage.

Question 23

Jura Appellations

Answer 23

• Côtes du Jura AOC
• Arbois AOC
• Château-Chalon AOC
• L’Etoile AOC
• Cremant du Jura AOC

Question 24

Côtes du Jura AOC

Answer 24

• regional appellation for the whole of the Jura wine region including the more specific village appellations below, around 560 ha planted.
• All five wine styles may be made (red, rosé, white, Vin Jaune and Vin de Paille) but most of the wine produced under this AOC is white.

Question 25

Arbois AOC

Answer 25

• compact, densely planted AOC around the town of the same name in the north of the Jura wine region, around 780 ha planted.
• All five wine styles may be made. The majority of Jura’s red wines are made here.

Question 26

Château-Chalon AOC

Answer 26

• restricted to Vin Jaune only, 54 ha.

Question 27

L’Etoile AOC

Answer 27

• white wines only including Vin Jaune and Vin de Paille, 73 ha.

Question 28

Jura appellation laws for white wine

Answer 28

• The appellations share the same production rules
• White wine, excluding Vin Jaune and Vin de Paille, Savagnin and/or Chardonnay must make up a minimum of 80 per cent of the blend and the maximum yield is 60 hL/ha

Question 29

Jura appellation laws for red wine and rose

Answer 29

• Pinot Noir, Poulsard and Trousseau must make up a minimum of 80 per cent, maximum yield 55 hL/ha.

Question 30

Jura appellation laws for vin jaune

Answer 30

• Vin Jaune: Only Savagnin can be used and the maximum yield is 60 hL/ha, except in Château-Chalon that restricts yields to 30 hL/ha.
• The wine must be under le voile for a minimum of 60 months, during which time it must not be racked or topped up, and it can only be sold to the consumer from January, seven years after harvest.
• This wine must be bottled in 62 cL clavelin bottle, an exception to EU legislation for standard bottle sizes.

Question 31

Jura appellation laws for vin de paille

Answer 31

• Vin de Paille: maximum yield is 20 hL/ha

Question 32

Jura wine business producers

Answer 32

• In terms of volume of wine produced, Jura’s wine businesses are divided between estates (50 per cent) with négociants (nearly 30per cent) and four co-operatives accounting for the rest.
• Three companies account for nearly 50 per cent of the wine sold: the co-operative, Fruitière Vinicole d’Arbois, the négociant La Maison de Vigneron (owned by Grands Chais de France) and Henri Maire (owned by Boisset and a very small négociant business but retaining large vineyard holdings).
• Alongside these three, there are many small estates.

Question 33

Jura wine business organic/natural wine making & vintage variation

Answer 33

• Both organic grape growing (about
  20 per cent of vineyards, around twice the French average) and natural winemaking are important in the region, contributing to Jura’s reputation for artisan wines.
• Production volume is strongly affected by vintage variation. Over the five years to 2016–17, the range has been between 45,000 hL and 105,000 hL

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Question 34

Jura wine business exports & the Percee du vin Jaune

Answer 34

• Approaching 20 per cent of the wine is exported. Exports have increased rapidly over the 15 years to 2018.
• The Percée du Vin Jaune is a large annual wine fair held in the region that has done much to raise the profile of Vin Jaune and of Jura as a wine producing region.