Tag: Cotes du Jura
Domaine Berthet-Bondet Cotes du Jura “Tradition” 2002
I was recently listening to a talk given by wine importer Neal Rosenthal during which he remarked that what motivates and excites him about a wine is when it has subtlety, nuance, and uniqueness. I found myself thinking of this when we opened a bottle of Domaine Berthet-Bondet’s Tradition, a wine produced in France’s Jura region where some of the most remarkable and unique wines in the world are being made. In my mind, the Jura region is the home to producers of wines that speak volumes about the place they come from, the unique production methods that have been handed down by generations, and that challenge both your taste buds and your expectations. Not to mention that they are delicious wines as well.
This bottle from Berthet-Bondet is a perfect example of all of those facets. The Tradition is a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Savagnin that is aged for two years in oak casks without topping up. This period where the wine ages sous voile imparts an exciting range of flavors that no other white wine (other than those produced similarly in the Jura) captures. This approach is unique to Jura producers where it is used to great effect to produce a range of white wines.
Berthet-Bondet does not have the long history of other Jura producers, but they have gained a solid reputation in a relatively short amount of time. The winery was reopened in 1985 by Chantal and Jean Berthet-Bondet after having lain dormant for nearly 50 years. The hectares that comprise the winery’s holdings cover 10 hectares, 5 in the Cotes du Jura appellation and 5 in the very prestigious Chateau-Chalon appellation (where only Savagnin can legally be grown, and only Vin Jaune can legally be produced). From these 10 hectares, Berthet-Bondet produce several wines including a Chateau-Chalon Vin Jaune; a 100%-Savagnin wine that is aged sous voile for three years before bottling; Rubis, a red wine made from Trousseau, Poulsard (the Jura’s two unique red-grape varieties), and Pinot Noir; and a Vin De Paille made from a blend of Chardonnay, Savagnin, and Poulsard.
This particular bottling, Tradition, is the only wine of theirs that I have come across, and we’ve now finished our second bottle, which makes me a bit sad if only because both bottles were quite good, and I’d love to try others from them. Of course, it goes without saying that I’d go nuts to try their Chateau-Chalon*.
What struck me about this wine was how much it had changed in the bottle. The aromas and flavors were all much more pronounced and sharp compared to my memory of previously tasting it. One recurrent theme encountered when reading about Jura white wines regards their aging potential. Vin Jaune is said to age gracefully for 50 years and more, and most producers recommend waiting until they have reached at least 10 years of age before drinking them. And other sous voile whites are said to age well for 20-30 years. In this case we’re only talking about an additional 2 years in bottle, but it is clear that even this amount of time made a difference in the wine in the glass.
The wine pours the color of unpolished brass with a deep, golden luster and glinting amber highlights. The nose has aromas of walnuts, burnt sugar, and nutmeg with hints of citrus. After some time in the glass a creamy, sweet note of custard enters the mix. The wine has a soft, velvety body with a strikingly acidic current running through it. The flavors are similar to the nose, with walnuts, hazelnuts, and burnt sugar accompanied by flavors of creme anglaise and caramel. Notes of walnuts and burnt sugar predominate on the finish, underscored by a citrus acidity.
I was surprised to find this wine had much more sous voile character than I had expected. The nutty, burnt sugar notes that were present throughout the glass were delicious, but admittedly not what I had expected. That being said, this wine confirmed my enjoyment of Jura white wines, which I find to be some of the most exciting and challenging wines (and whites in particular) that I ever have the chance to drink.
This was also a challenging glass temperature-wise. We originally drank it cool, but as time showed, it really needed to warm up for the spices and creaminess to come out. Before that, the acidity was bracing and overwhelmed many of the other flavors. The ideal temperature was somewhere between white wine and red wine temps.
This was a very good wine, and like I said it’s a shame it was our last bottle. Hopefully we’ll stumble across some of their wines again at some point. In the meantime, my eagle eyes will remain alert for the sight of any other Jura white wines.
*Perhaps the most exhilarating “wine dream” that I harbor is to someday try a Chateau-Chalon, the reputed pinnacle of Vin Jaune. Wines from this appellation only began being imported into the U.S. during the last year or two. From that start Chateau-Chalon has fascinated me with its miniscule acreage (~90 hectares), and law permitting the growing of only Savagnin, and the production of only Vin Jaune. With such small acreage, production of Chateau-Chalon is very small, and the wines very hard to find.
The ultra-rarefied version of this dream is to try a Chateau-Chalon from Jean Macle, the Chateau-Chalon winemaker with the highest reputation. But alongside Macle are fine producers such as Berthet-Bondet, Domaine Philippe Butin, and Domaine Durand-Perron. When it comes right down to it, I’d be ecstatic to have the chance to try the Chateau-Chalon from any one of these four producers!!
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Domaine Ganevat Cotes du Jura “Les Grands Teppes” 2003
I never cease to be fascinated by the wines from France’s Jura region. This small winemaking area located to the east of Burgundy is home to some of the most remarkable and unique wines being made anywhere in the world. Ever since I first encountered them a little over two years ago I’ve tried to learn as much as I can about the region and its wines, and of course to try as many as I can reasonably get my hands on.
But trying them is no simple task. Very few wines from the Jura are imported into the U.S. (less than 5% of the overall production). Not only is the region very small, it’s wines can be strange and challenging upon first encountering them. One writer has argued that “The wines of France’s Jura are misunderstood, maligned and not widely imported – but these bottles are the rare artifacts of one of the world’s most singular food and wine cultures…” I wouldn’t hesitate to agree myself.
At the extreme end you have Vin Jaune, the iconic wine that Jura is most renowned for. Vin Jaune is aged in barrels for 6 years and 3 months, during which time the winemaker never tops up the barrel, and the wine develops flavors of walnut, hazelnut, spices, along with a brightening acidity. These wines are fabulous, very rare, and offer up a range of flavors that is highly unusual. It is not uncommon for people trying this wine for the first time to think that there is a defect with the wine.
Alongside Vin Jaune are a host of wines, many of which come from grapes that are unique to Jura. These include whites made from the Savagnin grape, and reds made from Poulsard or Trousseau. The wines made from these grapes can be very interesting and entirely unique. Savagnin wines tend to have a natural hint of nuttiness alongside a distinct acidity and minerality. Poulsard and Trousseau both produce reds that are very light in color with delicate fruit flavors. In fact, in the Jura it is most common for the reds to be served before the whites, because they are the lighter of the two, and the whites the more substantial, food-friendly wine.
As well, a good amount of light, finesse-style Pinot Noir is made, and over half of the total acreage of vines is planted to Chardonnay. So international varieties have their place (some great Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays do come out of Jura), but it is with their unique wines and grapes that the Jura really stands out.
Having said all of that, the wine in question here is a Chardonnay from Domaine Ganevat. Ganevat is located in Rotalier in the southern half of the Jura region. All of their vines are located in the Cotes du Jura AOC, the biggest of the few AOCs in the Jura with 700 hectares. The winery produces a variety of wines from Savagnin, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Poulsard, and Trousseau. The majority are produced using a method referred to in the Jura as “ouillé”.
This last point is where Cotes du Jura wines can be very fun and unpredictable. Winemakers in the Jura make the choice of producing their white wines using either the “ouillé” or “sous-voile” method (Vin Jaune must be made sous-voile). “Ouillé” means that the winemaker topped up the barrel as the wine aged. This is the normal practice throughout the world of wine, and prevents the wine from slowly oxidizing in the barrel. In contrast, a wine made using the “sous-voile” method is not topped up in the barrel. As a result, a thin layer of yeast forms on the top of the wine, which the Jura winemakers refer to as the “voile” or veil. This prevents the wine from turning into vinegar in the barrel, and allows it to slowly age and develop a range of unique flavors, including the nuttiness and spices that are so pronounced in Vin Jaune.
Cotes du Jura white wines are not aged anywhere near as long as Vin Jaune, and so if they are made using the sous-voile method they develop subtle flavors that combine well with the primary fruitiness of chardonnay or the minerality of savagnin. Sous-voile whites from the Jura are fascinating, highly enjoyable wines. And what is more, they match very well with food.
In the case of Domaine Ganevat, most of the wines are made in the “ouillé” style. This Cotes du Jura is made from 100% chardonnaay. The wine was made in 2003, and the label on the bottle carries the designation “La Combe” and “Les Grandes Teppes”. The vines the grapes come from are 85-plus years old. The wine is fermented in oak and aged on the lees for 18-months before bottling.
The wine has a strong, soft-gold color with an almost greenish tint around the edges. The nose has pistachio, apples, and caramelized shallots. The palate is soft and slightly heavy, but with a strong undercurrent of acidity. Balanced against this acidity are wonderful flavors of apples, poached pears, candied lemon rind, and hazelnuts. The finish begins with apples, gives way to a brace of sparkling acidity, and then slowly gives way to more hazelnuts.
What amazed me about this wine is that despite being made in the “ouillé” style, it still had a notable nuttiness. It was very well integrated and not overpowering at all, but still rather unusual for a chardonnay. You can’t help but raise the question of whether this is simple an element of the Jura terroir. The acidity that it had was also very nice, and in the end made the wine feel very fresh. Especially when it kicked in on the finish.
Last weekend I dug up a few more bottles of Jura wines, and I’m very excited to taste them over the coming few weeks. They’re not great summer whites because they don’t really have the refreshing, quaffability I look for in a summer white, but they’re excellent spring and fall whites. So it should be a fun, and provocative few wines that we’ll be drinking this spring!
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