Tony Bornard is one of the leading wine producers in the Jura, churning out a dizzying array of cuvees every year in his winery in the tiny village of Pupillin just up the hill from Arbois.
Jura
The Jura is a fascinating area of France which is famous for great cheese (think Comte) and delicious wines. It lies close to the Swiss border yet is only a hour’s drive from the centre of Burgundy.
The pleasant town of Arbois is at the centre of the wine region but there are many small charming villages that you will want to visit once you take the time to explore the area.
The wines for which the Jura is famous are quite varied. The iconic, oxidative Vin Jaune is possibly the best known of all the wines. The Savagnin juice must be aged in wooden barrels under a veil for a minimum of six years and three months without being topped up. The veil of yeast protects the wine and helps the highly desirable oxidative notes to develop in the wine. During this time the wine develops a golden hue which is why it is called a yellow wine.
However there are also powerful white wines made from Savagnin and a variant of Chardonnay called Melon le Queue Rouge and delicate red wines made from Trousseau, Ploussard and Pinot Noir produced in this region.
The popularity of these wines is increasing dramatically, so much so that it is difficult to keep up the supply.
Domaine de la Loue: Catherine Hannoun
Catherine Hannoun of Domaine de la Loue produces excellent Jura wines from plots near Pupillin and Marnoz. Her Savagnin, from a plot near Pupillin is a real revelation. It is complex, pure and delicious! Her domaine is named after the Loue river which rises from a spring slightly north-west of […]
Jura Wine Region – Thrilling Wines
Jura Region – Introduction The Jura is the wine region that is wedged between Burgundy to the west and Switzerland to the east. It is famous for the oxidative white wines and the light, ethereal red wines. Fifteen years ago when we first visited the Jura with little knowledge of […]
Domaine des Cavarodes – Stunning wines from Etienne Thiebaud
Domaine des Cavarodes – Introduction Etienne Thiebaud commenced making his own wine at Domaine des Cavarodes in the village of Cramans in the northern part of the Jura in 2007. He makes wines of amazing purity which reflect the terroir from which they come on either side of the Loue […]
Domaine Thill – Fine Jura Wines
Eric and Bérengère Thill make wines from their small holdings in the south of the Jura some 45 kilometres south of Arbois. Here they grow the traditional Jura grape varieties including 3.25 hectares of chardonnay, 1 hectare of Savagnin, .35 hectares of Pinot Noir and .7 hectares of Poulsard. They […]
Just add oxygen – Reflections on the allure of oxidative wines
We have been thinking a lot about oxidative wines lately. There are a number of reasons for this. We have been importing Jura wines that are deliberately oxidative ranging from the Vin Jaunes that are exposed to oxygen for many years through to the table wines made from Savagnin and Chardonnay that have slight oxidative qualities.
Charles Dagand – Carlito
Charles Dagand is the owner of Carlito a small, 2.5 hectare, domaine in the heart of the Jura region of France.
Renaud Bruyère and Adeline Houillon – Stunning Jura wines
Renaud Bruyère and Adeline Houillon are young winemakers from the Jura who produce a beautiful, light, ethereal Ploussard and a lovely blended, topped-up white wine made from Chardonnay and Savagnin.
l’Octavin
The l’Octavin wines are lovingly crafted by Alice Bouvot in her Arbois winery using organic grapes from her 3.5 hectares of vineyards scattered around the outskirts of that beautiful town.
Arnaud & Malou Greiner – Beautiful Jura Wines
Arnaud and Malou Greiner are talented and passionate young winemakers from the Jura region of eastern France.