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 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 […]