Bonjour Jura!

BY NICOLAS GREINACHER | AUGUST 27, 2024

The Jura is a notable wine region sandwiched between Burgundy and Switzerland. Today, it is firing on all cylinders. This report focuses on impressions from a packed four-day schedule, torpedoed by a rambling mildew situation that kept winemakers occupied in their vineyards rather than hosting wine writers. Nonetheless, I evaluated over 230 wines from vintages stretching back to 1977, made by three dozen wineries. Readers are invited to consult the comprehensive producer profiles to learn more about the individual producers I visited.

With this first report of what will be regular yearly coverage of the region, I couldn’t be more excited to share my thoughts on one of the world’s most fascinating wine areas. Because of its close proximity to my home base in Zurich and its convenient location when traveling to Burgundy, I started to visit Jura over ten years ago. While it was Vin Jaune that pulled me in initially, I gradually discovered other Jura styles, such as sparkling, reds or non-oxidatively aged white wines, often referred to as topped-up or ouillé. After covering AOC stats, grape varieties and wine styles, this report tackles the 2023 growing season. I included summaries of the 2022, 2021 and 2020 vintages, as these are the most reported wines. Wrapping up the report is my personal selection of Jura’s finest producers and a brief update on current market conditions.

Sun-kissed Jura vineyards in July 2024.

Bundling Seven AOCs

Encompassing around 2,100 hectares under vine, Jura remains the smallest of France's major wine regions. Before the phylloxera outbreak struck in the late 19th century, Jura was significantly larger, with estimates as high as 20,000 hectares. After the epidemic, the region's vineyards were reduced to just a fraction of their former size, and the area under vine never fully recovered to its pre-phylloxera extent. Although theoretically thousands of additional hectares could be planted today, these lands overlap with the Comté cheese appellation. Prairie lands on hillsides frequently belong to farmers with cows that produce milk for Comté and don't wish to release these plots to plant vines. Due to this AOC overlap, the annual vineyard increase has been well below 50 hectares over the past few years, so Jura will likely remain a small wine region.

Jura comprises seven individual AOCs, of which three are Product-AOCs: Macvin, Marc and Crémant. Macvin is produced by adding Marc du Jura (a regional brandy distilled from grape pomace) to unfermented grape juice, often between 16 to 22% alcohol, with residual sugar frequently between 180 and 220 grams per liter. While I didn’t review wines of the first two categories, I included the Crémants, which have become a major economic driver both domestically and in export markets. The remaining four AOCs are regional, with Arbois being the largest and oldest, producing the full range of wine styles. That said, most of Jura’s red wines are made here. Next is the diverse Côtes du Jura AOC, roughly 30% smaller in size than Arbois AOC, that spreads all across the region. This AOC allows all Jura wine styles, while most are white. 

L'Étoile is the second smallest Jura AOC. In English, its name translates to star, which might be linked to either the star-shaped Pentacrinite fossils found in the soil or the star-like configuration of the five hills encircling the small village. Only white wines can be produced here, including Crémant, Vin de Paille and Vin Jaune. Last but not least, the Château-Chalon AOC comprises a mere 54 hectares, exclusively permitting Vin Jaune to be made under its name. While some winemakers, such as François Rousset-Martin, also release topped-up (ouillé) versions, these wines cannot carry Château-Chalon on their label. Others, like Stéphane Tissot, grow small plots of Chardonnay here, but since Château-Chalon admits Savagnin only, the wines are labeled Côtes du Jura.

Could you squeeze in there? A thorough cleaning at Domaine de Montbourgeau.

Jura Grape Varieties: The Big 5

With over 800 hectares, Chardonnay is the most widely planted grape cultivar in Jura, with a significant portion used for Crémant. Vinified as a single variety or blended with Savagnin, Chardonnay is used for topped-up and oxidative whites. Co-fermentations with red varieties also exist, as seen, for example, in the Corail from Chateau d'Arlay. Some producers like Lucien Aviet & Fils cultivate a specific clone called Melon à Queue Rouge, named after the red-colored stems that distinguish it from others.

While Chardonnay is planted all around the world, Savagnin is associated more specifically with Jura. Used in oxidative and topped-up styles, Savagnin’s thick skins offer good resistance to fungal diseases. Perhaps its finest attribute is the high level of vibrant, at times even nervous acidity, which is one of the key differences to Chardonnay. Charlene Labet of Domaine Labet claims that white wines from Savagnin express their respective terroir less clearly than Chardonnay, with winemaking being the key to highlighting nuances. Stéphane Tissot, instead, vinifies in the same way all his Savagnins for his Vin Jaune parcellaires, from different soil types.

Pinot Noir is mainly used in multi-varietal blends for still reds, Crémants and ever more monovarietal still wines. As evidenced by Cellier Saint Benoit or François Rousset-Martin, Jura winemakers are increasingly more skilled in producing outstanding Pinots. It’s not Jura’s most distinctive red variety (that title belongs to the next one), but it is certainly one to pay attention to.

Like Savagnin, Trousseau’s thick skins provide good resistance to fungal diseases. To achieve full ripeness, Trousseau requires a warm site, such as the one around Montigny-lès-Arsures near Arbois. Deeper colored and more structured than Poulsard in general, Trousseau yields singular reds of outstanding quality if in the right hands, as shown by Domaine Pignier. Readers can choose from highly delicate and lighter styles like Domaine de Saint Pierre to firmly structured and age-worthy examples like Lucien Aviet & Fils.

Poulsard has become a child of concern for Jura grape growers. Prone to spring frost due to its early budding nature, coulure and fungal diseases, the thin-skinned Poulsard is very demanding. Cédric Joly of Domaine Joly points out Poulsard’s sensitivity to elevated sunshine levels, with a high risk of sunburn or drying out. “If I didn’t have Japan as a major export market whose consumers adore Poulsard, I’d probably uproot all my Poulsard,” he complains. Vincent Aviet of Lucien Aviet & Fils blows the same horn: “In warm and sunny vintages like 2018 or 2022, we lost plenty of Poulsard due to high temperatures drying the berries on the vine. Poulsard also has a lot of pith in the wood, so it breaks easily. It's the most difficult red variety to grow in Jura.” Against all odds, fine single-varietal Poulsards are entering the market, like the one from newcomer Nicolas Jacob.

Exploring the historic cellars of Domaine Macle, nestled in the heart of Château-Chalon.

Wine Styles: Mind-Bending Diversity

I can’t think of many small wine-producing regions that can boast a degree of stylistic diversity equal to that of Jura. The region offers sparkling wines (Crémant), spirits (Marc), sweet wines (Vin de Paille), fortified wines (Macvin), the full-color spectrum from white through Rosé and orange wines all the way to reds, with or without added sulfur—all this without even separating the different still, dry and unfortified white styles.

Topped-up whites, maturing on their fine lees for a short or long (up to ten years or more) period, are in contrast to oxidative styles that age in barrels with some degree of air exposure. During this latter aging process, a thin layer of flor-type yeast (the voile) forms on the wine's surface. Under AOC regulations, Vin Jaune must age under this layer for at least five years, with a total of six years in barrel. During this maturation process, oxygen reacts with ethyl alcohol (ethanol), which forms acetaldehyde. In the Vin Jaune context, acetaldehyde develops sotolon, one important chemical compound that contributes to spice (curry) and nutty (hazelnut) aromas in the wine. Over the multi-year aging period, warmer cellar temperatures in summer enhance yeast activity, while cooler temperatures in winter promote the diffusion of sotolon throughout the wine. While sotolon continues to develop after bottling, intensifying with further aging, acetaldehyde may not increase dramatically. However, its interplay with other components and its role in the wine's aroma profile can still evolve in bottle.

Jura wouldn’t be Jura if winemakers didn’t experiment within these different aging methods. Tasting Jean-François Ganevat’s 2004 and 2008 Côtes du Jura Les Vignes de Mon Père side by side was a highlight. Both are single-varietal Savagnins aged over 130 months in topped-up demi-muids, preventing oxidation from ullage space. But, while the 2004 aged in fairly humid conditions, slowing the oxygen transmission through the wood, the 2008 intentionally matured in a dryer cellar, which led to an increased evaporation rate. The result: A lemon-colored 2004 that shows little signs of age or oxidative characteristics versus an amber-colored 2008 with a more oxidatively induced profile, but still unlike a wine made by traditional oxidative aging sous voile.

Let’s also look at Chardonnay, another variety that shows Jura’s stylistic diversity range in full swing. Light to medium-bodied, fairly neutral and refreshing examples that haven’t seen any wood? Readers will find plenty of those. For full-bodied and concentrated Chardonnays made from high-density vineyard plantings, check out the Clos de la Tour de Curon from Bénédicte & Stéphane Tissot. What about topped-up versus oxidatively aged styles? There is no shortage of them, too, often from the same producer. How about mixes between those two styles, partly aged topped-up and partially aged oxidatively? Also available. And various wood vessel types for aging? Anything from barrique, demi-muid or foudre is used, usually with no or little new oak proportions. But, it’s not only oak when referring to wood; several producers like Domaine Berthet-Bondet or Domaine de la Pinte experiment with other types like acacia. Jura isn’t threatened by diversity; it embraces it, a topic I look forward to exploring more deeply in my next Jura report.

Fine wines await, whichever direction you take.

The 2023 Growing Season

With an average October temperature of 19°C (66.2°F), about 5°C (9°F) above historical averages, the 2023 vintage began fairly warm, with the previous December and then January also experiencing higher temperatures than usual. Rainfall varied, while December 2022 saw a 22% deficit compared to long-term findings. From February to May, temperatures followed a more typical pattern, although February stood out for being particularly dry and cold. Interestingly, February also saw 34 extra hours of sunshine, while March and April were less sunny, with around 43 fewer hours of sunlight than usual.

Although mild April conditions initially sped up budburst, a later drop in temperatures slowed the growing process. This climatic variability resulted in uneven development across the region and even within individual plots. Some areas faced a whole set of challenges: early-season budburst due to cold weather, depleted water reserves (particularly in areas hardly hit by the 2022 drought) and mite infestations.

Summer was notably warm, with June experiencing 3°C (about 5.4°F) above normal with typical rainfall. July saw a 27% decrease in precipitation, still consistent enough to support vegetative growth. As a result, the vines developed quickly, forming elongated clusters with abundant berries. Fruit drop was minimal, even in delicate varieties like Poulsard. Pinot Noir saw the first véraison on July 17 in the early budding plots.

August and September brought exceptionally high temperatures, reaching up to 5°C (9°F) above normal. August, in particular, was notably dry, with rainfall ranging from 30% to 55% below average in most areas, while the southern commune of Maynal witnessed a significant 71% decrease. August saw below-normal sunshine, which returned to average levels in September. Despite periods of heatwaves and regular rainfall, vineyards faced minimal water stress. Sunburn damage was limited, mainly affecting the fragile Poulsard grapes, with 20 to 25% of clusters impacted. Overall, the 2023 growing season resulted in an abundant harvest over an extended period from August 28th to October 4th.

In 2023, yields were generous thanks to fairly regular rains, allowing for steady plant growth and avoiding major water stress situations. Those rains, however, also led to more dilution in the berries, favoring the production of Crémants and lighter-styled reds focusing on fruit rather than structure, as opposed to 2022. For still whites, 2023 looks favorable, given that solid pH and acidity levels were preserved. Due to lower concentrations, some reds were bottled earlier than usual to maintain a juicy fruit profile, such as the 2023 Poulsard Clos des Fraisiers from Domaine de Montbourgeau, Nicole Dériaux recalls. Several winemakers report yields above 50 hectoliters per hectare (hl/ha), such as 52 hl/ha in the case of Domaine Berthet-Bondet.

It’s too early to make a judgment call for 2023 white wines, given I’ve only tasted four samples. But from what I’ve seen so far 2023 could end up between a good and a very good vintage for topped-up whites, while the true quality of oxidatively aged wines will only become clear in a few years. For the reds, 2023 resulted in juicy and refreshing wines with moderate flavor concentrations and alcohol levels generally hovering between 12 and 13.5%. They don’t have the structure or substance of 2019, 2020 or 2022, but they are uplifting and can be approached right out of the gate. Comparing Jura 2023 reds with these other vintages, especially 2022, showcases the significant color differences, with 2023 often ultra-pale ruby and 2022 significantly darker.

Hélène Berthet-Bondet next to her father Jean, founder of Domaine Berthet-Bondet.

The 2022 Growing Season

Vintage 2022 was marked by challenging weather events that tested the resilience of vines and winemakers alike. Early April brought severe frosts, with temperatures plunging as low as -5°C (23°F) in some areas. Fortunately, the frost-related damage was less extensive than in 2021 because budburst was generally delayed. June then brought its own set of hurdles as various storms accompanied by hail battered the vines. July ushered in an intense period of heat and drought, which extended into the early days of August. This extreme weather caused significant stress to the vines, leading to slowed berry development.

Luckily, crucial mid-August rainfalls provided much-needed relief, alleviating some issues and reducing the ripeness heterogeneity that had emerged during véraison. Despite this, younger vines, particularly those under ten years old with less developed root systems, struggled to cope with the arid conditions, resulting in a noticeable mortality rate among replanted vines. Harvest kicked off around mid-August for sparkling wine grapes, with the picking of fruit for still wines beginning in early September. Ripening disparity prolonged the harvest period, with growers waiting to allow for more even maturation of the grapes.

An interesting phenomenon occurred during grape growth. Several winemakers report a significant presence of lactic bacteria on the grapes at the end of the growing season, likely favored by the arid conditions, which disadvantaged indigenous yeasts on the berries. In terms of vinification, malolactic conversion often occurred at the start or middle of fermentations rather than at the end, making it harder to control.

White wines in 2022 are more of a mixed bag, with some lacking acidity, while the finest examples shine brightly. The reds, on the other hand, are ripe, concentrated, structured and age-worthy, with moderate to high alcohol levels of up to 15%. That said, it’s unclear at this early stage whether the best 2022 reds will outlive their 2020 or 2019 counterparts. In any case, Jura traditionalists seeking restraint and elegance over power and density might be better off with the less generously concentrated and more up-front reds of 2021 or 2023. Overall yields in 2022 were good, though not as abundant as in 2023, with several winemakers across the region reporting around 40hl/ha.

Florian Scatamacchia (left) and Louis Fourrier (right) are steering Château de l'Étoile into new waters.

The 2021 Growing Season

Like almost everywhere else in France, vintage 2021 kept winemakers firmly on their toes. Between a rapid budburst, a devastating frost wave, excessive rainfall, hailstorms and a lack of sunshine, it was difficult to stay on course. Two thousand twenty-one saw both mildew types, bud-eating pests and wood diseases gearing up. The brutal result for many winemakers was yields around 10hl/ha, a fifth of what many could harvest in 2023.

Looking at what’s in the glass, white and red wines offer markedly less flavor concentration than 2020 or 2022, but their strength lies in crisp acidities and excellent freshness. That said, Jura reds from 2021 are good at best, with only a handful of wines showing outstanding qualities, like from Lucien Aviet & Fils. As for the whites, readers are encouraged to seek them out, as there are some real gems to be uncovered.

The 2020 Growing Season

From the start all the way up until harvest, the 2020 vintage was among the earliest compared to the average of recent years. The growing season was characterized by temperatures above past year averages, notably in February, April and August. In 2020, water shortage was another issue. Temperatures above 30°C (86°F) from June 23rd to 25th caused the first of the two major water deficits. Significant signs of water stress were most noticeable in southern regions, with severe defoliation on Chardonnay and Poulsard, alongside marked sunburn on leaves and clusters. In the other areas, young vines were most affected by defoliation. The first véraison started around July 8 in early ripening Pinot Noir and Poulsard.

At the end of July, the second severe water stress period resulted in significant crop losses on Poulsard due to sunburn. Trousseau and Chardonnay suffered, too, from the arid conditions that facilitated considerable ripeness differences within clusters. Mid-August rains brought relief and helped even out maturities. Harvest began on August 17 for sparkling wine grapes, followed by Pinot Noir and Poulsard destined for still red wines. Touching on the quality levels, I didn’t taste enough wines to build a solid assessment. It does, however, seem that acidity was a bit higher compared to 2022, making for wines with a little more freshness. Vintage 2020 delivered a full range of quality, all the way from acceptable to outstanding. With 45hl/ha, overall yields in 2020 were similar to those achieved in 2022 but below 2023.

Vincent Aviet (right) and little Noé posing with a magnum of the singular 2012 Réserve du Caveau Cuvée des Sorciers L'Étrange.

Top Estates

If I were to share the current names of top Jura producers, the following would come to mind. Does that mean all their wines are fantastic by default? Certainly not. But what they all do share is a consistent history of producing compelling, age-worthy wines with pedigree and class.

Bénédicte & Stéphane Tissot

Domaine Labet

Domaine Macle

Emmanuel Houillon & Pierre Overnoy

François Rousset-Martin

Project Update: Château de l'Étoile

In early 2023, news broke that, after Alexandre Vandelle's passing, his wife Solange and their son decided to partner with Louis Fourrier—son of Gevrey-Chambertin’s Jean-Marie Fourrier—and Meursault-based distributor Florian Scatamacchia. I met with the three gentlemen to learn about the latest developments in this new project. Readers who wish to find out more are invited to consult the respective producer commentaries.  

Part of the terrific line-up at Domaine Labet.

Looking at the Markets

In Jura, roughly 45% of all wines are made by independent growers, 30% by co-operatives and the remainder by so-called merchants, who sometimes own their own Domaine. Henri Maire, with its 225 hectares, is an example of this category, being fully owned by the Boisset Collection. Apart from the Fruitière Vinicole de Voiteur co-operative, which I visited on this trip, there are three more wine co-ops: in Arbois, Pupillin and Vernois.

The majority of all Jura wines continue to be sold in France. While several producers reported healthy sales activities in January and February 2024, things started to slow down in March and April, with current estimates having year-to-date sales at minus 2% compared to the same period last year. As of July 2024, and in line with general findings, cellar-door sales, a very common practice, also seem to lag behind previous years, with fewer tourists visiting the region to load up their car trunks.

That said, sales volumes for Crémant du Jura remain strong, with many wineries nowadays producing a quarter or even more of their entire wine range as sparkling. To break things down, there are three broad Crémant du Jura categories in the market, defined by their selling prices: EUR 10–11, EUR 15–20 and EUR 30+, with the last considered premium. Compared to the other French Crémant categories, such as Alsace or Loire, Crémant du Jura is the most economically valued among French Crémant regions, fetching the highest retail prices.

Crémant du Jura is also a good entry point for consumers who are new to Jura wines, especially since marketing less universally known varieties such as Poulsard or Trousseau can be tough. Some producers report that when they run out of Crémant, their export clients often compensate with still wines from all varieties.

I tasted the vast majority of the wines from this report in Jura during July 2024.

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