Jura: Nature Hits Hard, but the Wines Fight Back

BY NICOLAS GREINACHER | SEPTEMBER 9, 2025

My recent visit to Jura confirmed that this tiny region in the northeast of France remains one of the world’s most fascinating and rapidly developing. Even though I focused on the latest releases, I ended up tasting wines from 30 different vintages stretching back as far as 1929. While ensuring that I covered all of the region’s iconic wineries, I also engaged co-operatives and young winemakers who are new to the scene. A holistic approach is essential to accurately reflect the complex diversity of this intriguing appellation.

This report begins with the 2024 growing season, one of Jura’s most challenging in recent history. Frost, poor flowering and persistent downy mildew pressure led to dramatically low yields. I also examine the bottled wines from the 2023 vintage, a year that brought much-needed volume. Then comes a deep dive into Vin Jaune production, focusing on the roles of geology, cellar conditions and yeast in shaping its singular identity. To wrap things up, an assessment of the 2017 and 2018 oxidative releases, two vintages that reflect the region’s stylistic extremes: from delicate to powerful. 

Certified biodynamic since 2003, the vineyards at Domaine Pignier reflect a deep commitment to sustainable viticulture.

Vintage 2024

In terms of workload and yields, 2024 will be remembered as a growing season Jura grapegrowers wish had never occurred. Following a drier-than-usual January and February, the region experienced unusually mild conditions from February to March, with temperatures up to 4.6°C (8.3°F) above seasonal norms. April began mild, but the final ten days brought an abrupt temperature drop, with nighttime lows dipping below freezing. And that’s where the troubles began.

A series of radiative frost events struck Jura vineyards, with the most severe impact occurring during the night of April 22 to 23. Damage varied depending on topography, with flat areas and lower slopes hit hardest. César Deriaux of Domaine de Montbourgeau reported total yields of 25 hectolitres per hectare (hl/ha) in 2024, amounting to a loss of half of their usual crop. The frost settled mid-slope, destroying the lower sections while leaving the upper parts relatively untouched. Shortly afterward, hail also impacted vineyards, further diminishing potential yields.

In May, cooler-than-average temperatures combined with excess rainfall often disrupted fruit set, reducing yields yet again. Consistent rain during May and across the growing season created ideal conditions for downy mildew to spread. By the end of May, major outbreaks had emerged on vine foliage throughout Jura. Though signs of flowering were scarce in early June, they increased rapidly from mid-June, with continued rainfall sustaining high disease pressure and causing further damage to leaves and developing grapes.

Strong disease control measures were crucial to contain the spread of downy mildew. A noticeable pause in rainfall arrived in mid-July. In contrast to 2021, mildew emerged earlier on grape clusters in 2024, but subsided more quickly. By véraison, some vineyards were severely impacted while others saw minimal damage. Though some retained healthy foliage at harvest, others showed significant leaf loss.

Benjamin Benoit of Pupillin’s Cellier Saint Benoit, who harvested 22 hl/ha, reported applying 13 treatments in 2024, the most ever recorded at his estate. Jean-Claude Credoz from Château-Chalon managed with nine treatments and achieved 19 hl/ha. However, both producers emphasized that the reduced yields were primarily a result of the April frost, not mildew pressure.

Benjamin Benoit ties the tops of adjacent rows together to form an arch, noting that while labour-intensive, the technique has several positive effects on the grapes.

Hélène Berthet-Bondet of Domaine Berthet-Bondet in Château-Chalon recalls being struck by the unusually late persistence of downy mildew. “By mid-August, [downy mildew] normally fades, the infection cycles end and we can take a calm break. But in 2024, when I returned at the end of August, things had deteriorated. It was overwhelming. The mildew kept advancing, damaging the foliage and making ripening difficult.” In the end, Bondet harvested only 10 hl/ha, in line with the appellation average. 

August and the first ten days of September were marked by warm conditions, with temperatures around 3°C (5.4°F) above long-term averages. In contrast to the previous months, August saw a notable lack of rain, with precipitation around half of historic norms. September brought frequent showers and reduced sunshine hours. 

Harvest started in early- to mid-September and lasted about three weeks. Careful sorting was essential due to uneven ripeness and varying sanitary conditions, worsened by rainfall during picking. Some winemakers noted that red varieties required chapitalization to achieve adequate alcohol levels, while others, like Louis Fourrier of Château de l’Étoile, reported no need for it.

These challenging weather conditions led to an exceptionally low average yield of just 10 hl/ha across all Jura appellations, which is about one-fifth of the 2023 output and one-quarter of 2022, with similar lows seen in 2021. Of course, these figures are averages; Laurent Macle in Château-Chalon harvested only 7 hl/ha. Jean-Claude Credoz summed it up: “Two thousand twenty-four was a losing trifecta: severe April frost, poor fruit set and relentless downy mildew. It was the most difficult growing season of my career. We were in the vineyards every day. Everyone was exhausted. We still are.”

I have not yet tasted enough 2024s to form a full impression of the wines, but at this early stage, 2024 seems to favour whites over reds, with reports of notably high malic acid in the whites. The few 2024 reds I sampled from barrel were light, elegant and just-ripe. What’s also clear is that there will be fewer individual cuvées in 2024, as several producers, including Domaine des Miroirs’ Kenjiro Kagami could only produce a fraction of their usual range.

Oval-shaped berries are a distinctive characteristic of the Poulsard grape variety. 

2023s In Bottle

In stark contrast to 2024, 2023 blessed Jura grapegrowers with high yields, which were desperately needed to compensate for the yield losses in 2021. After tasting 65 bottled 2023s, I can confirm a good to very good overall vintage for both whites and reds. The white wines generally offer less concentration and ripeness than their 2022 predecessors, which often manifests in increased overall freshness yet less intensity. Stylistically, the 2023 whites sit somewhere between the 2021s and 2022s. 

The reds show a leaner apparent structure as well as lower overall concentration and ripeness than the 2022s, but they display abundant freshness. While I generally prefer the Trousseaus in 2022, which are also equipped with more longevity compared to their 2023 counterparts, Poulsard often performed better in 2023, which can partially be traced back to the variety’s high drought and heat sensitivity. Furthermore, I find many 2023 Poulsards to be more transparent of their terroir than in 2022. In short, both the topped-up 2023 whites and reds come recommended, offering early accessibility and vivid freshness with moderate concentration and alcohol levels.

Solving the Vin Jaune Puzzle

Vin Jaune owes its singular character not just to the Savagnin grape but to a precise interplay of soil types, cellar conditions and microbiological processes. Liassic- or Triassic-era geology, cellar temperature and humidity, maturation under a veil of yeast, and the slow evaporation that raises alcohol levels all contribute. 

At the heart of any Vin Jaune is Savagnin Blanc, a thick-skinned white grape related to Gewürztraminer. Like Gewürztraminer, Savagnin accumulates high levels of sugar during ripening, resulting in wines with elevated alcohol. But in contrast to Gewürztraminer, Savagnin retains very high levels of acidity. This combination of raised alcohol and acidity (low pH) is what enables Vin Jaune to barrel-age under a veil of yeast without being topped up or fortified.

Grapes for Vin Jaune are grown on soils that are predominantly from the Triassic era (between 200 and 250 million years ago) and Liassic era (between 150 and 200 million years ago). Seasoned Jura tasters often find that Vin Jaunes from grapes planted on Triassic soils are usually broader and more powerful, while their Liassic counterparts are more delicate and mineral. 

The talented François Rousset-Martin and his wife, Alexandra, presented a stellar lineup. 

There are two opposing cellar types used for Vin Jaune maturation. The first is the cool, humid version that limits evapotranspiration and oxidation. The second is warmer and drier. To minimize cellar influence in the finished wine, producers can allocate their barrels across different cellars, placing half in warmer cellars and the other half in cooler cellars.

The decision to use a particular cellar type can also amplify the respective geology of the vineyards from which the grapes are sourced. For example, Château-Chalon (primarily Liassic soils) often renders more delicate styles, a quality enhanced by the region’s traditionally cool, humid cellars. By contrast, Triassic soils in Arbois, combined with warmer cellar conditions, facilitate the production of more powerful expressions of Vin Jaune. 

At the heart of any Vin Jaune is the years-long process of aging under a veil of yeast. This is responsible for a variety of aromatic changes to the wine over the course of its life. As the wine matures, the veil continues its life cycle—growing, dying and eventually settling at the bottom. The breakdown of these dead yeast cells can introduce savoury notes, reminiscent of walnuts. Concurrently, volatile acidity (as acetic acid) usually rises to around 0.4 to 0.7 grams per litre over the course of the aging process. 

Yeasts feed on the alcohol in the wine and produce acetaldehyde, which contributes aromas such as bruised apple (or curry, via a compound called sotolon). High evapotranspiration, as in warm and dry cellars, causes alcohol levels to rise. Yeasts have difficulty surviving in high alcohol levels, so as alcohol levels climb, the veil fades and the wine enters a more oxidative phase. This progression is often associated with the powerful style of Vin Jaune matured in warm and dry cellars.

Conversely, in cool cellars, the yeast veil forms slowly due to lower air temperatures and reduced yeast activity early on. However, because the ambient conditions limit alcohol concentration over time, the yeasts eventually become more active, and the veil thickens over the years. At the end of their maturation period, these wines often show notably thick veils and a much gentler, less oxidative character. 

Understanding how these factors interrelate helps explain the stylistic range within Vin Jaune, from the powerful expressions of Arbois to the finesse of Château-Chalon, plus everything in between. It is this intricate interplay of nature and technique that makes Vin Jaune one of the most singular wines in the world.

Stéphane Tissot (right), joined by his father, André, ahead of an extensive tasting of their lineup, which included several highlights. 

2017/2018 Vin Jaune and Château-Chalon

The latest oxidatively aged Jura releases eligible for Vin Jaune or Château-Chalon from the 2017 and 2018 vintages could hardly be more different. The 2017s are marked by elegance and restraint, with a refined profile that generally avoids excess. Contrarily, the 2018s lean into intensity, often coming across as muscular. As an example, Laurent Macle recalled how, during the 2018 ripening period, potential alcohol jumped nearly a full degree in just two to three days. At the time, everything seemed ideal—solid yields, healthy fruit and ample ripeness—but looking back, Macle felt that the vintage yielded wines that lacked finesse, with occasional oxidative or even maderized notes. However in my tastings, Macle’s 2018 Château-Chalon stands out and is among the best of its kind for the vintage. 

Alcohol levels in 2018 reached lofty heights. Laura Bourdy reported individual barrels up to 18%—remember, these wines are not fortified. Despite this sheer power, many top estates managed to preserve enough acidity and structural complexity to craft wines of striking balance. The results suggest that, even in such a ripe and concentrated year, quality was attainable for those who handled fruit and maturation with care. For readers who prefer purity, tension and precision, the 2017s are better suited. Those who appreciate richer styles should turn to the 2018s, wines that showcase a full-on hedonistic side of these long-aged marvels.

From a historical perspective, Bertrand Delannay of the Fruitière Vinicole de Voiteur co-operative noted that such elevated alcohol levels are not unprecedented. In fact, a review of their archives showed that the 1964 Château-Chalon was bottled at 16.9% alcohol. This context underscores that robust, high-alcohol oxidative styles are deeply rooted in the region’s tradition rather than being modern outliers. The 2017 and 2018 vintages, in turn, serve as nuanced expressions of this heritage, distinct in structure and personality yet anchored in a shared lineage.

I tasted the vast majority of the wines from this report in Jura during July 2025, with follow-up tastings at my office in Switzerland.

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