Arbois meaning fertile land, is the heart and capital of jura wine region. Jura wine book excerpts jura wine, food and travel. Macvin sweet fortified wine, from a mixture of grape juice and brandy all over the region. In geographical terms it covers the entire region, although it accounts for only 3% of jura s total wine production. Sometimes known as nature or fromentin, savagnin is the most famous jura grape responsible for making its greatest wines. Mar 08, 2017 the result is a wine liqueur that has plenty of spice and raisin flavor notes, and is usually served as an aperitif. The latter is famous for being used in two typical local wine products. Only recognized since 1991, the aoc makes good sweet wines but they are rarely seen in the usa. Reds that look like dark roses, but are made in a red wine method. It is aged in oak casks for 12 months, thereby acquiring an amberhued yellow colour that echoes its aromas of candied fruit, vanilla, orange and hazelnuts.
Sandwiched between burgundy in the west and switzerland in the east, the region is characterized by a landscape of wooded hillsides and the twisting topography of. Tissot pinot noir, macvin rouge, jura, france thinking. It has been produced here for more than six centuries, although it was only granted its own appellation. A sparkling wine, cremant du jura, and a sweet liqueur wine, the macvin, a blend of unfermented wine and of jura marc. Picturesque mountain villages, snowy peaks and idyllic meadows make the jura a mustsee destination, while its fabulous limestone and marl soils and vibrant winegrowing communi. It does broaden a little in the finish, a touch of cream and honey, and a lovely wine. Jura is a small wine region in eastern france which is responsible for some traditional and highly idiosyncratic wine styles. Macvin du jura is a sweet, fortified wine vin doux naturel produced in the jura region of france. Macvin du jura, a wine from jura france vineyards jura benefits from four geographic aoc, arbois, chateauchalon, etoile and cotesdujura, and two product aoc, macvin du jura and cremant du jura. The wines are made in the traditional method and have notes of apples, lemons and brioche.
If you are a wine buff, and keen to learn more about jura wines then this is the book for you. On 14 november 1991 it received its aoc designation. Getting to know the jura expertise explore the wine society. Cremant can be made from all five jura grapes, though the majority of cremant du jura are made from 100% chardonnay grapes. The jura wine world is a fascinating, mysterious, and at times confusing one. Jura is a french wine region that lies between burgundy and switzerland. Alcohol abuse is bad for your health, please consume in moderation.
The other aocs of jura are chateauchalon aoc around the village of the same name, cotes du jura aoc spread throughout the jura wine region, letoile aoc comprising the four communes of letoile, plainoiseau, quintigny, saintdidier. Theres also a separate section dedicated to the people who made a difference. Nv jean bourdy macvin du jura, france, jura, macvin du jura. The underlying geology shares some similarities with burgundy, the vineyards. In geographical terms it covers the entire region, although it accounts for only 3% of juras total wine production. Chateau darlay is a local landmark, founded in the th century and now one of the top producers in the jura. This sparkling wine is produced from the chardonnay, poulsard, and pinot noir grapes and follows the same strict rules as champagne. Macvin du jura is a sweet wine appellation of the jura region in eastern france.
It is best served chilled as an aperitif and is perfect with melon. Located just north of arbois, domaine tissot has vineyards in arbois, cotes du jura, and chateauchalon aoc areas. Sandwiched between burgundy in the west and switzerland in the east, the region is characterized by a landscape of wooded hillsides and the twisting topography of the jura mountains. Wines carrying the four jura appellations of arbois, cotes du jura, letoile and chateauchalon are still pretty rare in the uk in my experience, even though those of natural wine pioneer pierre overnoy and gavenat can be found on some of our more adventurous wine lists. The wooded hillsides and meadows of the jura adorn the smallest wineproducing region in france. The result is a wine liqueur that has plenty of spice and raisin flavor notes, and is usually served as an aperitif. Oh if most other wine books were of similar quality. June 2014march 2015 acting editor of the magazine at, the most visited wine information website int he world. Jan 03, 2018 the jura experienced a very challenging 2017 season, with debilitating spring frosts in many areas and a hot, overly dry summer. It is used for cremant sparkling, macvin a fortified wine, as well as fine examples at the quality level of burgundy. It is aged in oak casks for 12 months, thereby acquiring an amberhued yellow colour that echoes its aromas of candied.
Domaine joly, cotes du jura ancestrale chardonnaysavagnin 2009, france 70% chardonnay and 30% savagnin, with. White and cremant most popular, but red and rose wines from. June 2014march 2015 acting editor of the magazine at, the most visited wine information website int. Jura wine is french wine produced in the jura departement. Probably the most peculiar of jura s wine styles, macvin is made with barely fermented grape must and marc, which is all of the materials stems, seed, skins, etc. The regions recent surge in popularity on american wine lists lies in contrast with how strange its wines come across to the uninitiated, with many of its indigenous production methods and quirky winemakers requiring more than an introduction for one to fully savor their virtues. These tipples await you every year at the famous percee du vin jaune, a popular. But jura offers easier options, including wonderful standins for wine drinkers priced out of bordeaux. The jura wine growers aperitif par excellence, our white macvin du jura is a fortified wine made from the juice of savagnin grapes to which destemmed pomace of the jura has been added. Just 50 miles due east of burgundy hugging frances border with switzerland, the jura mountains are home to some of frances most unique wines. The jura wine region was awarded the appellation cremant du jura in 1995. The oddlynamed macvin is a wine fortified with local marc brandy made from grapeskins, etc.
Here is a summary of the basic legal definitions of the wines produced. Usually made from either chardonnay or pinot noir, these cremants are fruity, fresh, and crisp, and come in either white or rose. In 2014 she selfpublished her first book jura wine which is the definitive guide in english to the wines of the region. This is a coolclimate region, with clay and limestone soils and plenty of jurassic era fossil matter, hence the name. Jura s most popular varieties are burgundys most representative ones. Dec 03, 2015 jura is a small wine region in eastern france which is responsible for some traditional and highly idiosyncratic wine styles. Trousseau the cuvee violette owes its name to its hallmark floral aromas and it is an homage to damien courbets oldest daughter. More typical varieties include trousseau, poulsard and savagnin. Search our inventory to find the best jura wine at the best prices. I cant praise this book enough i rarely give a wine book 5 stars but here it is most definitely deserved.
Chardonnay can also be aged under flor to create a vin jaunelike wine. Juras most popular varieties are burgundys most representative ones. Regarding food and wine pairings, white wines such as macvin du jura or even chateauchalon are to be enjoyed with a currybased cuisine, a crusty jura cheese mont dor, franccomtois, beaufort, all dishes made from cream, with a generous amount of mushrooms and an imitable coq with yellow wine. It is made in the mutage method, where grape spirit is added to fermenting wine to stop fermentation and preserve natural sweetness.
Jun 15, 20 juras big commercial success is light, fizzy cremant du jura made the same way as champagne but generally younger, cheaper and simpler. The jura experienced a very challenging 2017 season, with debilitating spring frosts in many areas and a hot, overly dry summer. In 2011 wink won the prize for best wine tourism feature in the inaugural born digital wine awards. Discover two of the most beautiful villages of france. He took on old vineyards in mesnay and molamboz in aoc arbois and a younger one in buvilly, classified aoc cotes du jura, starting conversion to organics right away, and later took on a parcel in poligny to plant. The jura is an important french mountainous region that borders on switzerland in the east and burgundy in the west. The wine is not fortified chateau chalon wines must be bottled in a clavelin, a squat 62 cl bottle, in poor vintages like 1980 or 1984, the chateau chalon wines may be declassified to cotes du jura. Nv pierre richard macvin du jura, france, jura, macvin du. It can reach up to 16 to 22 percent alcohol content. There are three major aocs, all of which are enclosed by the larger cotes du jura aoc. Jura also has a unique oxidative style for chardonnay but is better recognized for its similarlystyled vin jaune, meaning yellow wine, which is made from the indigenous variety, savagnin.
Cremant du jura white or rose sparkling wine made in the traditional method all over the region. Jura also produces its own style of sparkling wines. According to wink, part of the reason for the recent marked improvement in the quality of still jura chardonnay is that the lighter, lesser wines go into cremant, one of frances bestvalue fizzes. Didier grappe cotes du jura chardonnay longefin nv available at pier wines in brooklyn, ny. Jura wine, food and travel wink lorch explores this. Most folks associate jura with the regions famously strange, strong oxidative wines. It has been produced here for more than six centuries, although it was only granted its own appellation in november 1991. A book that uncovers the mystery of jura wines from france the people, culture, terroir and wines, plus local food and travel tips. Mar 29, 2016 macvin du jura is a sweet wine appellation of the jura region in eastern france. Some of these wines trousseau can be kept almost 30 years. Didier grappe cotes du jura chardonnay longefin nv.
Nowadays, in addition to 4 ha in south burgundy, the domaine rijckaert cultivates 5,5 ha of vineyards in the jura where jean felt in love of outstanding terroirs. Macvin du jura, produced since the fourteenth century, is a blend of grape must and of marc du jura. Jura wines are distinctive and unusual wines, the most famous being vin jaune, which is made by a similar process to sherry, developing under a florlike strain of yeast. Each of the jura appellations, grape varieties and wine styles is interesting in its own right, and you can. Its maturation process takes at least 12 months in oak barrels. It comes in brut or demisec, white or rose, from letoile, arbois or cotes du jura. A floraffected wine, and though the veil of yeast can be inoculated, the. More importantly, chardonnay is used as the base wine for the increasingly popular cremant du jura. Harvest arrived early in fabulous weather, but it delivered an average 50% crop level, with this figure varying from 10% 90% across the region.
Jura wines with altitude oxidative white wine, vin jaune. Cremant du jura these are beautiful sparkling wines from jura. Tissot gets a finessed, almost lacy, wine out of this southfacing parcel of triassic claylimestone atop blue marl. It was in the smallest wine region in france that one of the most famous white wines was created. Virtually unknown outside france, macvin du jura is an idiosyncratic fortified wine that comes from a blend of lateharvest savagnin blended with a special type of pomace brandy. Reds, roses, sparkling or sweet desert wines, the wines of the jura are as varied as the cultural and culinary heritage of the region. Winner of the drink prize in the andre simon food and drink book awards 2014, jura wine uncovers the secrets of the fascinating wines of. The domaine rijckaert was created in 1998 by jean rijckaert, a passionate belgian established as a wine producer in burgundy since 1990. Getting to know the jura expertise the wine society. Located between burgundy and switzerland, this cool climate wine region produces wines with some similarity to burgundy and swiss wine. Top 20 of jurasavoie and alsace wines idealwine le blog. In 2012 launched a new blog, jura wine, food and travel i still update this occasionally. Jura wine routes france, wine trails france, wine tours.
I did not join wink on her travels but this book does. Jura wine, food and travel wink lorch explores this bijou. Jura also produces red wines, trousseau, poulsard, pinot noir. Macvin du jura is an appellation dorigine controlee producing late harvest vin du jura fortified with marc du jura. Back cover blurb jura wine is written lovingly, and is a significant literary homage to one of my passions.
Macvin jura belongs to the french club very closed mistelles or liqueur wine aoc, the only one from a grape brandy, not wine. Known since the fourteenth century, macvin jura is made from unfermented grape juice, grape must, which is integrated third grounds. Cotes du jura all styles made in designated regions from north to south. Nv jean bourdy macvin du jura, france, jura, macvin du. The history of the wine region is a fascinating story of survival of the fittest, with a multitude of issues impacting the jura wine, from world wars to black rot. The resulting wine is aldehydic, with nutty, flavour. The wines produced here are very unique, some would say funky, meant in the nicest possible way. Jun 24, 2015 tissot gets a finessed, almost lacy, wine out of this southfacing parcel of triassic claylimestone atop blue marl. These wine attractions are complimented by many excellent and charming. It is close to, but quite distinct from the swiss jura.