The One-and-Only Jura
Jura has always been one of my passion projects. Early on in my tenure as the French Regional Buyer for K&L, I quickly became engaged by the unique flavor profiles of the wines from the region. The reds are light and crunchy with more structure than you might expect, which contributes to a myriad of food-pairing possibilities. The whites are, of course, epic, and the reason why most people are drawn to this category.
The star of the show is the classic vin jaune, a unique wine that ages for six years in barrel, slowly developing a thin layer of yeast (known as voile or “the veil”) layered over the wine, acting as a natural form of oxidiaton prevention. These wines are very intense, complex, and singular with characteristic notes of dried fruit, nuts, iodine, and turmeric. They are akin to the dry fino-style sherries, but with an eastern French flair, more richness, and based on the Savignin grape. The length of time aged under the veil can vary, but the longest aged wines are the vin jaunes.
Vin jaune may be the specialty white, but don’t stop there! There is so much more to discover in the lineup of white wines from the Jura. Many producers are now making topped-off barrel styles (often referred to as ouille) that are fresh, complex, and could compete with many Village- and Cru-level Burgundies in a head-to-head showdown. Over the years we have established a few direct relationships with some very promising producers.
One of our early relationships was with Domaine de l'Aigle à Deux Têtes, the passion project of vigneron Henri Le Roy, who began his career in (and soon became disenchanted with) pharmaceuticals. As a pastime he enjoyed great wine, especially Burgundy, and eventually decided to start making his own. Science background in hand, he began searching for vineyards in Burgundy, but, with no history or relationships there, he was priced out of the market. Nearby Jura seemed like a great choice, where he could acquire vineyard land at a fraction of the cost and could more easily start his project. Well, in the wine industry, things never quite go as planned, and it is in Jura where he has stayed and thrived. His terroir is great—marl for the Savagnin and Poulsard and clay-limestone for the Chardonnay—but Jura has always been a challenging region to grow grapes. He’s suffered crop losses due to hail, frost, too much rain, not enough rain, and birds from the nearby forests feasting on grapes—every year has presented some difficulty. Yet, he has risen to the challenges by becoming a top-notch winemaker, and his wines really shine. We have three recent arrivals:
The first is the 2021 L'Aigle À Deux Têtes "Cuvée Griffez" Chardonnay Côtes du Jura Blanc $24.99. Named for one of his earliest vineyard holdings, which went fallow and had to be pulled out. This wine is a nod to that wine, and it was in fact his 2013 Griffez that first turned my head in a Parisian bistro. I knew immediately, and its been confirmed since we’ve been carrying his wines, is that Henri’s wines are very special. The new Griffez is lovely with spiced apple and pear notes, hints of allspice, and whispers of tamarind; a Chardonnay that focuses on balance and intrigue.
The second is the 2021 L'Aigle À Deux Têtes Savagnin-Naturé Côtes du Jura Blanc $29.99. It is a nervy rendition of Savagnin (known locally as Naturé) that eschews the more traditional style of veil aging that this grape undergoes. It shows flavors of lemon curd, white flower and has a long minerally finish.
Finally, the 2021 L'Aigle À Deux Têtes Trousseau Côtes du Jura Rouge $29.99 is a classically styled red. Light in color but high in acidity and a little tannic texture, this is the perfect red to accompany the cured smoked meats that are common to the region. Trousseau is also great with the game meats like rabbit and venison. This is perfumed with red flowers, tart cherry, and rhubarb notes. It is an intriguing, light red that will offer loads of great near-term drinking.
The producer we recently added to our direct import portfolio is Domaine des Carlines. Patrick and Sophie Ligeron worked in the wine industry for years in Champagne and the Loire Valley. Patrick always dreamed of taking his family back to his home region of Jura and making wine. He found incredible vineyards in Château-Chalon, one of the best terroirs in Jura. It is famed for its blue-grey marl soils and exclusively produces a vin jaune under the appellation name. Everything else is called Côtes du Jura. Since it takes 6 plus years to produce a vin jaune, Patrick and Sophie focused primarily on ouille-styled wines while they tried their hand at aging veil wines. The first release of a wine aged under the veil is the 2017 Domaine des Carlines "Voile de Chardonnay" Côtes du Jura (Previously $30) $21.99. Spending two years aging under the veil adds subtle complexities consisting of flavors of roasted apple, garam masala, salted cashews, and dulce de leche. This is a layered Chardonnay that shows more of the nuances you associate with aged white Burgundy than the vin jaunes it is styled after. An exquisite wine for food pairing. Try it with sushi or even Korean barbecue.
On top of that, my favorite of their reds just arrived, the 2021 Domaine des Carlines Poulsard Côtes du Jura $29.99. This light-bodied red has a little sweeter midpalate core than the Trousseau from Domaine de l'Aigle à Deux Têtes. Its juiciness gives a little more body to this lighter red, making it fleshy and fun to drink. For fans of Pinot Noir, this is one of the best crossover examples you can find. Serve this gem with a light chill and maybe a little duck rillettes, seared ocean trout or some grilled heirloom pork chops.