Foreword
The gathering was devoted to one of the most interesting and deeply rooted white grape variety, Savagnin (yellow s. and its siblings).
The geographic perimeter was the French Jura region, and the angle was the relation of S. with oxygen.
This allowed us to explore three different wine styles:
- Naturé (topped up / reductive aging)
- Savagnin (aging under veil of yeast, that didn’t become a Jaune, ether ‘cause the ageing was interrupted before getting to the imposed 6y 3m, or because didn’t have the characteristics / it was not eligible to become one.
- Vin Jaune
One more parameter was the bottle aging, as our tasting spanned from the very youthful 2020 to a mature 1967.
Hope you’ll enjoy reading about this half century of Savagnin !
Michele
The Program of Our Evening
Wine n.1 – Trousseau Clousot 2019 – Michel Gahier
- Pale ruby, onion skin
- First nose marked by a high VA, contributing to a very floral nose, underpinned by animal notes, cinnamon, underbrush.
- Mouth is initially soft and slim with some ripe and sugary old fruit.
- Texture is soft, tannin is infused and slightly gluey, the prominent VA / acetic finish, exacerbates the aromatic persistence and lifts the finish.
Flight 1 – Naturé
Wine n.2 – Puit St.-Pierre 2020 – Philippe Chatillon
- Pale gold – almost fizzy CO2 presence
- Reductive nose that needed hard shaking – the action reveals great purity and concentration. A crispy fruit array is offered to us, on citrus, ripe pear, then lemongrass and compact marl salinity.
- The mouth is holding tight to the high acidity, that’s carrying the way through the long salty finish.
- After some time opened some tasters noted a mousy sensation.
Wine n.3 – Fleur de Savagnin “En Chalasses” 2019 – Domaine Labet
- Deep gold
- The nose is broad and youthful. At the opening a patine of oxidation (quince) covers the scenario.
- 3 days after the opening the wine gains depth, definition, with hints of ripe stone fruit, toffee, buttery – grilled bread from MLF.
- Oak aging is perfectly integrated. Mouth is dry, of dense consistency, supported by a highly focused acidity.
- All elements, including oak tannins and noble yeast bitters become integrated after a lengthy oxygenation. Plenty of energy all the way through towards a long, marl, saline finish.
Flight 2 – Savagnin
Wine n.4 – Savagnin “Oxymore” 2018 – F. Rousset-Martin
- Bright gold
- Open nose featuring yeasty, brine, green olive, apple, fresh bitter almond. With oxygenation the VA takes over (nail polish) and the wine looses complexity.
- Mouth is precise with an almost oily texture and yeast autolysis bitters. A fresh aromatic develops on fennel, fenugreek of medium intensity. The finish is light, almost watery in terms of concentration.
Wine n.5 – Arbois Savagnin “Peps de Léonie” 2008 – Domaine L. Aviet
- Golden hue
- The nose is complex and deep, with waxy – honey – brine profile, aligned with oxidative Chablis profile, apple, caramel, white mushroom.
- The mouth is hard gameplay, for some, close to vinegar & high citric acidity.
- The balance is so much driven by acidity that it almost shows metallic in the finish. The aftertaste is marked by a burning VA, curry, fennel and dried flower.
Wine n.6 – Arbois Savagnin 2006 – Domaine Tissot (Stéphane)
- Amber – brownish hue
- Rich, creamy, honeyed, VA, butterscotch, sour-kraut, oyster-mushroom soy sauce, walnut, manzanilla pasada style.
- Mouth is fat, horizontal at the beginning, relieved afterwords by a sapid and saline veil action, giving definition and lift in the finish, seamless acidity and long persistence.
Flight 3 – Vin Jaune in its Youth
Wine n.7 – Étoile Vin Jaune 2016 – Domaine de Montbourgeau
- Bright yellow – clean
- Clear light nose on citrus, yeasty – briny, green olive character mixed with x-mas spices.
- Mouth is light-bodied, refined, accessible, sustained by yeasty bitters, warm and rich mouthfeel, consistent aromatic intensity in the finish and calcareous grip that calls for more.
Wine n.8 – Côtes du Jura Vin Jaune “Protéodie” 2011 – Château d’Arlay
- Amber tinge
- The nose is initially marked by VA, then less perceptible with oxygenation.
- Light profile, marly, oak scented, balsamic (incense), meaty, beef stock umami salinity.
- Mouth is horizontal, harmonious, unexpectedly low acidity perception, with fine veil lift.
- The finish is refined and seamless on the umami – fresh beer yeast character.
Flight 4 – Vin Jaune Reaching Ripeness
Wine n.9 – Château Chalon 1967 – Fruitière Viticole de Voiteur
- Brownish amber with orange tinge
- Nose on toffee, apple, chicken stock, VA, finely maderised and caramel tones.
- Mouth is silky, almost skinny and lifted, with a light perception of sweetness of the bruised dry fruit. Elegant grain leading to an integrated and persistent finish, with fine veil bitters structuring the palate, acidity is prominent and focused.
Wine n.10 – Château Chalon 1988 – Domaine Berthet-Bondet
- Golden hue
- Nose is intense, rational and complete, on meaty, creamy, refined curry, fine spice, confit lemon, brine and incense.
- Mouth is velvety…& salty, with strong underlining acidity well integrated in the viscous matter.
- The finish is defined, elegant and far-reaching, showing enormous potential and a thrilling drinkability already !
The Dinner
Wine n.11 – Étoile Savagnin “Mont Mouzard” 1999 – Château de l’Étoile
- Deep gold, green tinge
- Intense aromatic on a reductive profile, almost onion smell, salty sweat at the beginning.
- It then opens up to confit lime zest, dry lemon grass, fennel seeds and anis scents.
- Mouth is acidic and tight, almost slim and austere, not much meat around the bone (high yields?).
- The initial so2 compounds contributing to a hard mouthfeel open up with oxygen.
- Almost petrol hints. The finish is long and driven by the high acidity.
- A perfect match with roasted cauliflower, sesame, lebneh sauce and fresh ginger paste
Wine n.12 – Côtes du Jura Savagnin 1995 – Sylvie & Luc Boilley
- Deep gold
- Nose of honey, bruised apple, underwood, forest floor, oak, mushroom and umami vibrancy.
- Following the opening the attack is mellow and nonetheless skinny. A noticeable lack of concentration and depth initially. With oxygenation all elements are in balance, and the fine veil presence offers some freshness in the finish with hints of fenugreek and curry.
- A perfect match with roasted beef brest ravioli, seasoned with porcini and fresh cream sauce.
Conclusion & Credits
This ancient grape reveals itself with distinctive character and multifaceted expressions thanks to its privileged connection to oxygen and terroir.
After several years studying Jura, every special opportunity, such as this one, is a revelation and stimulates surprise even to more experienced tasters.
The reason? I personally attribute it to the multi factor aspects affecting the aesthetic of these wines…above all when veil is part of the equation 🙂
Thanks once again to Sue and Christoph for pushing me towards this theme in this first Wine Rose encounter at Neumarkt in Zürich, and to all the participants for the curiosity they showed !
It’s definitely a pretty good start to a cycle that certainly has plenty of other surprises in store for us !
Hope the reading was fun and please feel free to contact directly for any related questions.
Very Best,
Michele
