Wines from the Jura for tasting: from Crémant to Vin Jaune by Ganevat

Jura wines come from a small region, nestled between Burgundy and the Swiss border, best known for one technique: aging under a layer of yeast in barrels that are not topped up. This tasting journey lines up ten bottles from the Jura in the STELT catalog, from the most approachable to the most complex: Crémant, two young Chardonnay wines, one Poulsard, two white wines from Ganevat and, to finish, a vertical of Vin Jaune in the 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2012 vintages.

Part of STELT’s Tasting Week: a tasting journey in the glass every day.

Ouillé or sous voile: the two paths of the Jura

To understand the Jura, you have to start with the barrel. During aging, some of the wine evaporates, and the winemaker must decide whether to top up the space or leave it. In the first case, these are called ouillé wines, from the French ouiller, meaning to top up: the barrel remains full, the wine has little contact with air, and its profile stays direct. In the second case, with sous voile wines, a layer of yeast forms naturally on the wine’s surface. The layer protects it from sudden oxidation while accompanying a slow, controlled oxidation that gives rise to the nutty and spicy notes typical of the region.

The Côtes du Jura appellation rules note that white wines are typically aged for a relatively long time, often without topping up, and set minimum aging periods under flor only for Vin Jaune. The same producer can also use both methods: this is the case with Domaine Ganevat, which alternates between ouillé and sous voile wines. Before opening the bottle, it is worth knowing which path it has taken.

The grape varieties: Savagnin, Chardonnay, Poulsard and Trousseau

The same appellation rules identify three grape varieties typical of the Jura and two that came from neighboring Burgundy. The first are Poulsard, documented in the Jura since 1620, Savagnin, recorded since 1717, and Trousseau, certainly present since 1732. The other two are Chardonnay, already in the Jura in 1717, and Pinot Noir, whose earliest written mention, from 1385, calls it “savagnin noir.”

Savagnin is the grape used for Vin Jaune and requires soils that are very stony at the surface but cool at depth. Chardonnay is the main grape in white Crémant and, according to the appellation rules, finds a different expression in the marl soils of the Jura than in neighboring vineyards. Among the red grapes, Poulsard, also known locally as Ploussard, produces light ruby-colored wines with fruity aromas; Trousseau, which needs warm, gravelly soils, is more tannic and often more deeply colored; with Pinot Noir, the color deepens and the aromas recall red fruit.

From Crémant to Poulsard

We begin with sparkling wine. The Crémant du Jura appellation was recognized in 1995, but the region’s sparkling wines have a much longer history. The method is the same as for Champagne, with a second fermentation in the bottle; the aging times differ. Crémant regulations require at least nine months on the lees and twelve months from bottling before sale, while non-vintage Champagne matures in the cellar for at least fifteen months. The Crémant du Jura by Ganevat opens the tasting.

Two young Chardonnay wines follow, offering a chance to get to know the grape before time transforms it. Terre des Passages’ 2024 Côtes du Jura Chardonnay comes from marl and limestone soils, made by a young producer in the region who works with native yeasts and ages the Chardonnay in stainless steel and old wood. Les Viandris by Bornard & Ponnelle, from the 2021 vintage, takes its name from a lieu-dit in Pupillin, the village three kilometers from Arbois. They provide a point of comparison for Ganevat’s white wines.

The red comes here, not at the end. The Poulsard from Allante & Boulanger, 2023 vintage, is a Vin de France from two small winegrowers in the south of Jura, who farm just over three hectares biodynamically between Rotalier and Gizia and vinify with indigenous yeasts, without added sulfites. The grapes come from a hillside above Gizia and ferment in old barrels. As a grape variety, Poulsard is pale in color and less tannic than Trousseau, and does not overshadow the whites that follow: this is why, in the journey, it comes before the wines from Ganevat.

Ganevat's whites: Chamois du Paradis and La Pèlerine

Domaine Ganevat is based in Rotalier, in the south of Jura. Jean-François Ganevat took the reins in 1998, after a period working in Burgundy, and transitioned the estate to organic and biodynamic farming, with many old vines and some now-rare local varieties, fermentation with indigenous yeasts and sulfur kept to a minimum. There are many labels, and they change every year.

The two bottles in this stage are Chardonnay from the same vintage, 2018. Chamois du Paradis 2018 is a Côtes du Jura that Ganevat ages for a long time in demi-muids, larger barrels than barriques, keeping them topped up: it is an ouillé white wine. La Pèlerine 2018 is also a Chardonnay. Same producer, same vintage: the vineyard and winemaking choices are what set them apart.

The Vin Jaune vertical: 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2012

The Vin Jaune brings the journey to a close. It is made from Savagnin, harvested at optimal ripeness and vinified dry, then left in oak barrels without topping up. The Côtes du Jura regulations require aging until December 15 of the sixth year after the harvest, including at least sixty months under flor, and allow sale to consumers only from January 1 of the seventh year. It is not a separate appellation: it exists only in Jura, within the AOCs of Arbois, Côtes du Jura, L'Étoile and Château-Chalon.

It is bottled in the clavelin, the 62-centiliter bottle reserved by the appellation rules for Vin Jaune. The size corresponds, more or less, to what remains of a liter of must at the end of aging; the evaporated portion is called «la part des anges» in the region.

The four vintages from Ganevat, Vin Jaune 2003, Vin Jaune 2006, Vin Jaune 2009 and Vin Jaune 2012, span nine years: few for a wine that, according to the appellation rules, can be kept in bottle for fifty or a hundred years. 2003 was the heatwave vintage, with the harvest very early in the Jura too. The common thread is the «goût de jaune», which the appellation rules describe as a blend of walnut, apple, candied fruit and spices, with a burnished gold color. The vertical tasting shows how these components combine across different vintages and after different lengths of time in bottle.

How to serve them, and in what order

The order follows the experience, and the temperatures range from 6 degrees for the Crémant to 13-16 for Vin Jaune:

• Ganevat's Crémant du Jura, around 6 degrees;
• the two young Chardonnays, Terre des Passages 2024 and Les Viandris 2021, around 11 degrees;
• Allante & Boulanger's Poulsard, chilled, at around 12 degrees;
• Chamois du Paradis and La Pèlerine 2018, around 11 degrees;
• the four Vin Jaune wines, from 2012 to 2003, at 13 to 16 degrees: cool, never cold.

At the table, Vin Jaune finds its classic pairings in regional cheeses such as Comté, Mont d'Or and Morbier, and in poultry or fish dishes with cream, also with morels. The fresher whites need only a quiche or grilled fish; Poulsard, served chilled, goes well with the same dishes.

The experience is built around the Jura wine selection from STELT, the fine wine and Champagne shop on Via Borgo Giannotti in Lucca: a selection that favors organic or biodynamic producers, with reduced sulfur. Those who prefer to discover the Jura in company can keep an eye out for the tastings and themed events organized by STELT, including private events for small groups of enthusiasts and collectors.