Want Wines With Attitude? Look To The Jura

If you’ve heard of savagnin (nope, not sauvignon), you whitethorn good beryllium 1 of those in-the-know vino drinkers who person been ushered successful nan guidance of nan Jura, this grape’s iconic region, aft being priced retired of your favourite burgundy. And while location are immoderate similarities betwixt nan 2 regions, a attraction connected chardonnay and pinot noir being nan astir obvious, location are plentifulness of different varieties for discerning vino nerds, and savagnin is decidedly 1 of them.

It’s a grape assortment that’s been grown successful France for 900 years, pinch precocious acidity and a late-ripening successful nan vineyard, and it’s known for nan complex, age-worthy styles of vino it tin create. It’s besides grown conscionable complete nan separator successful Switzerland, wherever it’s known arsenic heida, arsenic good arsenic successful Australia, wherever it was erstwhile mistaken for albariño. In nan Jura, however, this high-acid grape produces nuanced still wines, and wines made successful nan vin jaune style, for which nan vino is matured nether yeast to springiness it a nutty, analyzable characteristic akin to that of a biologically aged sherry specified arsenic fino.

The funny characteristic of these wines makes them a sommelier’s concealed weapon, arsenic Donald Edwards, advisor sommelier, tells me: “Vin jaune scratches an itch that’s difficult to benignant immoderate different way: oily, sharp, salty, a small spot wrong, but besides ridiculously moreish. The Jura’s chardonnays look to rewrite precisely what that assortment tin beryllium successful position of expression, but it’s nan savagnins that really epitomise nan area, snarling astatine you, while astatine nan aforesaid clip being defiantly discordant successful nan astir thrilling way. ”

Because of nan region’s comparatively mini output (a speedy glimpse astatine Decanter reveals 230 wineries and an mean accumulation of 11 cardinal bottles, truthful a fraction of France’s different regions), you’re much apt to find savagnin, and different Jura wines, for that matter, successful much boutique-y retailers. They’re besides apt to beryllium a batch much costly than, say, sauvignon, aliases immoderate different specified vino that’s produced everyplace and by everyone.

Imagine my surprise/shock/delight, then, erstwhile nan Wine Society precocious announced that it’s bringing a côtes du Jura to its own-label scope for £18.50. Yes, I cognize arsenic good arsenic you that this isn’t a bargain successful nan literal sense, but it’s not excessively bad a outcry considering nan 100% savagnin presently connected nan society’s website is £27, while a batch of different Jura often topples complete nan £30 mark. Hopefully, this mightiness besides unfastened nan doors for supermarkets and different large retailers to do nan same, truthful my wallet tin return little of a flogging each clip I want to unfastened my rima to nan nutty, savoury flavours of nan Jura.

Four Jura wines to pique your interest

The Society’s Exhibition Côtes du Jura £18.50 The Wine Society, 13.5%. Salted almonds abound successful this analyzable and absorbing achromatic that’s astir 50% savagnin.

Tissot-Maire Blanc de Blancs Crémant du Jura NV £16.25 Corney & Barrow, 12%. Luxurious Jura crémant that’s aged for 4 years connected nan lees.

Domaine Jean-Louis Tissot Poulsard £18.25 Yapp Brothers, 13.5%. Poulsard is different of nan Jura’s unique, pleasing varieties: reddish cherry and pinot-like spice.

Fruitière Vinicole d’Arbois Chardonnay £14.50 The Wine Society, 13.5%. From 1 of nan oldest vino cooperatives successful France, this fruit-forward chardonnay shows apples and pears.