Jura And Savoie Chapter From Wine Report 2008
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Jura & Savoie Wink Lorch “The good vignerons are not suffering. We all need to adopt a positive attitude,” commented wine producer Michel Quenard of Chignin in reaction to a rather negative speech from Michel Cartier. Cartier, the president of the Syndicat des Vins de Savoie, was speaking at the annual StVincent wine celebration in January 2007, held not, as most years, in a wine village but in the centre of Savoie’s main town, Chambéry. In citing the growing crisis in France’s wine industry, he berated the town’s wine lovers for not drinking enough Savoie wine and urged their support. Savoie accounts for less than WINK LORCH 2 per cent of France’s wine production and has a ready market in the local ski industry, so theoretically it suffers much less than other wine regions. Yet there are many moans to be heard, mostly from producers I do not feature in this guide. Michel Quenard grasped the point in one. Quality is all, yet it comes at a price, and there is a valid debate as to who is going to pay for it. Among potential customers for Savoie wines, in particular the local restaurants, there is a growing divide between those who search for the lowest possible price and those who claim that Savoie does not have sufficient numbers of high-priced wines for them to take the region seriously. Both types of restaurant can be found in the ski resorts. Those WINK LORCH is a wine writer and educator with a passion for the mountains and a chalet in the Haut-Savoie. In 2007, she launched www.winetravelguides.com – a website for independent wine travellers, initially covering France. She is a past chairman of the Association of Wine Educators and has contributed to several books, including Time-Life’s The Wine Guide and Le Cordon Bleu’s Wine Essentials. Wink particularly enjoys enthusing about wines from vineyards in sight of snowcapped mountains, whether the Andes, the Alps, or the Jura. She divides her time between London and the French Alps.
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catering for package deals in the more downmarket or family resorts seek rock-bottom prices, whereas in France’s most fashionable resort, Courchevel 1850, the sales focus on magnums of First Growth clarets to a growing mega-rich foreign clientele (including many Russians) seems to preclude even the best Savoie producers from obtaining multiple listings. Not one Courchevel restaurant lists a series of vintages of Michel Grisard’s Domaine Saint-Christophe, although his wines are listed in the top restaurants in the valley towns of Annecy, Thonon, and Chambéry. He plans to launch an offensive to rectify the situation. In an effort to address the problem, négociant Jean Perrier (known mainly for its goodvalue restaurant wines) has invested in advertising in the upmarket Pure Courchevel magazine. The company has just launched a new, more expensive Roussette de Savoie, limited to 3,000 bottles, which is listed in one Courchevel restaurant at €95. The Savoie selection in most of the top restaurants is pitiful. In the Jura, the quality divide is also apparent, with many vignerons crying about increased running costs and customers who won’t accept price rises. The best vignerons once again are bucking the trend. In 2006, Stéphane Tissot launched a new Chardonnay cuvée – Clos de la Tour de Curon 2004 – which sold out quickly at a price of €55, almost double that of vin jaune. It is produced in small quantities from very low-yielding vines, and Tissot justifies the price because of the extensive work in recreating this steep vineyard. A handful of other Jura vignerons are expected to follow suit with their own high-priced selections.
Grapevine •
British woman Lisa Gilmore has purchased a majority interest in an 11-ha vineyard in the Chautagne area of Savoie, well known in particular for its Gamay and other red wines. Gilmore, the first British owner of a Savoie vineyard, is in negotiations along with two local vignerons to buy a further vineyard of the same size nearby, which will create what for Savoie is a sizable estate.
•
Building of the Savoie Maison du Vin has started in the village of Apremont, the largest cru in Savoie. As well as it being home to the administrative offices, tasting room, and laboratory of the Syndicat des Vins de Savoie, there are plans to
open an oenothèque – a shop that will sell wines from all the producers in the region at cellar-door prices.
• Synthetic corks are being used for Château-Chalon by Jacques DurandPerron, current president of the Syndicat des Vins de Château-Chalon. He has changed to plastic corks for his whole range, including ChâteauChalon, a wine destined to age for decades. Having tested them on his Chardonnay, he was so convinced by the results and the positive reaction of his customers that he decided to switch all his production, saving him around €1,000 per year compared to cork. Durand-Perron is satisfied that quality will not suffer.
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UNCERTAINTY OVER HENRI MAIRE Rumours and questions surround the future of the Société Henri Maire, négociant and the largest owner of vineyard land in the Jura region, with around 300 ha. The company, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2006, has purchased fewer grapes over the past few harvests and is rumoured to have difficulties in the market. In April 2007, a new directorgeneral was appointed to take over from Pierre Menez, long-term PDG (president director-general) who has retired. Thirty-seven-year-old Stéphane Zanella comes from a management background with Arthur Andersen and, since 2003, has been general director of the direct sales specialist Club Français du Vin. At the same time, Henri-Michel Maire has retired from active management and has been appointed president of the company. Madame Marie-Christine Tarby-Maire remains as associate director-general, assuring some continuity. However, she is a busy lady, since she is currently not only president of the Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins du Jura but also, since 31 January 2007, president of the French national industry lobby group Vin et Société. In April 2007, she was awarded the prestigious national award of Chevalier de Légion d’Honneur by the French Minister for Agriculture.
PERCÉE DU VIN JAUNE CELEBRATES 10 YEARS On the first weekend of February 2007, the Jura wine festival was held in bright sunshine in the spa town of
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Salins-les-Bains, historically famous for its salt production. Celebrating 10 years of existence, the festival has become a fixture for the population of the region of Franche-Comté. One of France’s largest wine festivals, with nearly 50,000 visitors, this has become an effective showcase, not just for vins jaunes, but for all the local wines and for tourism. Two neighbouring villages in the south of the region, Vincelles and Ste-Agnès, which together have a population of under 750, have agreed to host the next Percée festival on 2–3 February 2008.
SAVOIE GARAGE WINES LAUNCHED Swiss-born wine enthusiast Georges Siegenthaler has created Savoie’s first garage wines. Produced from vineyards on the almost-abandoned Vens-le-Haut slope in the Seyssel area of HauteSavoie, they are made in his own garage. Siegenthaler aims to make only top-quality micro-cuvées of high-quality wines, primarily Mondeuse reds, some Gamay, and white Molette. By selecting grapes at optimum ripeness, using considerably lower yields than normal in Savoie, and longer extraction in the winery, Siegenthaler hopes to produce a Mondeuse that will appeal to international palates. He is assisted by Geneva-based international winemaker Jean-Michel Novelle. The 1,500 bottles of the 2005 vintage of Domaine Vensle-Haut Mondeuse sold out before I had a chance to taste one.
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Opinion: Jura labelling continues to confuse Opinions vary within this tiny wine region as to whether the large range of wine styles offered is a positive advantage or a hindrance. Personally, I applaud the variety if the quality levels are high, but only on condition that the style of wine is clearly shown on the label (back or front). Unfortunately, this condition is rarely fulfilled in the Jura. The law requires only the appellation to be stated on the label in the case of most Jura wines. It is not even compulsory to state the grape variety; in fact, technically it is not allowed, although the authorities turn a blind eye. The only styles clearly stated are Crémant du Jura, an appellation in its own right, vin de paille, and vin jaune (and the latter is not stated on AOC Château-Chalon, where the whole world is supposed to understand implicitly that Château-Chalon is always vin jaune). Nothing needs to be written to describe the style of red, rosé, and white wines for the main appellations Arbois and Côtes du Jura, which make up the majority of the region’s production. The three black grape varieties – Poulsard, Trousseau, and Pinot Noir – may be bottled singly or as a blend – most made as light, early-drinking reds that look more like rosés. An increasing (and positive) trend is to produce more concentrated, longer-lived reds aged in oak. Do they state this on the back label? In most cases, dream on. For whites, it’s worse. Even though there are just two varieties – Chardonnay and Savagnin, sometimes blended – they can be made in an oxidative style or in a so-called burgundian or floral style, or anywhere in between. Add to this an increasing trend to bottle single-terroir wines, or late-harvest wines, not to mention the occasional use of new barrels or foudres, and there is confusion. Without explanation from the vigneron, we have no idea what the wine will taste like. And here is the rub: for too long the Jura producers have relied on presenting their wines in person to the end user. Surely this can’t continue for ever? With falling local sales, they need to expand their horizons. Currently they are targeting Paris, and in the future they might even launch an export initiative. But without clarity on the label, they haven’t much chance of success, in my view.
Savoie still not selling itself Each year the divide grows between the best Savoyard vignerons, whose wines impress more each year, and the deep lake of thin, underripe wines turned out by most of the local négociants and a large number of small
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producers, especially from the largest crus of Apremont and Abymes. The lack of promotion of the region as a whole, but in particular of its better wines, means that it’s really only a sense of adventure that encourages a tourist to try a Savoie wine. If that drinker happens to be in a restaurant in a ski resort, more than likely the wine will be downright uninteresting or, worse, simply bad. It’s enough to put them off Savoie wines for life, and they will be missing out. Improved controls are needed to raise the quality at the bottom and middle levels, and better promotion is required so that the good producers have the confidence to demand worthwhile prices. Otherwise, Savoie wines will continue to be categorized by most as, at best, “wines to drink on the ski slopes”.
INAO restricts Jura, Savoie, and Bugey The stalled discussions for changing and updating the national system of appellations has slowed progress for these three little regions. In Wine Report 2007 I mentioned the request by the Bugey area for the INAO to restrict the use of the term méthode ancestrale to the sparkling rosés from Bugey Cerdon VDQS. It has not happened. Nor has the upgrading of Bugey from VDQS to AOC; nor the simplifying of crus in Savoie; nor the introduction of the tasting test, the agrément at the point of bottling, for vins jaunes. All these changes would serve to improve quality and reward the best producers with better prices. Meetings are held and papers written, but so far nothing has happened.
Grapevine • Jura négociant CGVJ (Compagnie
des Grands Vins du Jura) is expanding its domaine holdings, mainly to meet demand for sparkling wines. Sales of Crémant du Jura are growing faster than any other Jura wines, and CGVJ is the largest producer, making around 1 million bottles annually, of which 200,000 are exported. The company, which also makes a range of other Jura wines, currently owns 23 ha and buys in from around 230 ha, handling around 13 per cent of total Jura production. At the time of writing, negotiations to buy a nearby domaine had just fallen through, but general manager Paul Espitalié confirmed the intention to continue investing in the area.
•
A collection of old Jura vine varieties is being preserved by Caves Jean Bourdy, a wine producer based in Arlay, in conjunction with the Société de Viticulture du Jura. Cuttings of rare varieties retrieved from vineyards all over the region were planted in May 2006. Bourdy is well known for its large collection of old Jura wines going back to the 18th century, and Jean-François Bourdy believes it is important to preserve varieties that were once widely planted but are no longer part of the officially recommended list of grape varieties.
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Vintage Report Advance report on the latest harvest 2006 Jura – “You had to be quick” was the most common refrain after the vintage. Deluges of rain were forecast in early October, and there was a rush to bring in the later varieties. The year had been topsy-turvy. A record-breaking, extremely hot July that at times blocked the grapes’ development was followed by a very wet August cool enough to stop ripening. September was warm, with long periods of sunshine that saved what could have been a disastrous vintage. Rot was a problem for some and the harvest small overall, with little potential vin de paille made. In general, decent wines have been made by those producers who acted quickly and were selective. Savoie – After localized hail in early summer, a very hot July, and a very cold, wet August, it was never going to be easy. September was a big improvement, but rain storms hit in late September and early October. Only those producers who really took care in the vineyards and made a rigorous selection at harvest have good wines in the making. Rot of various types was the biggest problem, and for reds there was a level of underripeness, too. Quality is uneven, though the best producers are confident of obtaining reasonable wines, but with quantities lower than average.
Updates on the previous five vintages Ratings for vin jaune and vin de paille are included in the scores for white wines.
2005 Vintage rating: Jura – Red: 90,White: 92; Savoie – Red: 88,White: 85 Jura – The year gave a normal and healthy growing season, albeit fairly dry and hot. Weather remained good throughout the picking period, which extended into the latter half of October. Acidity was maintained, and this, combined with good concentration and modest yields, has produced successful wines from all varieties. The best wines show the magic combination of good flavours, structure, balance, and length, making them delightful to drink young and good for the long term, too. The vintage has a great future.
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Savoie – Overall a good growing season with a few disease problems for the usual culprits, Gamay and Pinot Noir. September and October provided glorious, dry, warm, and sunny weather, good for early and late varieties alike. It was a year when there should be no excuse for bad wines. Most whites from Bergeron (Roussanne) and Altesse grapes did not need any chaptalization and the best show attractive flavours, balance, and length. Mondeuse reds are the real stars: lovely fruit flavours and ripe tannins resulting from better vineyard methods in combination with the weather.
2004 Vintage rating: Jura – Red: 80,White: 82; Savoie – Red: 76,White: 78 Jura – After a wet summer, September was dry and warm. Crop levels were high and selection was essential. Much Crémant du Jura was made from Chardonnay. Savagnins were picked at good sugar and acidity levels, crucial for vin jaune. Trousseau was the most successful black variety. Savoie – Excess quantity was the biggest problem in this year of variable weather, but the grapes were generally healthy. Late varieties did best, and those growers who were selective have produced reasonably concentrated wines. Some good Roussette de Savoie whites were made from Altesse, and the finest producers of Mondeuse did well.
2003 Vintage rating: Jura – Red: 86,White: 76; Savoie – Red: 83,White: 81 Jura – The harvest was very early, and quantities were down 30 per cent. Dealing with low acidity was a big challenge, especially for wines destined for vin jaune. Some interesting Savagnin wines have been released, but most Chardonnays will be too soft by 2008. Reds, for once, are actually red in colour and taste of ripe fruit! Savoie – The hot, dry conditions led to an early harvest of supremely healthy grapes that required careful cellar handling, especially of low acidity levels. Low quantities mean that few wines are still available. However, the best producers made deliciously fruity whites and some structured reds.
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2002 Vintage rating: Jura – Red: 86,White: 90; Savoie – Red: 79,White: 77 Jura – Overall, good quality after a fine autumn. Nearly all varieties show both good natural ripeness and high acidity levels, and this bodes well for vin jaune. Chardonnays and some Trousseau reds are proving excellent still, with good weight and balance. Savoie – Good late September weather saved the harvest, following a difficult August. Mondeuse did well in places, with some good results. Whites are mainly drunk.
2001
Jura 1 Daniel Dugois 2 Domaine Rolet Père & Fils 3 Domaine Baud Père & Fils 4 Frédéric Lornet Savoie 1 Domaine de l’Idylle 2 Edmond Jacquin & Fils 3 Pascal & Annick Quenard 4 Domaine Jean Vullien & Fils 5 Jean Perrier (Gilbert Perrier range) 6 Cave de Chautagne
Vintage rating: Jura – Red: 65,White: 73; Savoie – Red: 60,White: 68
GREATEST-QUALITY WINES
Jura – A difficult, fairly small, and variable vintage. AOC Château-Chalon was declassified, but some decent vins jaunes should be released in 2008. Savoie – Medium-quality vintage, especially difficult for reds.
Jura: 1999 is a wonderful, elegant vintage for vins jaunes. The wines will be at their best in 5–10 years. Chardonnays listed are non-oxidative in a style to drink or keep. 1 Arbois Vin Jaune 1999 Domaine André & Mireille Tissot (€30) 2 Château-Chalon 1999 Domaine Berthet-Bondet (€29) 3 Arbois Chardonnay Les Bruyères 2004 Domaine André & Mireille Tissot (€14.50) 4 Côtes du Jura Chardonnay Les Chalasses Vieilles Vignes 2004 Domaine Ganevat (€12) 5 Arbois Trousseau Cuvée Les Berangères 2004 Jacques Puffeney (€11) Savoie 1 Vin de Savoie Mondeuse Tradition 2004 Domaine Prieuré Saint-Christophe (€15) 2 Vin de Savoie Chignin Bergeron Vieilles Vignes 2005 Jean-Pierre & Jean-François Quenard (€8.70) 3 Vin de Savoie Chignin Bergeron Saint-Anthelme 2005 Denis & Didier Berthollier (€9.95) 4 Roussette de Savoie 2005 Domaine Louis Magnin (€13)
GREATEST WINE PRODUCERS Jura 1 Domaine André & Mireille Tissot 2 Jacques Puffeney 3 Domaine Labet Père & Fils 4 Domaine Ganevat 5 Jean Rijckaert 6 Domaine Jacques Tissot Savoie 1 Domaine Prieuré Saint-Christophe 2 Domaine Dupasquier 3 Domaine Louis Magnin 4 André & Michel Quenard
FASTEST-IMPROVING PRODUCERS Jura 1 Domaine Pignier 2 Domaine de la Tournelle 3 Domaine de la Renardière 4 Domaine Ligier Père & Fils 5 Château d’Arlay
Savoie 1 Denis & Didier Berthollier 2 Cave du Prieuré 3 Jean-Pierre & Jean-François Quenard 4 Jean-Pierre & Philippe Grisard 5 Domaine Belluard
NEW UP-AND-COMING PRODUCERS Jura 1 Jean-Marc Brignot 2 Rémi Treuvey 3 Julien Labet 4 Domaine Cybelline Savoie 1 Gilles Berlioz 2 Domaine St-Germain 3 Bruno Lupin 4 EARL La Gerbelle
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5 Vin de Savoie Chignin
Bergeron Cuvée Noé Vieilles Vignes 2005 Pascal & Annick Quenard (€11)
BEST BARGAINS Jura 1 Crémant du Jura Brut Marcel Cabelier NV Compagnie des Grands Vins du Jura (€5) 2 Arbois-Pupillin Les Terrasses (Savagnin) 2005 Domaine de la Renardière (€11) 3 Côtes du Jura Chardonnay A la Percenette 2005 Domaine Pignier (€11) 4 Côtes du Jura Chardonnay La Bardette 2004 Domaine Labet Père & Fils (€11) Savoie 1 Roussette de Savoie Marestel 2004 Domaine Dupasquier (€8.50) 2 Vin de Savoie Mondeuse d’Arbin 2005 Domaine Louis Magnin (€7.50) 3 Roussette de Savoie 2005 Domaine de l’Idylle (€5.60) 4 Roussette de Savoie Frangy Vieilles Vignes Cuvée du Pépé 2005 Bruno Lupin (€6.50) 5 Vin de Savoie Mondeuse Le Pied de la Barme 2005 Domaine St-Germain (€7) 6 Vin de Savoie Jongieux Gamay 2005 Cave du Prieuré (€5.50)
MOST EXCITING OR UNUSUAL FINDS Jura 1 Audace Passerillé Rouge 2005 Domaine André & Mireille Tissot (€28 per half-bottle) At 8 per cent alcohol, this table wine is not allowed vin de paille status, even though the Poulsard grapes were dried on straw for more than six months. One of Stéphane Tissot’s many follies, this sweetish red has
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structure behind and plenty of pure red fruit. A dream with vanilla ice cream. 2 Côtes du Jura Savagnin Les Vignes de Mon Père 1998 Domaine Ganevat (€20) From very old vines. The wine was kept in a barrel for eight years, topped up (unlike Savagnin for vin jaune). The result is a honeyed, rich, dry wine with stunning intensity of crystallized fruits and no hint of oxidation. 3 Arbois L’Uva Arbosiana 2005 Domaine de la Tournelle (€5.50) L’Uva Arbosiana is the old name for Poulsard. From low-yielding vines, this was made without SO2 , using carbonic maceration and retaining CO2 to preserve freshness. It is a delicious, light, juicy red, with a touch of tannin. 4 Château-Chalon 1986 Henri Maire (€35) This huge négociant and domaine owner has splendid cellars for its vins jaunes and Château-Chalons that stay in barrel for at least 10 years. Currently still available, this vintage Château-Chalon smells of dried figs and has a creamy, curry-spiced palate. Sip with mature Comté cheese and walnuts. 5 Arbois Cuvée Marc 2005 Jean-Marc Brignot (€15) This new producer bottles his wines without SO2 . He works hard in the vineyard to produce very concentrated wines, reflected in the dark colour of this red from 95 per cent of the pale Poulsard grape and 5 per cent Trousseau. It has great presence and intensity. 6 Arbois Cuvée du 70ème Anniversaire Savagnin 2000 Domaine Rolet Père & Fils (€14) To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Arbois becoming an AOC, Rolet released two superb cuvées in
2006: a good 2003 Trousseau and this traditional Savagnin. Aged as a vin jaune but for less time, it has a good balance of intense jaune character and acidity. Savoie 1 Vin de Pays d’Allobrogie Schiste 2005 Domaine des Ardoisières (€13) From the southfacing organic vineyard that Michel Grisard created near Albertville (see Wine Report 2005) comes this deliciously dry, herbal, and stony blend full of lemon and floral flavours. The basic Savoie white Jacquère grape is blended with 10 per cent Pinot Gris and 10 per cent Roussanne fermented and aged in oak. 2 Vin de Savoie Compostelle Mondeuse 2004 Cave du Prieuré (€12) From vines situated on one of the pilgrims’ routes from Geneva to Santiago de Compostelle, the Barlet brothers matured this Mondeuse in Côte Rôtie barrels. The result is a creamy and ripe Mondeuse that owes more to the New World than most Savoie reds. 3 Vin de Savoie St-Jeoire Prieuré 2005 EARL La Gerbelle (€3.50) Brothers André and Guy Quenard are converting their Chignin estate to organic viticulture. Quality is on the up, as proved by this deliciously fresh, dry white Jacquère from a tiny cru at a bargain price. 4 Vin de Savoie Chautagne Autremont 2004 Jacques Maillet (€10) Monsieur Maillet is a member of the Chautagne cooperative but chooses to market his wine himself. From old vines farmed biodynamically, this direct, fruity wine is a blend of 40 per cent Gamay, 40 per cent Pinot Noir, and 20 per cent Mondeuse.
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Jura & Savoie Wink Lorch “The good vignerons are not suffering. We all need to adopt a positive attitude,” commented wine producer Michel Quenard of Chignin in reaction to a rather negative speech from Michel Cartier. Cartier, the president of the Syndicat des Vins de Savoie, was speaking at the annual StVincent wine celebration in January 2007, held not, as most years, in a wine village but in the centre of Savoie’s main town, Chambéry. In citing the growing crisis in France’s wine industry, he berated the town’s wine lovers for not drinking enough Savoie wine and urged their support. Savoie accounts for less than WINK LORCH 2 per cent of France’s wine production and has a ready market in the local ski industry, so theoretically it suffers much less than other wine regions. Yet there are many moans to be heard, mostly from producers I do not feature in this guide. Michel Quenard grasped the point in one. Quality is all, yet it comes at a price, and there is a valid debate as to who is going to pay for it. Among potential customers for Savoie wines, in particular the local restaurants, there is a growing divide between those who search for the lowest possible price and those who claim that Savoie does not have sufficient numbers of high-priced wines for them to take the region seriously. Both types of restaurant can be found in the ski resorts. Those WINK LORCH is a wine writer and educator with a passion for the mountains and a chalet in the Haut-Savoie. In 2007, she launched www.winetravelguides.com – a website for independent wine travellers, initially covering France. She is a past chairman of the Association of Wine Educators and has contributed to several books, including Time-Life’s The Wine Guide and Le Cordon Bleu’s Wine Essentials. Wink particularly enjoys enthusing about wines from vineyards in sight of snowcapped mountains, whether the Andes, the Alps, or the Jura. She divides her time between London and the French Alps.
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catering for package deals in the more downmarket or family resorts seek rock-bottom prices, whereas in France’s most fashionable resort, Courchevel 1850, the sales focus on magnums of First Growth clarets to a growing mega-rich foreign clientele (including many Russians) seems to preclude even the best Savoie producers from obtaining multiple listings. Not one Courchevel restaurant lists a series of vintages of Michel Grisard’s Domaine Saint-Christophe, although his wines are listed in the top restaurants in the valley towns of Annecy, Thonon, and Chambéry. He plans to launch an offensive to rectify the situation. In an effort to address the problem, négociant Jean Perrier (known mainly for its goodvalue restaurant wines) has invested in advertising in the upmarket Pure Courchevel magazine. The company has just launched a new, more expensive Roussette de Savoie, limited to 3,000 bottles, which is listed in one Courchevel restaurant at €95. The Savoie selection in most of the top restaurants is pitiful. In the Jura, the quality divide is also apparent, with many vignerons crying about increased running costs and customers who won’t accept price rises. The best vignerons once again are bucking the trend. In 2006, Stéphane Tissot launched a new Chardonnay cuvée – Clos de la Tour de Curon 2004 – which sold out quickly at a price of €55, almost double that of vin jaune. It is produced in small quantities from very low-yielding vines, and Tissot justifies the price because of the extensive work in recreating this steep vineyard. A handful of other Jura vignerons are expected to follow suit with their own high-priced selections.
Grapevine •
British woman Lisa Gilmore has purchased a majority interest in an 11-ha vineyard in the Chautagne area of Savoie, well known in particular for its Gamay and other red wines. Gilmore, the first British owner of a Savoie vineyard, is in negotiations along with two local vignerons to buy a further vineyard of the same size nearby, which will create what for Savoie is a sizable estate.
•
Building of the Savoie Maison du Vin has started in the village of Apremont, the largest cru in Savoie. As well as it being home to the administrative offices, tasting room, and laboratory of the Syndicat des Vins de Savoie, there are plans to
open an oenothèque – a shop that will sell wines from all the producers in the region at cellar-door prices.
• Synthetic corks are being used for Château-Chalon by Jacques DurandPerron, current president of the Syndicat des Vins de Château-Chalon. He has changed to plastic corks for his whole range, including ChâteauChalon, a wine destined to age for decades. Having tested them on his Chardonnay, he was so convinced by the results and the positive reaction of his customers that he decided to switch all his production, saving him around €1,000 per year compared to cork. Durand-Perron is satisfied that quality will not suffer.
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UNCERTAINTY OVER HENRI MAIRE Rumours and questions surround the future of the Société Henri Maire, négociant and the largest owner of vineyard land in the Jura region, with around 300 ha. The company, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2006, has purchased fewer grapes over the past few harvests and is rumoured to have difficulties in the market. In April 2007, a new directorgeneral was appointed to take over from Pierre Menez, long-term PDG (president director-general) who has retired. Thirty-seven-year-old Stéphane Zanella comes from a management background with Arthur Andersen and, since 2003, has been general director of the direct sales specialist Club Français du Vin. At the same time, Henri-Michel Maire has retired from active management and has been appointed president of the company. Madame Marie-Christine Tarby-Maire remains as associate director-general, assuring some continuity. However, she is a busy lady, since she is currently not only president of the Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins du Jura but also, since 31 January 2007, president of the French national industry lobby group Vin et Société. In April 2007, she was awarded the prestigious national award of Chevalier de Légion d’Honneur by the French Minister for Agriculture.
PERCÉE DU VIN JAUNE CELEBRATES 10 YEARS On the first weekend of February 2007, the Jura wine festival was held in bright sunshine in the spa town of
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Salins-les-Bains, historically famous for its salt production. Celebrating 10 years of existence, the festival has become a fixture for the population of the region of Franche-Comté. One of France’s largest wine festivals, with nearly 50,000 visitors, this has become an effective showcase, not just for vins jaunes, but for all the local wines and for tourism. Two neighbouring villages in the south of the region, Vincelles and Ste-Agnès, which together have a population of under 750, have agreed to host the next Percée festival on 2–3 February 2008.
SAVOIE GARAGE WINES LAUNCHED Swiss-born wine enthusiast Georges Siegenthaler has created Savoie’s first garage wines. Produced from vineyards on the almost-abandoned Vens-le-Haut slope in the Seyssel area of HauteSavoie, they are made in his own garage. Siegenthaler aims to make only top-quality micro-cuvées of high-quality wines, primarily Mondeuse reds, some Gamay, and white Molette. By selecting grapes at optimum ripeness, using considerably lower yields than normal in Savoie, and longer extraction in the winery, Siegenthaler hopes to produce a Mondeuse that will appeal to international palates. He is assisted by Geneva-based international winemaker Jean-Michel Novelle. The 1,500 bottles of the 2005 vintage of Domaine Vensle-Haut Mondeuse sold out before I had a chance to taste one.
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Opinion: Jura labelling continues to confuse Opinions vary within this tiny wine region as to whether the large range of wine styles offered is a positive advantage or a hindrance. Personally, I applaud the variety if the quality levels are high, but only on condition that the style of wine is clearly shown on the label (back or front). Unfortunately, this condition is rarely fulfilled in the Jura. The law requires only the appellation to be stated on the label in the case of most Jura wines. It is not even compulsory to state the grape variety; in fact, technically it is not allowed, although the authorities turn a blind eye. The only styles clearly stated are Crémant du Jura, an appellation in its own right, vin de paille, and vin jaune (and the latter is not stated on AOC Château-Chalon, where the whole world is supposed to understand implicitly that Château-Chalon is always vin jaune). Nothing needs to be written to describe the style of red, rosé, and white wines for the main appellations Arbois and Côtes du Jura, which make up the majority of the region’s production. The three black grape varieties – Poulsard, Trousseau, and Pinot Noir – may be bottled singly or as a blend – most made as light, early-drinking reds that look more like rosés. An increasing (and positive) trend is to produce more concentrated, longer-lived reds aged in oak. Do they state this on the back label? In most cases, dream on. For whites, it’s worse. Even though there are just two varieties – Chardonnay and Savagnin, sometimes blended – they can be made in an oxidative style or in a so-called burgundian or floral style, or anywhere in between. Add to this an increasing trend to bottle single-terroir wines, or late-harvest wines, not to mention the occasional use of new barrels or foudres, and there is confusion. Without explanation from the vigneron, we have no idea what the wine will taste like. And here is the rub: for too long the Jura producers have relied on presenting their wines in person to the end user. Surely this can’t continue for ever? With falling local sales, they need to expand their horizons. Currently they are targeting Paris, and in the future they might even launch an export initiative. But without clarity on the label, they haven’t much chance of success, in my view.
Savoie still not selling itself Each year the divide grows between the best Savoyard vignerons, whose wines impress more each year, and the deep lake of thin, underripe wines turned out by most of the local négociants and a large number of small
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producers, especially from the largest crus of Apremont and Abymes. The lack of promotion of the region as a whole, but in particular of its better wines, means that it’s really only a sense of adventure that encourages a tourist to try a Savoie wine. If that drinker happens to be in a restaurant in a ski resort, more than likely the wine will be downright uninteresting or, worse, simply bad. It’s enough to put them off Savoie wines for life, and they will be missing out. Improved controls are needed to raise the quality at the bottom and middle levels, and better promotion is required so that the good producers have the confidence to demand worthwhile prices. Otherwise, Savoie wines will continue to be categorized by most as, at best, “wines to drink on the ski slopes”.
INAO restricts Jura, Savoie, and Bugey The stalled discussions for changing and updating the national system of appellations has slowed progress for these three little regions. In Wine Report 2007 I mentioned the request by the Bugey area for the INAO to restrict the use of the term méthode ancestrale to the sparkling rosés from Bugey Cerdon VDQS. It has not happened. Nor has the upgrading of Bugey from VDQS to AOC; nor the simplifying of crus in Savoie; nor the introduction of the tasting test, the agrément at the point of bottling, for vins jaunes. All these changes would serve to improve quality and reward the best producers with better prices. Meetings are held and papers written, but so far nothing has happened.
Grapevine • Jura négociant CGVJ (Compagnie
des Grands Vins du Jura) is expanding its domaine holdings, mainly to meet demand for sparkling wines. Sales of Crémant du Jura are growing faster than any other Jura wines, and CGVJ is the largest producer, making around 1 million bottles annually, of which 200,000 are exported. The company, which also makes a range of other Jura wines, currently owns 23 ha and buys in from around 230 ha, handling around 13 per cent of total Jura production. At the time of writing, negotiations to buy a nearby domaine had just fallen through, but general manager Paul Espitalié confirmed the intention to continue investing in the area.
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A collection of old Jura vine varieties is being preserved by Caves Jean Bourdy, a wine producer based in Arlay, in conjunction with the Société de Viticulture du Jura. Cuttings of rare varieties retrieved from vineyards all over the region were planted in May 2006. Bourdy is well known for its large collection of old Jura wines going back to the 18th century, and Jean-François Bourdy believes it is important to preserve varieties that were once widely planted but are no longer part of the officially recommended list of grape varieties.
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Vintage Report Advance report on the latest harvest 2006 Jura – “You had to be quick” was the most common refrain after the vintage. Deluges of rain were forecast in early October, and there was a rush to bring in the later varieties. The year had been topsy-turvy. A record-breaking, extremely hot July that at times blocked the grapes’ development was followed by a very wet August cool enough to stop ripening. September was warm, with long periods of sunshine that saved what could have been a disastrous vintage. Rot was a problem for some and the harvest small overall, with little potential vin de paille made. In general, decent wines have been made by those producers who acted quickly and were selective. Savoie – After localized hail in early summer, a very hot July, and a very cold, wet August, it was never going to be easy. September was a big improvement, but rain storms hit in late September and early October. Only those producers who really took care in the vineyards and made a rigorous selection at harvest have good wines in the making. Rot of various types was the biggest problem, and for reds there was a level of underripeness, too. Quality is uneven, though the best producers are confident of obtaining reasonable wines, but with quantities lower than average.
Updates on the previous five vintages Ratings for vin jaune and vin de paille are included in the scores for white wines.
2005 Vintage rating: Jura – Red: 90,White: 92; Savoie – Red: 88,White: 85 Jura – The year gave a normal and healthy growing season, albeit fairly dry and hot. Weather remained good throughout the picking period, which extended into the latter half of October. Acidity was maintained, and this, combined with good concentration and modest yields, has produced successful wines from all varieties. The best wines show the magic combination of good flavours, structure, balance, and length, making them delightful to drink young and good for the long term, too. The vintage has a great future.
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Savoie – Overall a good growing season with a few disease problems for the usual culprits, Gamay and Pinot Noir. September and October provided glorious, dry, warm, and sunny weather, good for early and late varieties alike. It was a year when there should be no excuse for bad wines. Most whites from Bergeron (Roussanne) and Altesse grapes did not need any chaptalization and the best show attractive flavours, balance, and length. Mondeuse reds are the real stars: lovely fruit flavours and ripe tannins resulting from better vineyard methods in combination with the weather.
2004 Vintage rating: Jura – Red: 80,White: 82; Savoie – Red: 76,White: 78 Jura – After a wet summer, September was dry and warm. Crop levels were high and selection was essential. Much Crémant du Jura was made from Chardonnay. Savagnins were picked at good sugar and acidity levels, crucial for vin jaune. Trousseau was the most successful black variety. Savoie – Excess quantity was the biggest problem in this year of variable weather, but the grapes were generally healthy. Late varieties did best, and those growers who were selective have produced reasonably concentrated wines. Some good Roussette de Savoie whites were made from Altesse, and the finest producers of Mondeuse did well.
2003 Vintage rating: Jura – Red: 86,White: 76; Savoie – Red: 83,White: 81 Jura – The harvest was very early, and quantities were down 30 per cent. Dealing with low acidity was a big challenge, especially for wines destined for vin jaune. Some interesting Savagnin wines have been released, but most Chardonnays will be too soft by 2008. Reds, for once, are actually red in colour and taste of ripe fruit! Savoie – The hot, dry conditions led to an early harvest of supremely healthy grapes that required careful cellar handling, especially of low acidity levels. Low quantities mean that few wines are still available. However, the best producers made deliciously fruity whites and some structured reds.
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GLOBAL REPORTS BEST-VALUE PRODUCERS
2002 Vintage rating: Jura – Red: 86,White: 90; Savoie – Red: 79,White: 77 Jura – Overall, good quality after a fine autumn. Nearly all varieties show both good natural ripeness and high acidity levels, and this bodes well for vin jaune. Chardonnays and some Trousseau reds are proving excellent still, with good weight and balance. Savoie – Good late September weather saved the harvest, following a difficult August. Mondeuse did well in places, with some good results. Whites are mainly drunk.
2001
Jura 1 Daniel Dugois 2 Domaine Rolet Père & Fils 3 Domaine Baud Père & Fils 4 Frédéric Lornet Savoie 1 Domaine de l’Idylle 2 Edmond Jacquin & Fils 3 Pascal & Annick Quenard 4 Domaine Jean Vullien & Fils 5 Jean Perrier (Gilbert Perrier range) 6 Cave de Chautagne
Vintage rating: Jura – Red: 65,White: 73; Savoie – Red: 60,White: 68
GREATEST-QUALITY WINES
Jura – A difficult, fairly small, and variable vintage. AOC Château-Chalon was declassified, but some decent vins jaunes should be released in 2008. Savoie – Medium-quality vintage, especially difficult for reds.
Jura: 1999 is a wonderful, elegant vintage for vins jaunes. The wines will be at their best in 5–10 years. Chardonnays listed are non-oxidative in a style to drink or keep. 1 Arbois Vin Jaune 1999 Domaine André & Mireille Tissot (€30) 2 Château-Chalon 1999 Domaine Berthet-Bondet (€29) 3 Arbois Chardonnay Les Bruyères 2004 Domaine André & Mireille Tissot (€14.50) 4 Côtes du Jura Chardonnay Les Chalasses Vieilles Vignes 2004 Domaine Ganevat (€12) 5 Arbois Trousseau Cuvée Les Berangères 2004 Jacques Puffeney (€11) Savoie 1 Vin de Savoie Mondeuse Tradition 2004 Domaine Prieuré Saint-Christophe (€15) 2 Vin de Savoie Chignin Bergeron Vieilles Vignes 2005 Jean-Pierre & Jean-François Quenard (€8.70) 3 Vin de Savoie Chignin Bergeron Saint-Anthelme 2005 Denis & Didier Berthollier (€9.95) 4 Roussette de Savoie 2005 Domaine Louis Magnin (€13)
GREATEST WINE PRODUCERS Jura 1 Domaine André & Mireille Tissot 2 Jacques Puffeney 3 Domaine Labet Père & Fils 4 Domaine Ganevat 5 Jean Rijckaert 6 Domaine Jacques Tissot Savoie 1 Domaine Prieuré Saint-Christophe 2 Domaine Dupasquier 3 Domaine Louis Magnin 4 André & Michel Quenard
FASTEST-IMPROVING PRODUCERS Jura 1 Domaine Pignier 2 Domaine de la Tournelle 3 Domaine de la Renardière 4 Domaine Ligier Père & Fils 5 Château d’Arlay
Savoie 1 Denis & Didier Berthollier 2 Cave du Prieuré 3 Jean-Pierre & Jean-François Quenard 4 Jean-Pierre & Philippe Grisard 5 Domaine Belluard
NEW UP-AND-COMING PRODUCERS Jura 1 Jean-Marc Brignot 2 Rémi Treuvey 3 Julien Labet 4 Domaine Cybelline Savoie 1 Gilles Berlioz 2 Domaine St-Germain 3 Bruno Lupin 4 EARL La Gerbelle
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5 Vin de Savoie Chignin
Bergeron Cuvée Noé Vieilles Vignes 2005 Pascal & Annick Quenard (€11)
BEST BARGAINS Jura 1 Crémant du Jura Brut Marcel Cabelier NV Compagnie des Grands Vins du Jura (€5) 2 Arbois-Pupillin Les Terrasses (Savagnin) 2005 Domaine de la Renardière (€11) 3 Côtes du Jura Chardonnay A la Percenette 2005 Domaine Pignier (€11) 4 Côtes du Jura Chardonnay La Bardette 2004 Domaine Labet Père & Fils (€11) Savoie 1 Roussette de Savoie Marestel 2004 Domaine Dupasquier (€8.50) 2 Vin de Savoie Mondeuse d’Arbin 2005 Domaine Louis Magnin (€7.50) 3 Roussette de Savoie 2005 Domaine de l’Idylle (€5.60) 4 Roussette de Savoie Frangy Vieilles Vignes Cuvée du Pépé 2005 Bruno Lupin (€6.50) 5 Vin de Savoie Mondeuse Le Pied de la Barme 2005 Domaine St-Germain (€7) 6 Vin de Savoie Jongieux Gamay 2005 Cave du Prieuré (€5.50)
MOST EXCITING OR UNUSUAL FINDS Jura 1 Audace Passerillé Rouge 2005 Domaine André & Mireille Tissot (€28 per half-bottle) At 8 per cent alcohol, this table wine is not allowed vin de paille status, even though the Poulsard grapes were dried on straw for more than six months. One of Stéphane Tissot’s many follies, this sweetish red has
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structure behind and plenty of pure red fruit. A dream with vanilla ice cream. 2 Côtes du Jura Savagnin Les Vignes de Mon Père 1998 Domaine Ganevat (€20) From very old vines. The wine was kept in a barrel for eight years, topped up (unlike Savagnin for vin jaune). The result is a honeyed, rich, dry wine with stunning intensity of crystallized fruits and no hint of oxidation. 3 Arbois L’Uva Arbosiana 2005 Domaine de la Tournelle (€5.50) L’Uva Arbosiana is the old name for Poulsard. From low-yielding vines, this was made without SO2 , using carbonic maceration and retaining CO2 to preserve freshness. It is a delicious, light, juicy red, with a touch of tannin. 4 Château-Chalon 1986 Henri Maire (€35) This huge négociant and domaine owner has splendid cellars for its vins jaunes and Château-Chalons that stay in barrel for at least 10 years. Currently still available, this vintage Château-Chalon smells of dried figs and has a creamy, curry-spiced palate. Sip with mature Comté cheese and walnuts. 5 Arbois Cuvée Marc 2005 Jean-Marc Brignot (€15) This new producer bottles his wines without SO2 . He works hard in the vineyard to produce very concentrated wines, reflected in the dark colour of this red from 95 per cent of the pale Poulsard grape and 5 per cent Trousseau. It has great presence and intensity. 6 Arbois Cuvée du 70ème Anniversaire Savagnin 2000 Domaine Rolet Père & Fils (€14) To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Arbois becoming an AOC, Rolet released two superb cuvées in
2006: a good 2003 Trousseau and this traditional Savagnin. Aged as a vin jaune but for less time, it has a good balance of intense jaune character and acidity. Savoie 1 Vin de Pays d’Allobrogie Schiste 2005 Domaine des Ardoisières (€13) From the southfacing organic vineyard that Michel Grisard created near Albertville (see Wine Report 2005) comes this deliciously dry, herbal, and stony blend full of lemon and floral flavours. The basic Savoie white Jacquère grape is blended with 10 per cent Pinot Gris and 10 per cent Roussanne fermented and aged in oak. 2 Vin de Savoie Compostelle Mondeuse 2004 Cave du Prieuré (€12) From vines situated on one of the pilgrims’ routes from Geneva to Santiago de Compostelle, the Barlet brothers matured this Mondeuse in Côte Rôtie barrels. The result is a creamy and ripe Mondeuse that owes more to the New World than most Savoie reds. 3 Vin de Savoie St-Jeoire Prieuré 2005 EARL La Gerbelle (€3.50) Brothers André and Guy Quenard are converting their Chignin estate to organic viticulture. Quality is on the up, as proved by this deliciously fresh, dry white Jacquère from a tiny cru at a bargain price. 4 Vin de Savoie Chautagne Autremont 2004 Jacques Maillet (€10) Monsieur Maillet is a member of the Chautagne cooperative but chooses to market his wine himself. From old vines farmed biodynamically, this direct, fruity wine is a blend of 40 per cent Gamay, 40 per cent Pinot Noir, and 20 per cent Mondeuse.
