Region: Jura - France
Grape Variety: 100% Savagnin
Tasting Note:
The goal of this wine is to show the full potential of Savagnin aged under flore or sous voile without moving all the way into the Vin Jaune category. The alcoholic fermentation takes place in a closed vat using only indigenous yeasts (and flore) and is aged on its fine lees in the same vat for 10 months after which time it is transferred into neutral oak barrels for the second phase of aging sous voile. From this point forward, the barrels are not topped off and a thin mold (flore) forms on the surface of the wine. The wine concentrates through evaporation but is preserved by this natural mold. The Jura and Jerez, Spain are the only regions where this mold will dependably grow on the surface of the wine. After 12 months sous voile, each barrel is tasted and the final cuvée is lightly filtered and blended.
The resulting wine is a pure delight melding the aromatics of almonds, citrus peel, honey and spice. The natural acidity, quite high due to the concentration, makes it exceptionally tense and compelling.
About the Winery:
Founded in 1869, this family-run estate, like most during that time, was originally structured on a poly-culture model; vines, grain and livestock. It gradually evolved to producing only grapes and wine over the last 50 years and is now run by Jean-Marie (father) and Damien (son) Courbet. The estate now comprises 7.5 hectares of vineyards. Half are located on the slopes directly below the famous village of Château-Chalon which is arguably the greatest appellation of the region. The balance of the vineyards are located nearby in the communes of Domblans and Menétru.
Since 2005, the Courbets have been farming biodynamically and the estate is currently in transition to organic certification. All harvests are manual and only indigenous yeasts are used. Minimal use of sulfur dioxide is used and the doses range from 20-30ppm.
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