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2019 Côtes du Jura Chardonnay “La Chaux”

Domaine Rousset-Martin
Discount Eligible $64.00
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Jura native François Rousset-Martin is a proud ambassador of local wine tradition but also loves to tinker, and his cellar is full of experiments with both oxidative and so-called “Burgundian” whites. But there is nothing Burgundian about this topped-up Chardonnay: aromas of fleshy pineapple and salted butter let you know immediately where you are. The interplay of laser focus with a deep exoticism could only come from the Jura, and not just anyone’s cellar. François bottles his entire production by hand, straight from the barrel without fining or filtration, and you can certainly taste this bold commitment to quality.

Anthony Lynch


Technical Information
Wine Type: white
Vintage: 2019
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: Chardonnay
Appellation: Côtes du Jura
Country: France
Region: Jura
Producer: François Rousset-Martin
Winemaker: Francois Rousset-Martin
Vineyard: 65 years , .4 ha
Soil: Limestone, gray and white marl
Aging: Aged for 14 months in barrel on fine lees
Farming: Organic (practicing)
Alcohol: 13.5%

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About The Region

Jura

map of Jura

The Jura wine world is a fascinating, mysterious, and at times confusing one. The region’s recent surge in popularity on American wine lists lies in contrast with how strange its wines come across to the uninitiated, with many of its indigenous production methods and quirky winemakers requiring more than an introduction for one to fully savor their virtues. We firmly believe, however, that the pleasure at stake is well worth a slight detour to study the wild world of Jura.

Jura tradition calls for aging whites sous voile, or under a fine “veil” of yeast that grows over wine in barrel that has not been topped-off (non ouillé) to compensate for evaporation. The voile effectively slows the process of oxidation, while chemical reactions between these microorganisms and the wine below give rise to a highly distinctive and complex set of aromas. Often hinting at walnuts, beeswax, oriental spices, cheese rind, and brine, wines aged sous voile can come as a shock to the unhabituated palate. Their textural and aromatic singularity naturally sets them in a category of their own at table, perhaps the best setting in which to gain an appreciation for such wines.

Many Jura producers also produce more conventional whites in an ouillé, or topped-off style, as is practiced in Burgundy–or for that matter, in essentially all the white wines we are accustomed to. This method preserves fresh fruit flavors without the rather rustic, often funky oxidative notes typical of wines aged sous voile.

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Old cob-webbed wine bottles

Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.