Domaine Berthet-Bondet, Château Chalon, Jura, France (62cl.), 2016

Producer Profile

Jean Berthet-Bondet has been working his land since 1984.

With a humble 15 hectares of 30 year old vines, this estate may well be small but it is steeped in history and heritage. Half of Jean's land is in the Château Chalon appellation which is home to the Savagnin grape, renowned for making the revered Vin Jaune. A unique wine that has seen a resurgence of popularity in recent years, but has always been appreciated by the knowledgeable few.

Viticulture

The domain has an area of 15 hectares under organic cultivation, of which 4,5 hectares come under the appellation of Château-Chalon and 10,5 hectares under the appellation of Cotes du Jura. Half of the vines are more than 30 years old, and the other half were planted between 1985 and 1990. These vines often need a lot of care and attention. Mechanisation is difficult and so that means that the majority of the work has to be done by hand, and therefore requires a lot of people.

Winemaking

The grapes are manually harvested, and the destemmed grapes are pressed and fermented in stainless steel tank. Aged for at least 6 years in old oak barrels under a layer of yeasts which allows an oxidative process as the barrels are not topped up.

Oak Ageing

Time: 6 to 7 Years
Type: French 228 Litre
% wine oaked: 100
% new oak: None

Tasting Note

This iconic vin jaune wine has plenty of length on the palate, with appealing notes of spice, nuts, mushrooms, and the typical salinity found in Savagnin grapes. Very persistent on the finish.

Food Matching

Smoked fish, dishes garnished with garlic and parsley, white meat with a creamy sauce and mushrooms, spicy food (curry) and dishes cooked with cheese (Comté).