DOMAINE BERTHET-BONDET, France
Half of Jean’s land is in the Château Chalon appellation – home to the Savagnin grape, renowned for making the revered Vin Jaune. Exclusive to the Jura, this wine is harvested late and then aged in barrel for over six years. During this time a voile, or layer of yeast, forms on top of the wine, endowing it with a distinctive flavour of walnuts, hazelnuts and green almonds. A unique wine that has seen a resurgence of popularity in recent years, Vin Jaune has always been appreciated by the knowledgeable few.
Viticulture
The domain has an area of 15 hectares under organic cultivation and vineyards certified since 2010, including 6 ha of Savagnin, 5 ha of Chardonnay, 1 ha of Pinot noir, 1 ha of Poulsard and 1 ha of Trousseau. Most of the vines have been planted in the 1980's. The Savagnin vines are located around Château-Chalon and the other parcels are in different nearby villages. Vineyard work is mostly done by hand, with grass in every other row and carefully managed work on the soil.
- Organic viticulture since 2010.
- Vineyards are often steep, and difficult to farm so most of the work is carried out by hand.
