Community Tasting Note

forceberry wrote:

Thursday, August 26, 2021 - A blend of Chardonnay and Savagnin aged in oak barrels sous voile. From what I've understood, this is made by selecting which Savagnin barrels don't have enough character for the Château-Chalon and then blending those with Chardonnay. I'm not sure if Macle makes two different wines labeled only "Côtes du Jura" or if the style has changed at some point, because some tech sheets I can find say this wine is a blend of Chardonnay (50%) and Savagnin (50%) aged for 3 years under voile, whereas other tech sheets say this is a blend of Chardonnay (80-85%) and Savagnin (15-20%) aged for 18 months under voile. Anyway, this is a traditional, oxidatively made Jura white, no matter how you look at it. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 14% alcohol.

Moderately deep golden yellow color with a pale bronze core. Wonderfully evolved and attractively complex nose with moderately oxidative aromas of bruised apple, some browned butter, a little bit hazelnut, light sweeter notes of nectarine and lemon marmalade, an aldehydic hint of sorrel and a touch of smoke. The wine is evolved, firm and tangy on the palate with a medium body and dry, sharp flavors of lemony citrus fruit, aldehydic notes of green almonds and tangy salinity, light Granny Smith apple tones, a little bit of creaminess that is leaning towards browned butter, a hint of chopped hazelnuts and a touch of stony minerality. The high acidity lends great sense of structure to the wine, making it feel almost electric on the palate. The finish is long, crunchy and very lively with flavors of aldehydic sorrel and sharp salinity, some oxidative notes of chopped nuts and bruised apple, light lemony notes, a hint of mushroomy funk and a touch of cooked cream.

A beautifully evolved, complex and precise Jura white made in the traditional, oxidative style. Tasting this side-by-side with the vintage 2010, the difference was remarkable, this wine being very traditional, oxidative and high in acidity, whereas the 2010 vintage felt noticeably fruitier and less oxidative with relatively modest acidity compared to this vintage. Both great wines in their own way, but to me this vintage was pretty much as classic as a traditional Jura white gets - just the way I love them - whereas the 2010 was more like a Jura white with training wheels (probably more accessible for most people as well). At 26€, this wine is definitely worth the price.

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