What is a "vin jaune" from Jura ?

Let's go together to discover the yellow wine, this king of wines also called "The Gold of Jura". Find out everything you need to know about this wine with Beaux-Vins !

Yellow Wine, also called "The Gold of Jura" because of its intense golden yellow colour, is considered one of the greatest white wines in the world and deserves it. He holds his notoriety from his so spectacular colour, exceptional aromatic qualities, but above all the mystery surrounding its unique development process.

To answer in a few words this question, it is important to know that the mention of yellow wine is protected, this means that it can only be used in the Jura. Outside of that name, it is not uncommon to hear about "sailing wine" or "wine of oblivion".

Make no mistake, it is surely not a sweet wine like ice wine. On the contrary, it is one of the driest wines ! Here, no choice of grape varieties or blending since a single grape variety can be used to produce yellow wine : savagnin.

– Jean-Michel Sullen, stay calm before typing an incendiary message to tell me that you've already tasted a yellow wine made from Fromentin -... Indeed, fromentin is simply another name given to our dear savagnin. This grape is very fragrant and is part of the family of traminers. It also allows the production of sweet straw wines such as Arbois, the Côte de Jura or even the Etoile. Yellow wine has a very interesting aromatic palette ranging from walnuts to green apples to flowers and spices. This rich mouth, powerful and balanced structure will delight lovers of old white vintages.

As I announced earlier, yellow wine is a protected designation and can only be used for Jura wines. The production of yellow wine is a minority in the Jura wine region, even almost anecdotal, since it only represents 3,5% of overall production. Only a few municipalities can claim to produce it. They are found in Arbois, the Côtes-du-Jura, Château-Châlon and l’Etoile.

Savagnin, local king grape, is the only one authorized to produce yellow wine. Note that if you had to taste only one yellow wine, you should go to the town of Château-Chalon known to produce this wine and exclusively this wine !

The wine aging

Savagnin is a grape variety that is particularly popular in the clay-limestone soils consisting mainly of blue marls found on the slopes of Revermont., south-southwest oriented. Its harvest is quite late since it takes place in mid-October. This grape has a small compact cluster and the skin of the grapes is thick enough to withstand the autumn climate and its weather variations.

After being pressed like a traditional white wine, the juice then begins a maturation defying almost all the laws of wine. Yellow wine has the distinction of being aged during 75 months, "only" 6 years and 3 months. More specifically,, under-the-sail ageing is 6 years at least followed by one year of fermentation.

Unlike other white wines, yellow wine is not topped up. The wine does not completely fill the barrel and the winemaker does not compensate for the evaporation or absorption of the wine by the wood to avoid the oxidation of the precious liquid. This will allow the development of a veil of yeast on the surface of the wine, protecting it naturally from oxidation by preserving it from contact with the air. There is a change in flavour thanks to this veil that gives the wine its colour and its famous taste of "yellow".

Getting this yeast veil is not as simple as it looks. Sometimes the veil does not form or tears. Since the yeast veil is responsible for the organoleptic characteristics and preservation of the wine, its absence leads to increased acidity, until it turns the wine into vinegar.

Yellow wine is a wine for keeping because of its production method. It can be kept for more than 30 years without any problem. This is how an Arbois Vin Jaune from 1774 was acquired in 1998 by Robert Aviet, the founder of the Royal Vin Jaune brotherhood. It is an exceptional bottle that comes from a great Arbois winegrowing family : les Vercel.

The origin of this beverage

The exact origin of yellow wine is surrounded by a veil of mystery. Yellow wine is associated with the abbesses of Château-Chalon, whose abbey was founded in the 7th century. It is said that the pleasures of the flesh are forbidden to them, they put their love on wine. The close relationship between Jérez wine, Hungarian tokay and yellow wine takes us into the reverie of abbesses crossing the world with recipes in their bags allowing their productions. But, maybe yellow wine is only the result of chance. It eventually takes us back to the origin of wine where the action of man during fermentation and aging is minimal. Would a winemaker have invented yellow wine by forgetting a cask in the back of the cellar ? We'll certainly never know.

Louis Pasteur, well known for his work on the world of wine is the first to have pierced the secret of this wine. It was in the 19th century that he began rigorous research on the conservation of wines. It was then that he discovered that the yeast veil was the reason for the great preservation capacity of this wine.

Flavors and tasting

I'll give it to you in a thousand, yellow wine has a colour... golden yellow. That's why it's called the Jura Gold. It has an unusual aromatic intensity and reveals notes of fresh nuts and dried fruit, enhanced by floral finesse.

In the mouth, this wine knows how to be powerful and rich. The balanced structure of this wine reveals in addition to the previous aromas, apple and spices. To enjoy your yellow wine as it should be, it is best to serve it at a temperature of 15 to 16°C.

It is without half measure, some foods are self-imposed to pair this beverage. Who says yellow wine, says old Comté or morels. Indeed, these associations are wonderful and reveal all the splendor of this particular wine. Nothing like a coq au vin jaune and morels or a tasty trout with yellow wine. This wine easily pairs foie gras, crustaceans or creamed poultry.

The breakthrough of yellow wine

If there is a wine festival in the Jura, it is that of the breakthrough of the yellow wine after 6 years and 3 months of waiting. It is a festival held every year on the first weekend of February in one of the producing villages.

Once the wine has finished its ageing, a large ceremony is held to celebrate the arrival of yellow wine and its introduction on the market. The barrel is then drilled, that is to say, it is pierced to offer its precious liquid for tasting.

After this ceremony, the wine is bottled. Called Clavelin, this bottle has the particularity of containing only 62 cl. Why ? you'll ask me. Simply because after all this time spent in the barrel, some of the wine has evaporated. This share of angels -part des anges in French- is not compensated by the winemaker by practicality.

The tasting of yellow wine

It is according to me, one of the most difficult wines to describe to a person who doesn't know this yellow gold. The tasting of this beverage remains in any case a real experience out of the ordinary. Forget everything you know about wine and open the doors to a new world. Whether you like it or not, impossible to remain indifferent in front of your glass.

Often, tasters are a little lost in front of a glass of yellow wine. The nose, very intense, reveals notes of fresh nuts, dried fruits and sweet spices with delicate floral notes. The mouth, just as rich as the nose, develops those same powerful nutty aromas, served with green apples and spicy notes.

It is particularly characterized by sotolon which is an aromatic compound resembling the typical smell of fenugreek. Wine professionals get lost, because aromatically, this wine remains on primary aromas. You can also have in the mouth during tastings several notes like those of apple, curry, nuts, hazelnut, almond, toast, of honey, vanilla, cinnamon, caramel and gingerbread. It requires concentration for a perfect treat for the senses.

Do not confuse yellow wine and straw wine ! This other local star is a sweet wine from grapes harvested late and dried on straw or grid for at least 6 weeks.

Jean-Nicolas Mouretin