Between Burgundy and the mountains
The Côtes du Jura appellation, recognised in 1937, runs for around eighty kilometres from north to south of the department, at 250–400 metres altitude. It is the Jura vineyards' regional appellation, alongside the crus of Arbois, Château-Chalon and L'Étoile.
The vineyards nearly disappeared: from twenty thousand hectares before phylloxera, they fell to a few hundred. Their revival since the 1990s owes much to international interest in their unusual wines.
The blue marls of the Lias
The dominant soil is clay marl, often blue or grey, inherited from the Lias and Triassic and mixed with limestone scree descending from the first plateau. These heavy marls retain water and give the whites substance and salinity.
The semi-continental climate brings cold winters and hot summers, with a high risk of spring frost: Jura vintages vary considerably in volume.
The veil, and the rest
Jura's distinctive feature lies in ageing under a yeast veil: wine is left in barrels without topping up, and a film of yeast forms on the surface, protecting it from abrupt oxidation while developing walnut, curry and green-apple aromas. Taken to its conclusion, a minimum of six years and three months, it becomes vin jaune, bottled in 62 cl clavelins.
But Jura also produces topped-up Chardonnays made conventionally and pale, fragrant Poulsard and Trousseau reds, served cool around 14°C. Vin jaune is served at cellar-room temperature, 15°C, and keeps for decades.
The grape varieties of Côtes du Jura
Côtes du Jura wines on 1001caves
Detailed pages: the cuvée, the estate, the drinking window and the bottles for sale between collectors.
