Vin Jaune or “Gold of Jura”
Also nicknamed “Gold of the Jura” because of its golden yellow color, this long-keeping dry white wine is a gem of Jura heritage and the pride of the entire region. Vin Jaune is often considered one of the greatest dry white wines in the world. One thing is absolutely certain: it does not leave you indifferent.
Today, the VINAdemi team is very happy to integrate this unique wine into its range and to offer it to you of course in half-bottle. As you can see, we have found you clavelin-type bottles, exclusive to Vin Jaune, in 37.5cl format.
The Vin Jaune that we have decided to highlight is produced by Domaine Rolet Père & Fils , which has been one of the jewels of the Jura vineyards for several generations.
The secrets of his personality
This very special great wine is made exclusively from the Savagnin grape variety. This indigenous grape variety thrives wonderfully in the western part of the Jura Massif and extends over approximately 1,800 hectares.
Vin Jaune owes its remarkable personality first of all to a combination of geological, geographical and meteorological factors. The Jura soil, rich in blue and black marl, is particularly suitable for the Savagnin grape variety. The region's climate is marked by alternating harsh winters and hot, dry summers, but also by a high level of precipitation and relatively generous sunshine. The configuration of the slopes and the exposure also help to protect the vines and allow them to flourish slowly. From this magnificent palette of contrasts, Vin Jaune draws an absolutely unique bitterness and its incomparable identity.
Vin Jaune is also the fruit of a very personal work cycle that contributes to forging its very personal and recognizable character. Savagnin is harvested late at optimum maturity, at the end of the season, generally during the second half of October. It is then vinified for around five months in stainless steel vats before finally continuing its maturation in 228-liter oak barrels stored in cellars with a dry atmosphere and large temperature variations. During this period of at least 6 years and three months, no racking or topping up will be carried out. Over time, evaporation generates a veil of surface yeasts that gradually thickens and protects the famous beverage from brutal oxidation. These yeasts are the origin of this very marked taste also called "yellow taste". We can therefore speak of veil wine.
A unique bottle
This very original wine is offered exclusively in an equally original bottle called a clavelin with a capacity of 62cl. This unique format corresponds approximately to what remains of a liter of wine after having lived six years and three months in a barrel without topping up. The missing 38cl are commonly called "the angels' share".
The traditional Yellow Wine Breakthrough
Yellow wine is celebrated every year on the first Saturday and Sunday in February during the Percée du vin jaune wine festival. Since the first edition in 1997, it has been an opportunity to celebrate the "tapping" of the first barrels that have reached maturity after precisely six years and three months of aging. This event brings together around 40,000 to 50,000 people every year and is an opportunity for wonderful tastings in a warm atmosphere, as the Jura knows how to offer.
Each of the twelve communes producing vin jaune organizes in turn this great and highly anticipated event. The most famous of these communes is Château-Chalon, recognized as AOC since 1936. Today, Château-Chalon is considered the original cradle of vin jaune. The Château-Chalon vineyard is very small (barely fifty hectares) but it is absolutely specific and representative of the harshness of the region.
A long-keeping wine with complex aromas
Vin Jaune is protected from oxidation by the ageing imposed without topping up. It is one of those wines with exceptional aging capacities and it is not uncommon to see a bottle several decades old or even one or two centuries old go up for auction at incredible prices! A bottle of the 1774 vintage and vinified under Louis XVI was sold for €107,700 at the Lons-le Saunier auction on 26 May 2018. The same vintage was uncorked with great fanfare in Arbois in 1994 and the quality was declared absolutely exceptional by the experts present on this unique occasion.
Vin jaune is a wine with a long or very long aging potential, with a characteristic golden yellow color, a particularly strong character and a very marked power. It has an incredible persistence in the mouth and is characterized by a complex combination of aromatic notes of nuts, spices and candied fruits.
It is ideally served at 14°C and it is best to air it for a few hours before serving. It goes perfectly with poultry in cream or morels, but also with foie gras or curry dishes.
Whether you want to keep it or, on the contrary, quickly combine it with a culinary composition of your choice, you will not regret this exceptional taste journey and you will live an incomparable Jura experience.
Once again, the half-bottle proves to be the ideal format for discovering the remarkable wines of our region and the VINAdemi team will continue and intensify its efforts to provide you with the finest appellations in this magnificent bottle format.