Vin Jaune

 

 

Vin Jaune in a clavelin with Comte cheese

 

Imagine how boring life would be if the only wine you had to drink was Chardonnay, or Cabernet Sauvignon.  Some people are good with that and others, like me, want something different.

Such as, Vin Jaune, or "yellow wine," an unusual French wine that is more Spanish, in character, than French.  Vin Jaune is made like Sherry, looks like Sherry and tastes like a dry fino.  

Another unusual thing about Vin Jaune is it comes in a traditional embossed bottle , called a clavelin, that until recently has been illegal for sale in the United States.  The reasoning is a confusing web of U.S. bureaucratic rules.  

Since 1941, the sale of Vin Juane in a clavelin has been illegal, because the 21 oz (620ml) bottle was not approved by the federal government.  Yet, it has been seen on store shelves in many places throughout the country.  

The irony is that in 1974, the federal agency controlling alcohol allowed  750ml and 375ml bottles, but not 620ml (21 oz), which continued to rule out the 21-ounce clavelin. Then, earlier this year, TTB approved the 21 oz bottle, so the sale of Vin Jaune in clavelin is now legal, which really doesn't change anything.

 The Tale of Yellow Wine

France is among the most standardized country in the world with its specific wine appellation  (AOC) system.  So, how then does a wine anomaly like Vin Jaune continue to exist in such a hide-bound environment?

Vin Jaune is made in small quantities in the foothills of the Jura mountains of eastern France, near the border with Switzerland.  Once an important wine region, with extensive vineyards, today planted acreage in Jura is a fraction of what it once was. 

Production of Vin Jaune is controlled within four appellations:  Chateau-Chalon AOC, Arbois AOC, Cotes de Jura AOC and Vin Jaune l'Etoile AOC. 

During the Middle Ages, more than 40 different varieties were used for Jura wines.  That number has dropped to five, with Savagnin (blanc) the most important.  Savagnin is a very old aromatic grape related to the Traminer, but not as aromatic as Gewurztraminer.  Although distinct from Sauvignon Blanc, DNA profiling has shown that Savagnin is the parent of numerous grapes, such as Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc.   

Savagnin undergoes a slow fermentation and then the wine is racked into small 60 gallon barrels and the magic begins.  Required aging for Vin Jaune is six years, from harvest to bottling.  During that period, winemakers closely monitor the wine, but it is not topped up. At the end of six years, about 60% of the wine remains.

The long oxidation causes a space to open above the wine, forming a thin layer of yeast, which takes up to three years to develop.  The yeast film is poetically called vin di voile or the veil.  Development of the veil is similar to the growth of flor on fino Sherry, although flor is thicker than the veil and resembles a layer of dirty cottage cheese.  

The importance of checking the wine's long maturation progress in wood is to make sure that volatile acidity (VA) doesn't develop.   If you've ever smelled vinegar in a wine, chances are that off odor is volatile acidity.  VA is the volatile acids in wine, such as acetic acid, that cause the tell tale vinegar smell.

Following barrel aging, Vin Jaune goes directly to bottling, without the fortification that is common in Sherry.  The Vin Jaune clavelin, supposedly is named for  the amount of wine remaining after six years of aging. 

Toasted nuts, especially walnuts, is the primary sensory note shared by both Vin Jaune and fino Sherry. But Vin Jaune develops a complexity from years in oak, with flavors of ripe apples, warm spices like cinnamon, dried fruits and sometimes an underlying cheesy note. 

Prices for Vin Jaune in clavelin range from $40 to hundreds of dollars.  A search may be required for these producers: Domaine Dugois, Tissot, Domaine Rolet, Jacques Puffeney, Ganenat, Domaine de Montbourgeau, Robert Gilliard, Maison Pierre Overnoy.

A final note: Every year, during the last week of January or first week of February, Vin Jaune producers gather, in a different location, for La Percée du Vin Juane, a festival to celebrate the release of the new vintage of Vin Jaune and local foods such as Comté cheese. 

Photo: Wikipedia

 

Next post: Walla Walla

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The Value of Aging Wine

                                     

With the holidays now a fading memory, my thoughts turn back to the aged wines enjoyed at the Boyd family table, or wines friends and family told me about.  Long ago, I became a believer in bottle aging red wine, so the positive reports I got of the wines below were not  surprising. 

I've never been satisfied with just the end result.  I want to know why.   Why do some wines age gracefully and others seem to stumble the older they get?   And why do certain wines reach their peak, while others have yet to arrive at that ultimate point of drinking pleasure?

The transformation of a red wine aging from raw youth to polished maturity is surely grounded in science, but for some wines, the change seems more like alchemy.

Although I've enjoyed my share of mature red wines that still had a way to go; I never fully understood why bottle aging resulted in a more complex wine.  So, I thought a non-scientific examination of the wine aging phenomenon would help me (and you, the reader) better understand what's going on.  The following exercise, I hope, will illustrate the benefits of aging.

How wine ages

Because of the intrinsic nature of red wine, they are the wines most capable of beneficial aging.  While it is not completely understood why wine benefits from aging, it is known that red wine has higher levels of grape phenolic compounds, in concert with other chemical elements, that are responsible for a red wine's color, texture and tannin, the necessary components of aging.

White wines, on the other hand, are lower in phenolics.  And whites become browner because of slow oxidation of their phenolic content.  However, white wines that are affected by botrytis (Riesling) and those with higher acidity, are more likely to benefit from bottle aging.  Barrel aging of white wines, like Chardonnay, also has some influence on aging.

Wines that benefited from aging

In the early years of my wine collecting, I kept a cellar log, recording the history of the wine, from when I got the wine, the date I drank it, and my tasting notes.  Eventually, I lost interest in the log and just enjoyed the wines.  

Here are seven wines that gave me an extra measure of pleasure and that I'm glad I let age before pulling the corks: 

Franco & Fiorina 1950 Barbaresco...Heitz Cellar 1999 Napa Valley Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon...Fetzer Vineyards 1999 Bien Nacido Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir...Silver Oak 1995 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon...Penfolds 1998 South Australia Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon (magnum)...Williams Selyem 2012 Russian River Valley Foss Vineyard Pinot Noir...I.V.M. 1954 Boal Madeira.

And, to further explore the idea of bottle aging, I've asked two of my sons and a few friends  to comment on aged wines they have had recently.  Plus, there's a personal note on a Cabernet Sauvignon enjoyed at the Boyd family 2024 Christmas dinner. 

Bill Traverso, an old friend and fellow wine judge, California: "Years ago, I bought a bottle of 1945 Chateau Lafite, to be opened for one of my birthdays or the year 2000.  I ended up having it for my sixtieth birthday (Bill didn't  say when that was) at a small Italian restaurant in Santa Rosa. The wine still had structure and identifiable fruit aromas plus the bouquet of an aged Cabernet blend.  In my opinion there was still enough tannin and fruit for the wine to carry on for at least 10 more years."

Sean Boyd, co-owner/winemaker, Sightglass Cellars, Washington state:  "On New Year’s Eve, Kristin and I had dinner at our friends Shaun and Kelly's house.  I brought a 1990 Arrowood (Sonoma) Cabernet Sauvignon.  It was a gamble, because of the age, but totally worth it. The color was still amazing and dark/ruby.  It smelled like Cabernet, but the best part was how much fruit was left and how smooth it was.  It turned out the hit of the night."

Mark Boyd, consumer and wine collector, Washington state:  "In April 2024, I had a 2010 Woodinville Wine Cellars Cabernet Franc, with Sean, paired with BBQ rib eyes.  I remember the wine holding up very well and the cork was in great condition.  I think it was better than I remember other Cab Francs I've had. The wine was definitely mature and ready to drink and it stood up nicely with the dry rubbed ribs."

Rich Marschner, a close friend and fellow wine traveler, Arizona, submitted this entertaining report on a 1991 Vine Cliff Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, "Oh, that cork.  But if I didn't have my Ah-So,  I'd have been Dead-Meat.  It was broken, the top section dry as dust and the bottom soaked.

"First impressions:  'This is an Amarone.'  But of course it isn't.  Cigar leaf, plus a big sniff of raisin.  Medium dark color, with a little brown edge, but not prominent.  Good acid, medium sort-of-generic-tasting fruit.  Baby-soft tannins.  Some sediment.  Doubt I would recognize this as a cab, had I not known. "We're having it with Wiley's (his wife) all-day effort at beef short-ribs. 

 "Well, we've sucked it all down and it held up remarkably well, not showing fading fruit at all.  Nice match to the big, wonderfully dark and complex short-ribs, due to the 

acid (if somewhat short on fruit).  We thought it was quite good, and a very interesting wine."

 

                                             

 

Denis Broderick, an old friend who introduced me to "Irish Wine" (Bushmills Whiskey), Northern Ireland:  "I must admit, up front, that I belong to the school that appreciates wines that have a bit of maturity, with age being relative, and appropriate for the specific wine.  

"With that in mind, it normally helps if you have several bottles of the same wine/vintage, thus able to appreciate how the wine is evolving and the resulting changes to balance, complexity and personality, and hopefully, all positive.

"For example, I bought, en primeur, clarets (Bordeaux) of 2000, 2005 and 2009 vintages; plus, on release, Graham’s Vintage Port 2003, to open at family weddings and births. Once cracked open, we relive the events responsible for the purchase.  Last year, for example, we used the port to help with grandson Aodhan’s 21^st birthday, and to ponder where the years had flown!

"Further to the value of aging, the one wine that stood out was The Armagh 2001, from Jim Barry in Australia's Clare Valley. The label mentioned 'Special Late Harvest Shiraz' that punches in at 15%.  And there's the Irish link with Armagh, Clare and Jim Barry. 

"So, I bought two bottles of the wine after Armagh won the All-Ireland Gaelic football final, for the first time, in 2002, between Armagh and Kerry.  The first bottle was corked, so the expectation was not great when opening the second.  However, I was not disappointed, but relieved; it was drinking perfectly.  Bright, hint of brown and very deep color. Definitely Shiraz on the nose and palate (with tobacco hints), but so rich and heavy and with some silkiness.  Great structure and length.  A perfect match with the Roast Rib of Beef.

"Whilst we enjoyed the wine, I relived watching the match live – on a bike fitness machine in the local leisure centre!  The match went back and forth, but  in the end, Kerry went on to win their first All-Ireland.  But Armagh came back, winning the All-Ireland in 2024, this time against Galway. A well-deserved win, albeit 22 years after the first.  Again, like wine, well worth the waiting! 

"Come to think of it: wine must be the only reason in life for wanting to get old, quickly."

The Boyd Christmas dinner wine was an impressive Ridge 1989 Santa Cruz Mountains Monte Bello, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot and Petite (sic) Verdot.  Elegant and refined, beautifully balanced, with staying power; could easily have been mistaken for a classified growth Bordeaux. 

Impressions gained from drinking aged wine, can only be attained through patience. That's where wine's true value is.

 

Next post: Vin Jaune

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Chablis

Chablis vineyards in Autumn/Adobe image

To oak or not to oak?  That's the question that has been troubling Chablis producers since the end of the 19th century.  

While most fine white Burgundies, made from Chardonnay, are fermented and aged in oak, the question of oak contact in Chablis, also made from Chardonnay, is up to the individual winery.  Many things are certain in Chablis, but not the use of oak. 

The use of oak is not the only difference between the two wines.  Chablis and the Cote de Beaune, a part of southern Cote d'Or, are separated by geography.  Chablis is the most northern part of Burgundy, more than 60 miles to the northeast of Cote d'Or, closer to Champagne than Burgundy.  This odd arrangement goes back to the 15th century when Chablis became part of the Duchy of Burgundy.

Thus, geography places Chablis far from the equator, subject to the variable and uncertain effects of a northern continental climate, and the threat of Spring frosts.  Weather variables have a major impact on grape quality and harvest quantity. 

The Chablis Commission says that vineyard production has reached maximum and that growers are dealing with challenging problems like bad weather in 2024 that resulted in very low wine production.

Wine making under these conditions, in both Chablis and Cote d'Or, is reflected in the character of the wines. Unoaked Chardonnay from Chablis is crisp and mineral, while the Cote de Beaune Chardonnay is fuller, with spice from time spent in oak.  

Oaked Chablis becomes a different wine, while still reflecting its terroir.  And in Chablis, as it is everywhere in France, vineyard terroir is everything.

Chablis winemakers wanting to retain a mineral characteristic, known locally as gout to pierre à fusil (the taste of gunflint), prefer stainless steel fermentation. Other winemakers,  favoring the use of oak, like the extra dimension, provided by oak, in the wine's taste and structure.

Quality levels for Chablis are based on vineyards.  Within each of the four levels, there are specific vineyards, often mentioned on the label.  At the top are Grand Cru Chablis are seven named vineyards, including Les Clos and Valdesir.  Next are Premier Cru Chablis from 79 named vineyards.

                                                                              

 The two lowest levels, Chablis and Petit Chablis, vie for authenticity and quality.  Those wines labeled Chablis are from anywhere in the appellation, whereas Petit Chablis are made from lesser vineyards or plots. 

Officially, Petit Chablis wines are rated lower in quality, but lately some producers have been more selective about vineyards and wine making, thus the positioning may be shifting. 

Petit Chablis is selling well in the United States, helping to make the U.S. the top market for all Chablis.  The market is seeing rising prices for all Burgundy, causing astute shoppers to see Petit Chablis as Burgundian Chardonnay at a more reasonable price.  

Prices for Burgundy, including Chablis, are all over the board: Puligny-Montrachet, $120 to $300+;  Chablis Grand Cru, $120 to $200+; Chablis Premier Cru, $35 to $50; Petit Chablis, $25; Chablis, $15 to $30. 

There will always be a demand for great Chardonnay, whether it be from the Cote de Beaune, Chablis, California or Australia.  With steadily rising prices, now may be a good time to look at Chablis.

 

Next post: The Value of Aging Wine

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Lombardy

                          

At an unknown time in the distant past, an odd geologic upheaval formed what is today the country of Italy, shaped like a long high heel boot. Economics and politics exerted a different force, in present day Italy, shaping the country into an industrial north and an agricultural south.

Milan, the great industrial city of northern Italy, developed as the economic force of Lombardy, the most populous region in the country.  And, Milan became the center of a burgeoning wine culture in Lombardy and neighboring Piedmont. 

In Lombardy, the cool growing climate is ideally suited for the production of much of Italy's best sparkling wine in the region of Franciacorta.  Historically, while Franciacorta developed as Italy's leading producer of high-end spumante, the region did not come on the scene until the 1960s. 

Franciacorta spumante (the Italian word for sparkling wine) is  made in the hills near Brescia.  The spumante is made by the traditional Champagne method from Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir), Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco (Pinot Blanc).  Most of the top houses, like Ca' del Bosco, favor a higher percentage of Chardonnay in their blends. 

There's a lot of speculation about when the French varieties arrived in Franciacorta, but the money seems to be during the replanting of the vineyards after the devastation of phylloxera had passed.  In an homage to Champagne, Franciacorta spumante sports French label language  and uses the same residual sweetness levels as Champagne.

While Champagne deserves its reputation for elegant, refined sparkling wine, Franciacorta produces an equally good bubbly.  Unfortunately, the Italian wine does not enjoy the same prestige as the French wine.

Oltrepo Pavese, Lombardy's oldest sparkling wine region, in the Pavia zone, supplies Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes for the production of spumante in neighboring Piedmont.  The spumante from Pavia is made according to the traditional Champagne method.  Other authorized varieties include Pinot Bianco and Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris), two grapes that give the sparklers a decided Italian character.   

The requirement for spumante is a minimum of 70% Pinot Noir, and the wines must be aged on the lees for at least 15 months, or 24 months for vintage wines.  Oltrepo Pavese was granted DOCG status in 2007.

In the 1960s, English wine writer, Cyril Ray, did not mention Oltrepo Pavese in his book, "The Wines of Italy."  Twenty years later, American writer, Burton Anderson, in his seminal book "Vino" declared the wines of Oltrepo Pavese, "conspicuously underrated."  

Things have improved for Oltrepo since Anderson wrote that  in the early 1980s.  Today, the area is best-known for still red wine, made from Pinot Noir.

 The rest of Lombardy is divided into several DOCs, and with one exception, they are lesser known than the heavy hitters on the Italian wine list, like Barolo and Chianti. 

While Lombardy's two sparkling wines follow the French methodology, Lambrusco became an international best seller as a distinctly Italian wine, taking the American market by storm in the 1980s.  The popular Lambrusco is a version from four production zones in Emilia-Romagna, south of Lombardy, across the Po river.  Lombardy's claim to Lambrusco is Lambrusco Mantovano, a lightly sparkling ((frizzante) red wine, made from the Lambrusco grape. 

Exclusivity on Lake Garda

Lake Garda is one of the loveliest spots in Italy; if you can afford it.  Lugana, a dry white wine produced in a small area south of the lake helps ease the sticker shock of living large on Garda and nearby Lake Como.  Lugana, made from Trebbiano di Lugana, has a trace of mineral, likely from the limestone and clay in the zone's best vineyards. 

Not far from the border with Switzerland, in an alpine valley, is Valtellina, a DOC red wine, made from Nebbiolo (known locally as Chiavennasca), the same high-value grape in Barolo and Barbaresco, from neighboring Piedmont.  The mountainous terrain and terraced vineyards of Valtellina give the Nebbiolo wines a certain "nervousness," the local way of describing the wine's brisk acidity.

Additionally, there are four single high-altitude vineyards in Valtellina, each with a different take on Nebbiolo: Grumello, Inferno, Sassella and Valgella. These four red wines are labeled Valtellina Superiore and are mostly available in major U. S. markets.

Piemontese wines may get a lot of attention for its stellar red wines, but neighboring Lombardy wines have plenty of sparkle. 

(Italy "boot" - Getty image)

Next blog: Chablis: the alternate white Burgundy

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Carneros

In 1981, a young German couple arrived in an alien wine culture.  Markus Moller-Racke's father, director of the German wine and spirits firm, A. Racke, sent Markus to head up Racke's recent acquisition, historic Buena Vista Winery, in the Carneros wine region of Northern California.  Markus and his wife,  Anne Moller-Racke, a talented viticulturist, were anxious about their new adventure. 

Markus Moller-Racke

In Germany, the Moller-Rackes were used to steeply terraced vineyards, subject to a northern climate best suited to white varieties like Riesling and Muller-Thurgau.  They would encounter something different in Carneros; vineyards running along gently rolling hills, adjacent to a large body of water that tempered the climate for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. 

The Moller-Rackes met the challenge head on, injecting new energy into Buena Vista's vineyards and wines. By 2000, though, things had changed in Germany and the elder Moller-Rache decided his son should come home to run the family business.  The Moller-Rackes went their separate ways: Markus back to Germany, while Anne stayed in Carneros, running the very successful Donum Estate.

In the twenty years that the Moller-Rackes were in Carneros, the wine community came together to form the Carneros Wine Alliance, attract new wineries and grape growers and establish Carneros as one of California's premier wine regions. 

Carneros By the Numbers

Los Carneros means "the rams" in Spanish, an appropriate name since the land was once part of a Spanish land Grant, used as grazing pasture for large flocks of sheep.  In the late 1800s, Agoston Haraszthy, the Hungarian entrepreneur who brought premium grape varieties to California, planted the first vineyard in Carneros, overlooking San Pablo Bay.  The area's first winery opened in 1880 at the Stanly Ranch.  Today, the historic property is owned by Auberge Resorts.

San Pablo Bay, at the northern end of the San Francisco Bay, provides morning fog and cool breezes for the Carneros vineyards along the southern parts of Napa and Sonoma counties.  Los Carneros, granted an AVA in 1983 (amended in 2006), is one of many California AVAs located in more than one county. 

The bulk of the rural Carneros appellation is in Sonoma County, from the historic town of Sonoma in the north to a southern point near the famous Sears-Point Raceway.  There is a sameness to the land, from one county to the other. 

In wine terms, Carneros is defined by climate and not political lines.  At one time, the climate across Carneros was cooler than it is today.  Still, because it is close to the northern reaches of San Francisco Bay, Carneros can be cool, foggy and wet, the right growing environment for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. 

Once, California Pinot Noirs were few and far between.  Except for the occasional Pinots from Joseph Swan and Hanzell, the PN Revolution didn't get started until Russian River devotees came along in the late 1980s.  

Since then, interest has grown. Today, noteworthy Pinot Noir is being made in Carneros, and the Russian River Valley, Santa Barbara, Anderson Valley and Santa Lucia Highlands. Except for Anderson Valley, Pinots from the other areas tend to be more concentrated, with deeper black cherry flavors.  

In the early 1980s, new wineries making Burgundian-style wines came on line in Carneros,  including Saintsbury, Bouchaine, Acacia, Gloria Ferrer and Richardson.  Syrah and Merlot were added to the grape inventory, along with a growing list of other varieties, but it was Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that showed promise for still and sparkling wine.

During the same decade, the Carneros wine map added another new dimension, with the arrival of a handful of sparkling wine producers.   On the Napa side, Domaine Carneros, owned by Champagne Taittinger, opened its doors in 1987.  In Sonoma, Spain's Freixenet, a CAVA maker in Catalonia, began making sparkling wine under the Gloria Ferrer label.  Codorniu, another major CAVA maker, had Codorniu Napa, but converted to still wines, rebranding as Artesa.  

Today, there are more than 35 Carneros wineries making still and sparkling wines. On the Napa side, Carneros Creek lays claim to the oldest Carneros winery, operating since 1972. Mont St. John, a reliable maker of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, opened its doors in 1979. 

Although the effects of climate change will continue to alter the growing environment, for now Carneros Pinot Noir remains a lighter wine with more delicate berry flavors, supported by brisk acidity.  Carneros Chardonnay tastes of sweet-tart apples, spice and the zesty acidity characteristic of Carneros.

Sheep that once grazed on the rolling hills of Carneros are gone, replaced by a growing number of vineyards, supplying grapes for the distinctive wines of Los Carneros. 

Next post:  Italy's Northern Lombardy

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