Domaine Bornard Arbois Pupillin Savagnin Vin Jaune 2014

Jura // France

Suitably complex, as you'd expect. 8 years in barrel, no messing. 

There are strict rules relating to the production of Vin Jaune or ‘yellow wine’ in the Jura. It is matured in old 228 litre casks which are not topped up. The wine must be made only from the Savagnin grape variety and the vines must lie within the defined Jura region.

The maturation must continue for a minimum of 6 years and 3 months. This means that a film of yeast develops on the surface of the wine (known as a voile) thus protecting it from the oxygen in the gap in the barrel. However some oxidation occurs giving the wine some sherry-like characteristics even though it is never fortified like sherry.

Vin Jaune is very much a cult wine with 50000 people attending the annual festival in Arbois to celebrate the bottling of the current Vin Jaune.

By law the wine can only be sold in the special 620 ml format bottles. The appellation for this Vin Jaune is the Arbois Pupillin appellation reflecting where the grapes for the wine were grown. It is one of the few wines that Tony still uses the appellation for. This wine was released under the more general Cotes du Jura appellation.