41 Côtes du Jura AC 2007 Les Varrons
Julien Labet

Grape:100% Chardonnay (14% alc.)

This wine comes from an east facing plateau with soil that weathers to an ochre coloured decalcified clay. Made from topped up barrels preventing oxidation, this wine has an old viney character and low yield concentration. Densely structured and very long with hazelnut notes and a hint of comté. A match in terms of complexity for many fine Côte de Beaune. For drinking now to 2014.

Technical Information
Winemaker:	Julien Labet
Location:	En Varrons, Rotalier, Jura
Size of domaine:	3 hectares
Grape:	Chardonnay from massale selection from village of Rotalier and planted at 7,500 vines per hectare. Two vineyards next to each other, one planted in 1932 and the other in 1940. Trained to single or double Guyot depending on the vigour.
Terroir:	Orangey-red clay decalcification on bathonian chalk with 1-2 meter depth and at a 270meter elevation. 10% slopes facing east and with an 80-120cm top soil.
Viticulture:	De-bud and no green harvest. Grass between rows and lightly ploughed alternate rows each May. Plough the other rows the next year. Bordeaux mixture (copper sulphate and hydrated lime) to prevent mildew and flowers of sulphur against Oidium. No herbicides or pest control. Natural fertiliser is added very occasionally. Manual selection during harvest rather than ‘table de trie’. Yield of 50 h/h
Vinification:	Pneumatic pressing with stems for 2 hours 15 mins and then juice settles for 12 hours. Fermentation at 18C in 4-10 year old fûts using natural yeast and for 10 months. Chaptalises by 0.4% so as to prolong the fermentation. Full malo-lactic. Barrels are topped up ‘ouillage’ to minimise oxidation. Élevage in a mixture of 4 to 10 year old barrels for 18months without racking but with some lees stirring (batonnage). One domaine bottling in May without fining or filtration. Corks are natural 49 x 24 Manuel Serra. Production is between 1,800 and 3,000 bottles.
Press:

 

qty (bottles)

exc vat: £15.71