Jura & Arbois

Arbois: the Jura's wine town and widest range - whites, pale reds, Crémant, Vin Jaune.

The main wine town, home to many of the best-known growers and among the first appellations in France. Chardonnay, Savagnin, Poulsard and Trousseau all do well here, in fresh and nutty styles. A good first stop for anyone new to the Jura.

The main wine town, home to many of the best-known growers and among the first appellations in France. Chardonnay, Savagnin, Poulsard and Trousseau all do well here, in fresh and nutty styles. A good first stop for anyone new to the Jura.

Savagnin: the Jura's own white - lemony and tense, or nutty under the veil.

A late-ripening, high-acid grape from the Traminer family, though not aromatic like Gewurztraminer. Topped up it is zingy and citrusy; under the veil it turns walnut-like and sherry-like; as Vin Jaune it is the region's icon.

A late-ripening, high-acid grape from the Traminer family, though not aromatic like Gewurztraminer. Topped up it is zingy and citrusy; under the veil it turns walnut-like and sherry-like; as Vin Jaune it is the region's icon.

Well-aged Comté with Vin Jaune: nuts and salt meet nuts and salt.

The classic Jura pairing. A mature Comté has a salty, nutty depth that matches the wine almost perfectly, and the wine's acidity keeps the richness in check.

The classic Jura pairing. A mature Comté has a salty, nutty depth that matches the wine almost perfectly, and the wine's acidity keeps the richness in check.

Château-Chalon: the Jura's grandest Vin Jaune, dry, nutty and built to last.

A tiny hillside appellation, all Savagnin and all Vin Jaune. Walnut, spice and green apple, bone dry with high acidity. Serve cool, not cold, with aged Comté or creamy chicken, and open it hours ahead.

A tiny hillside appellation, all Savagnin and all Vin Jaune. Walnut, spice and green apple, bone dry with high acidity. Serve cool, not cold, with aged Comté or creamy chicken, and open it hours ahead.

Well-aged Comté with Vin Jaune: nuts and salt meet nuts and salt.

The classic Jura pairing. A mature Comté has a salty, nutty depth that matches the wine almost perfectly, and the wine's acidity keeps the richness in check.

The classic Jura pairing. A mature Comté has a salty, nutty depth that matches the wine almost perfectly, and the wine's acidity keeps the richness in check.

Poulsard (Ploussard): pale, light, silky red with red-berry fruit - serve it cool.

Thin-skinned and light in colour, so it is sometimes mistaken for rosé. Low in tannin, bright in acidity, with strawberry and rose-petal fruit. Pupillin calls itself the world capital of Ploussard.

Thin-skinned and light in colour, so it is sometimes mistaken for rosé. Low in tannin, bright in acidity, with strawberry and rose-petal fruit. Pupillin calls itself the world capital of Ploussard.

Off the beaten path: a natural cuvée from L'Octavin or La Tournelle.

L'Octavin's Hip Hip Jura wines and La Tournelle's Trousseau Uva Arbosiana show the Jura's low-sulphur side. Few friends at home will have tried them.

L'Octavin's Hip Hip Jura wines and La Tournelle's Trousseau Uva Arbosiana show the Jura's low-sulphur side. Few friends at home will have tried them.

Côtes du Jura: the broad appellation around Arbois, where several cult growers work.

A long strip of vineyards running south from Arbois, covering many more villages. Same five grapes and styles as Arbois, with big names such as Labet and Ganevat and traditional houses such as Pignier.

A long strip of vineyards running south from Arbois, covering many more villages. Same five grapes and styles as Arbois, with big names such as Labet and Ganevat and traditional houses such as Pignier.

Ouillé, sous voile, typé, Tradition: four words that tell you the style.

Ouillé means topped-up and fresh; sous voile means aged under a yeast veil and nutty. 'Tradition' or 'typé' usually means a Savagnin-based white that left the Vin Jaune route early: lighter, cheaper and still nutty. If the label says none of these, ask.

Ouillé means topped-up and fresh; sous voile means aged under a yeast veil and nutty. 'Tradition' or 'typé' usually means a Savagnin-based white that left the Vin Jaune route early: lighter, cheaper and still nutty. If the label says none of these, ask.

Vin de Paille and Macvin: the Jura's sweet wines, for dessert and aperitif.

Vin de Paille comes from grapes dried on straw or mats, then aged in barrel. Macvin blends unfermented grape juice with local marc brandy, usually served as an aperitif or with chocolate.

Vin de Paille comes from grapes dried on straw or mats, then aged in barrel. Macvin blends unfermented grape juice with local marc brandy, usually served as an aperitif or with chocolate.

Celebration: a Château-Chalon Vin Jaune from Macle or Berthet-Bondet.

The region's grand wine, dry and nutty, in its traditional 62 cl bottle. It will happily wait many years in the cellar and suits a serious cheese course.

The region's grand wine, dry and nutty, in its traditional 62 cl bottle. It will happily wait many years in the cellar and suits a serious cheese course.

Splurge: a single-site Chardonnay from Tissot, or anything from Ganevat.

Tissot's La Mailloche or Les Bruyères are the reference Arbois Chardonnays. Ganevat bottles are scarce, so buy them when you see them.

Tissot's La Mailloche or Les Bruyères are the reference Arbois Chardonnays. Ganevat bottles are scarce, so buy them when you see them.

Trousseau: darker, spicier, firmer than Poulsard - pepper, violet and red fruit.

Deeper in colour with fine tannins and flavours from raspberry to pencil lead. It copes well with warm years and is the Jura red many collectors chase.

Deeper in colour with fine tannins and flavours from raspberry to pencil lead. It copes well with warm years and is the Jura red many collectors chase.

Pupillin and the Arbois naturals: the 'Ploussard capital' and the heart of Jura natural wine.

A small village next to Arbois, famous for light Ploussard and low-sulphur wines, with about thirty domaines. Labels read Arbois-Pupillin. Around Arbois, other natural growers such as L'Octavin work in the same spirit.

A small village next to Arbois, famous for light Ploussard and low-sulphur wines, with about thirty domaines. Labels read Arbois-Pupillin. Around Arbois, other natural growers such as L'Octavin work in the same spirit.

Low and no added sulphur: the Jura's natural-wine school started here.

Pierre Overnoy in Pupillin became the leading champion of wines with no added sulphur, and a generation followed. Reds are often made from whole bunches kept under protective gas; many bottles are unfiltered and a little cloudy.

Pierre Overnoy in Pupillin became the leading champion of wines with no added sulphur, and a generation followed. Reds are often made from whole bunches kept under protective gas; many bottles are unfiltered and a little cloudy.

Amphora, skin contact and pét-nat: the experimental side.

Some growers ferment Savagnin and Trousseau in clay amphorae or leave white grapes on their skins; others bottle early-drinking fizz as pétillant naturel in good years. Expect more texture and more risk.

Some growers ferment Savagnin and Trousseau in clay amphorae or leave white grapes on their skins; others bottle early-drinking fizz as pétillant naturel in good years. Expect more texture and more risk.

Vineyard-by-vineyard Chardonnay: aspect, altitude and soil vary a lot.

The better growers now bottle Chardonnay by site instead of blending. Tissot argues that the Jura's mix of soils and exposures is wider than Burgundy's.

The Jura is a patchwork: grey, blue and red marls, limestone scree, gravel and clay, on slopes that face different ways and sit at different heights. For years most Chardonnay was blended or shaped by oxidative cellar work. Since the 1990s a number of growers have stepped back from heavy styles and bottled single sites instead, so the soil does the talking. Stéphane Tissot's range shows it clearly: La Mailloche from old vines on clay, Les Graviers on gravel, Clos de la Tour de Curon on limestone scree and En Barberon on Lias marl. Ganevat does the same with his marl cuvées. Tissot himself argues that the Jura's range of soils and exposures exceeds Burgundy's. Tasting two sites from one grower side by side is the quickest way to see it.

Bourdy: old-school Arlay house; traditional Vin Jaune and library vintages.

Laura Bourdy now runs this traditional estate, which keeps older vintages back for sale. It is a good place to taste Vin Jaune with real age.

Caves Jean Bourdy at Arlay is one of the Jura's old-school houses. Laura Bourdy took over in 2018 from her father and uncle, and the estate is farmed biodynamically. The cellars still use the old barrels in which Chardonnay and Savagnin age oxidatively, and much of that becomes Côtes du Jura Vin Jaune or Château-Chalon. The family has a long habit of holding back older vintages, which are sold mainly from the estate, so this is the address for a Vin Jaune with real age in the traditional style. Laura also makes lighter, earlier-drinking wines of her own. The classic wines here are filtered and quite formal, a useful counterpoint to the natural growers around Arbois. Visits are by appointment.

Domaine du Pélican: a Burgundy family's Jura estate; Trois Cépages red, Savagnin in many styles.

Guillaume d'Angerville of Volnay started this biodynamic estate in Montigny-lès-Arsures in 2012. Trois Cépages is the easy red; the Savagnins show how many forms the grape takes.

Domaine du Pélican is the Jura project of Guillaume d'Angerville, whose family owns a leading Volnay estate in Burgundy. He began buying vineyards around Arbois in 2012, after being struck by a Tissot Chardonnay at a Paris restaurant. The estate now farms biodynamically, including old plots once worked by Jacques Puffeney, and the winery sits in Montigny-lès-Arsures. The approach is Burgundian, but the range covers nearly every Jura style: topped-up and veil-aged Savagnin, a skin-macerated version, a Vin Jaune, Chardonnay, Trousseau, Poulsard and a sparkling Savagnin sold as Vin de France. Trois Cépages, a blend of Pinot Noir, Trousseau and Poulsard, is the red to start with. It is a good place to see what a Burgundy mind does with Jura fruit, in small quantities.

Vin Jaune: Arbois leans nutty and weighty, Château-Chalon finer and spicier.

Both are Savagnin aged for years under the veil. Arbois versions lean to walnut and weight; Château-Chalon, from steep marl slopes, is usually finer, with spice or peat.

Vin Jaune begins as dry Savagnin, which goes into old 228-litre barrels and stays there for years without topping up. A veil of yeast forms over the surface, protecting the wine from turning to vinegar while slow oxidation builds the flavour. Barrels are tasted regularly, and one whose veil fails is set aside, so some of every vintage never reaches a Vin Jaune label. Roughly a third of the wine evaporates, which is why the bottle is the 62 cl clavelin. Style varies by site and appellation: Arbois examples tend toward walnut and more weight, while Château-Chalon, from steep grey-marl slopes under limestone cliffs, is generally finer, with spice or peat. Traditional houses such as Macle and Bourdy make the classic version; Tissot bottles it by lieu-dit. Serve it cool, not cold, and open it hours ahead.

Macle: the Château-Chalon reference; small, organic, long-lived Vin Jaune.

Jean Macle built the estate's name and his son Laurent runs it now. The Château-Chalon is the benchmark; the Côtes du Jura whites and a Macvin round out the range.

Jean Macle built the Château-Chalon name; his son Laurent now runs the estate, which has been certified organic since 2019, with Laurent's daughter Carmen expected to follow. The cellars run beneath the village's narrow streets. The Château-Chalon, grown on steep grey-marl plots, is the reference: long-lived and fine rather than heavy, and the family has always advised patience before opening it. The range also includes Côtes du Jura whites: a Chardonnay aged under the veil, a Chardonnay-Savagnin blend, a topped-up Côtes du Jura and a Chardonnay Macvin. Small experimental lots carry a pick-axe on the label. Visits are by appointment only, so write ahead.

Ganevat: cult biodynamic estate; Savagnin from blue marl, old-vine Chardonnay, very little sulphur.

Jean-François Ganevat's family has grown vines here since 1650. Most wines are topped-up rather than veil-aged, aiming for clarity and tension. Bottles are scarce and sought after.

Jean-François Ganevat's family has grown vines in the Jura since 1650. After a spell at Domaine Jean-Marc Morey in Chassagne-Montrachet, he returned in the late 1990s to run the estate, which had been vines-only since the 1970s. Today the old vines, some over ninety years old, are farmed biodynamically and planted to as many as seventeen varieties, including rare local ones. Sulphur is kept very low for the whites and left out of the reds. Most wines are topped up rather than veil-aged, aiming for clarity and tension rather than nuttiness. The whites to know include Chalasses Marnes Bleues Savagnin, from blue marl, and Chardonnays such as Les Grands Teppes Vieilles Vignes; there is also a Vin Jaune and a Macvin. Production is small and demand is huge, so treat any bottle abroad as a find.

Overnoy-Houillon: Pupillin's no-sulphur pioneers; Poulsard is the wine to find.

Pierre Overnoy championed wines without added sulphur, and Emmanuel Houillon continues the work. Rare, fragile and highly sought after.

Pupillin calls itself the world capital of Ploussard, and Pierre Overnoy is the grower who made it famous. He was an early champion of wines with no added sulphur; his protégé Emmanuel Houillon now runs the vines and cellar the same way. Farming is organic with low yields. Red grapes ferment whole under cover, kept cool with carbon dioxide; whites are pressed at once with the juice protected by gas, and some ferment for a year or more in very old barrels, a few a century old. Nothing is fined or filtered and no new oak is used. The famous wine is the Poulsard, pale, fresh and fragile; the range also includes Chardonnay, a topped-up Savagnin and a Vin Jaune. The wines are variable and sensitive to temperature, and rare, so buy them from a shop that stores them cool.

Cult growers, small crops: demand outruns supply.

Jura estates are small, and several have become cult names with natural-wine fans abroad. Bottles are fairly priced at the source but scarce and dearer elsewhere.

Jura estates are small family operations, and exports grew fast in the 2000s and 2010s as the region became a favourite on wine lists in New York and London. That created a clear split. At the cellar door and in local shops prices are reasonable. Abroad, bottles from cult names such as Ganevat or Domaine des Miroirs are scarce and priced to match. Climate change adds pressure: warmer years bring earlier harvests and higher pH, which makes no-sulphur winemaking harder, so the most natural cuvées vary more than they used to. For a visitor this means the best deals are the lesser-known growers, the cooperative and the Crémant, and the best way to taste the famous names is to buy them on the spot rather than hoping to find them at home.

Ganevat: cult biodynamic estate; Savagnin from blue marl, old-vine Chardonnay, very little sulphur.

Jean-François Ganevat's family has grown vines here since 1650. Most wines are topped-up rather than veil-aged, aiming for clarity and tension. Bottles are scarce and sought after.

Jean-François Ganevat's family has grown vines in the Jura since 1650. After a spell at Domaine Jean-Marc Morey in Chassagne-Montrachet, he returned in the late 1990s to run the estate, which had been vines-only since the 1970s. Today the old vines, some over ninety years old, are farmed biodynamically and planted to as many as seventeen varieties, including rare local ones. Sulphur is kept very low for the whites and left out of the reds. Most wines are topped up rather than veil-aged, aiming for clarity and tension rather than nuttiness. The whites to know include Chalasses Marnes Bleues Savagnin, from blue marl, and Chardonnays such as Les Grands Teppes Vieilles Vignes; there is also a Vin Jaune and a Macvin. Production is small and demand is huge, so treat any bottle abroad as a find.

Grey and blue marl soils are the Jura's signature.

Marl is a clay-limestone mix, and the Jura's slopes are full of it in grey, blue and red shades. The clay-heavy soils give savoury, mineral whites and set the region apart from neighbouring Burgundy.

Marl is a clay-limestone mix, and the Jura's slopes are full of it in grey, blue and red shades. The clay-heavy soils give savoury, mineral whites and set the region apart from neighbouring Burgundy.

In the glass: Savoury, mineral whites and structure; blue and grey marls suit Savagnin and Poulsard

Cool, wet foothills make farming hard and acidity high.

Vines sit on low slopes below the Jura mountains, with big temperature swings and far more rain than Burgundy. Disease pressure makes organic farming harder than in drier regions. The payoff is bright acidity, which is why Jura wines age so well.

Vines sit on low slopes below the Jura mountains, with big temperature swings and far more rain than Burgundy. Disease pressure makes organic farming harder than in drier regions. The payoff is bright acidity, which is why Jura wines age so well.

In the glass: Lively acidity, lighter alcohol and wines that keep well; more vintage variation

Vineyard-by-vineyard Chardonnay: aspect, altitude and soil vary a lot.

The better growers now bottle Chardonnay by site instead of blending. Tissot argues that the Jura's mix of soils and exposures is wider than Burgundy's.

The Jura is a patchwork: grey, blue and red marls, limestone scree, gravel and clay, on slopes that face different ways and sit at different heights. For years most Chardonnay was blended or shaped by oxidative cellar work. Since the 1990s a number of growers have stepped back from heavy styles and bottled single sites instead, so the soil does the talking. Stéphane Tissot's range shows it clearly: La Mailloche from old vines on clay, Les Graviers on gravel, Clos de la Tour de Curon on limestone scree and En Barberon on Lias marl. Ganevat does the same with his marl cuvées. Tissot himself argues that the Jura's range of soils and exposures exceeds Burgundy's. Tasting two sites from one grower side by side is the quickest way to see it.

In the glass: Distinct site character: richer on clay, tauter on limestone scree, more fruit on gravel

Years in barrel and a third lost to evaporation explain Vin Jaune's price.

Vin Jaune sits in old barrels for years without topping up, and roughly a third of the wine evaporates, hence the 62 cl bottle. Small volumes, tied-up cellar space and failed barrels all add to the cost.

Vin Jaune sits in old barrels for years without topping up, and roughly a third of the wine evaporates, hence the 62 cl bottle. Small volumes, tied-up cellar space and failed barrels all add to the cost.

In the glass: Concentrated, savoury and long-lived, with a price to match

Cult growers, small crops: demand outruns supply.

Jura estates are small, and several have become cult names with natural-wine fans abroad. Bottles are fairly priced at the source but scarce and dearer elsewhere.

Jura estates are small family operations, and exports grew fast in the 2000s and 2010s as the region became a favourite on wine lists in New York and London. That created a clear split. At the cellar door and in local shops prices are reasonable. Abroad, bottles from cult names such as Ganevat or Domaine des Miroirs are scarce and priced to match. Climate change adds pressure: warmer years bring earlier harvests and higher pH, which makes no-sulphur winemaking harder, so the most natural cuvées vary more than they used to. For a visitor this means the best deals are the lesser-known growers, the cooperative and the Crémant, and the best way to taste the famous names is to buy them on the spot rather than hoping to find them at home.

In the glass: Cult bottles are scarce; very low-sulphur wines are more variable in warm years

Ouillé (topped-up) whites stay fresh, clean and fruit-led.

Barrels are kept full so air does not touch the wine. Chardonnay and Savagnin made this way taste of lemon, apple and stone, with a savoury edge - a Burgundy cousin with extra acidity. Most domaines now make a topped-up Savagnin.

Barrels are kept full so air does not touch the wine. Chardonnay and Savagnin made this way taste of lemon, apple and stone, with a savoury edge - a Burgundy cousin with extra acidity. Most domaines now make a topped-up Savagnin.

In the glass: Fresh, citrusy, mineral whites without nutty oxidation

Sous voile: a yeast veil protects the wine as it slowly oxidises.

Barrels are left partly empty, a thin yeast film forms on top, and the wine matures slowly under it. The result is dry and savoury with walnut, green apple and spice - the same family as dry Sherry. Start with a lighter version if you are new to it.

Barrels are left partly empty, a thin yeast film forms on top, and the wine matures slowly under it. The result is dry and savoury with walnut, green apple and spice - the same family as dry Sherry. Start with a lighter version if you are new to it.

In the glass: Walnut, spice and salt; dry, sherry-like and long-lived

Vin Jaune: Arbois leans nutty and weighty, Château-Chalon finer and spicier.

Both are Savagnin aged for years under the veil. Arbois versions lean to walnut and weight; Château-Chalon, from steep marl slopes, is usually finer, with spice or peat.

Vin Jaune begins as dry Savagnin, which goes into old 228-litre barrels and stays there for years without topping up. A veil of yeast forms over the surface, protecting the wine from turning to vinegar while slow oxidation builds the flavour. Barrels are tasted regularly, and one whose veil fails is set aside, so some of every vintage never reaches a Vin Jaune label. Roughly a third of the wine evaporates, which is why the bottle is the 62 cl clavelin. Style varies by site and appellation: Arbois examples tend toward walnut and more weight, while Château-Chalon, from steep grey-marl slopes under limestone cliffs, is generally finer, with spice or peat. Traditional houses such as Macle and Bourdy make the classic version; Tissot bottles it by lieu-dit. Serve it cool, not cold, and open it hours ahead.

In the glass: Bone-dry, walnut, spice and salt; decades of life

Vin de Paille: grapes dried on straw or mats, then aged in barrel.

After an early harvest, bunches are dried for weeks until the juice is concentrated. The sweet wine then ages in barrel for years. Expect dried fruit, honey and nuts with fresh acidity - sweet but not heavy.

After an early harvest, bunches are dried for weeks until the juice is concentrated. The sweet wine then ages in barrel for years. Expect dried fruit, honey and nuts with fresh acidity - sweet but not heavy.

In the glass: Sweet, concentrated, with dried fruit and nutty notes and bright acidity

Low and no added sulphur: the Jura's natural-wine school started here.

Pierre Overnoy in Pupillin became the leading champion of wines with no added sulphur, and a generation followed. Reds are often made from whole bunches kept under protective gas; many bottles are unfiltered and a little cloudy.

Pierre Overnoy in Pupillin became the leading champion of wines with no added sulphur, and a generation followed. Reds are often made from whole bunches kept under protective gas; many bottles are unfiltered and a little cloudy.

In the glass: Lively, fruity, sometimes cloudy or lightly fizzy wines; more variation from bottle to bottle

Amphora, skin contact and pét-nat: the experimental side.

Some growers ferment Savagnin and Trousseau in clay amphorae or leave white grapes on their skins; others bottle early-drinking fizz as pétillant naturel in good years. Expect more texture and more risk.

Some growers ferment Savagnin and Trousseau in clay amphorae or leave white grapes on their skins; others bottle early-drinking fizz as pétillant naturel in good years. Expect more texture and more risk.

In the glass: Textured, savoury amber whites, deep juicy reds and fresh lightly sparkling pét-nat

Crémant du Jura is Chardonnay-led, with Pinot Noir and local reds for depth.

Made like Champagne, with the second fermentation in the bottle. Mostly Chardonnay, often with Pinot Noir, Poulsard, Trousseau or Savagnin; the rosés lean on the reds. More growers now make bone-dry zero-dosage versions.

Made like Champagne, with the second fermentation in the bottle. Mostly Chardonnay, often with Pinot Noir, Poulsard, Trousseau or Savagnin; the rosés lean on the reds. More growers now make bone-dry zero-dosage versions.

In the glass: Crisp apple, citrus and brioche; fine bubbles