Restocking the Jura...
1/15/14 -
Oh the cosmic rhythm of the wine store. The final month of the old year depletes our stocks; the first month of the new replenishes… Quite possibly the best aspect of January is putting new wines on the shelf (let’s face it; the weather leaves something to be desired…). This week we’re particularly excited about a fresh batch of wines from the bucolic and verdant hills of the Jura. We were deprived of Poulsard for much of December (or, rather, we had to limit ourselves to one or two selections…), but deprivation has only made us thirstier, and we’re presently in a position to quench with new, deliciously delicate reds from Saint-Pierre and Ludwig Bindernagel of Chais du Vieux Bourg, as well as one of the freshest, zestiest sparkling wines outside of Champagne.
As is regularly the case with new Jura Domaines, there are some gaps in our knowledge of Saint-Pierre, which we look forward to filling. (Our favorite Jura growers seem to have the habit of working in their vines rather than on their websites, for which we love them.) Fabrice Dodane has about six hectares in the Arbois and the Côte du Jura. He's organically certified, and his natural wines generally have little to no sulfur added, yet are pure and well-executed examples of the style. A few months ago, Dodane piqued our curiosity with his Petit Curoulet, a fresh and high-toned Poulsard that traverses the tightrope of fruit, acid, and minerality, and finds impeccable balance. Today we highlight Dodane’s vin de soif Pinot Noir from the “Les Gaudrettes” vineyard in the Arbois, and his rich and honeyed, topped-up Melon-Queue-Rouge. (A note to locals: our friend, Mike Foulk will be pouring these wines at Chambers Street on Friday, 1/31, between 5 and 7pm.)
We’ve now enjoyed a handful of excellent vintages from Bavarian winemaker Ludwig Bindernagel of Domaine le Chais du Vieux Bourg. In the early 2000s, Bindernagel experienced what a French speaker might call un coup de foudre (love at first sight) for this region, and has been in Poligny ever since, making wine in the Côte du Jura close to Étoile and Château-Chalon. His estate is microscopic, and the challenges of the past few vintages have caused the quantities to shrink and the prices to rise. We believe the wines are worth every penny, however, and their classic vinifications (long, slow fermentation with native yeast and aging in old barrel) make a nice contrast to the fruit-forward and juicy, natural wines of Saint-Pierre. Do not miss Ludwig’s superior Crémant; made entirely from the 2008 vintage and disgorged in 2013, this wine delivers as much crunchy acidity, creamy texture, and downright complexity as one can hope to find outside of Champagne. As we restock our racks and refrigerators after the holidays, may we suggest you do the same? Santé! Sophie
