Saturday Special - One Amazing Jura White Wine - Domaine Ratte

The sales staff here at Chambers Street Wines almost never agree on anything. We are a contrary bunch, full of opinions and hot air. We taste and argue about bottles. "Does it belong here?"  "Is it really the right fit?" Rarely do we taste a wine and all say to one another, "Wow, that's great. We should sell it." But once in a while something walks in the door and leaves us slack-jawed. Last week was one such occasion, when our friend Brendan Root brought us a pristine bottle of Jura Chardonnay, Domaine Ratte's 2019 Grandcurolet.

We have done offers with the Ratte wines before but never this particular wine. Established in Arbois in 1989 by Francoise and Michel-Henri Ratte from vines from their respective families, the domaine totals nine hectares across seven parcels. However, they were under contract to sell their fruit until the 2015 vintage, when they started to produce wine themselves.

We are glad they did! The vineyards are immaculately farmed, according to biodynamic principles, with Demeter certification. The soils are largely in the classic Arbois profile, clay and Jurassic limestone, producing whites with both backbone and finesse and intensely perfumed reds. Grandcurole, which produces the Chardonnay on offer today, is particularly notable for being rich in fossilized sea shells. The vines are on average about 80 years old and the wine is aged in mostly in steel and some older barrels for two years.

This is incredibly refined, with beautiful spiced lemon and sea air aromatics, with little touches of dried pineapple and crushed almonds. On the palate there is more yellow and orange citrus and crisp apricot, rounded out with some classic Jura spice. But the mineral core here is most alluring - the stone is totally exposed. It adds so much freshness, though there is no shortage of acidity. The end result is a wine of great delicacy. My colleague Mariko compared it to a ballet dancer, stepping lightly but with perfect precision.

There were just twenty cases of this wine for the United States and we are fortunate to have secured seven of those. Don't miss out. It will not last. Buy six today and receive the case discount of ten percent off!