By Rose Murray Brown MW    Published in The Scotsman 28 September 2024

“There is no doubt that in the past ten years the Jura has become a star, the envy of many other small quality wine regions”.

These are the words of Jura wine expert Wink Lorch, who was the first person to write a detailed book on this small French region in English back in 2014.  Since then this remote bucolic backwater, tucked between the slopes of Jura mountains and the Bresse plain, has exploded onto the wine scene with its diverse and unique wines – so much so that it now lacks a sufficient quantity of wine to sell.

To take stock of significant changes in the region, Lorch has self-published a wonderful new book entitled ‘Jura Wines Ten Years On’ (£15 Academie du Vin Library), which she calls a companion volume to her original.  You can read the new book in isolation and glean a great deal about the region and current producers, but is best read in tandem with her previous book with handy page references to the original.  Academie du Vin Library are offering a special deal for both books, ‘Jura Wine’ & ‘Ten Years On’ at £35.

Lorch’s up-to-date companion book is divided into three sections.  In the first part she outlines the topsy-turvy decade of vintages and Jura’s response in terms of grape variety plantings for its five grapes (Chardonnay, Savagnin, Poulsard, Trousseau and Pinot Noir) – before moving on to the evolving wine styles.

As she explains, one of Jura’s biggest challenges is the weather.  This is a small region with just 2,150 hectares and only 210 producers bottling under their own labels, so is vulnerable to any loss.  In the last decade it has lost significant amounts of its crop to spring frosts, alongside heatwaves, storms, droughts and disease.  She explains: “of the vintages since 2011, only 2018 and 2023 have had good crop levels…the recent severe frost in April 2024 was the fourth bad frost year in the last eight years”.

Yet warming temperatures have ensured better ripeness for red grapes here and encouraged more to organic viticulture and natural winemaking.  She highlights the ‘Juracines’ group of organic producers formed in 2022; Jura is now one third organic, making it more organic than its neighbour Burgundy.

In the second part she looks at the producers, a close-knit world of resilient passionate artisan winemakers many with small family wineries.  They provide great support and encouragement to each other – especially the younger generation – but several producers have tragically ended their own lives in their prime.

On the upside for the region, there has been an influx of new producers – 23 new producers set up in Jura in 2022 and young winegrowers are eager to find vineyards.  Look out for Domaine de Sainte Marie, Domaine du Calice, Maison des Saules, Etienne Horbach, La Grand 476 and Yoshinori Kuroda from Japan, to name a few newcomers.

Jura’s plantings have increased by 200 hectares since 2015, split between producers extending holdings and brand new estates.  Interestingly companies with roots in Burgundy, just one hour’s drive away now own 20% of Jura’s vineyards, as they believe what Jura offers is unique.

The evolution in wine styles includes Cremant now an increasingly important part of production, more roses and skin maceration Savagnin (orange wines), with fewer ‘sous voile’ wines as for newer producers it is often not viable to make this wine style.  The embossed ‘clavelin’ used for Chateau Chalon (vineyards pictured below) is at risk of disappearing due to glass price issues and as one of the largest producers Maison du Vigneron does not use it.

In the final section Lorch provides a helpful guide to how wine lovers can make the most of a visit to Jura, where to stay, eat and drink with tips and advice.

In conclusion, Lorch ponders over the question of whether the viability and sustainability of Jura is at risk – and confirms that to succeed it is important that they unite and work together.  She also invites us to be open to new styles (eg blends, hybrids) and celebrate the diversity of Jura.

SUGGESTED JURA WINES:

Sparkling: CREMANT DU JURA INDIGENE 2020 Domaine A & M Tissot

£26.50 Lay & Wheeler; £33 Woodwinters

Toasty brioche notes, minerality and great fruit intensity crafted by Stephane Tissot, the Jura master – who makes six different Cremant cuvees.

White: COTES DU JURA CHARDONNAY TREMOULETTE 2020 Domaine des Carlines

£25 The Wine Society

A match for white Burgundy, a mature oak-aged (old oak) Chardonnay with creamy texture, dense core of fruit and complexity.

White: COTES DU JURA BLANC SAVAGNIN SOUS VOILE 2016 Domaine Pignier

£45 Raeburn Wines

Fine nutty savoury Savagnin with saline finish, matured in classic Jura style under a thin film of yeasts: ‘sous voile’.

Red: NO SIN TOU TSEFS 2022 Domaine Fumey-Chatelain

£34 Sager & Wilde

Young Marin Fumey makes this cleverly named blend of Jura’s three red grapes – deliciously crunchy cranberry fruits and herby notes.

Sweet: L’ETOILE VIN DE PAILLE 2019 Domaine de Montbourgeau

£37 hf bt The Wine Society

Jura’s famous straw wine dried on straw in the attic before fermenting – intense sweetness with vibrant acidity keeping it fresh.

Join Rose’s Fine Wine Dinner at Prestonfield on 27 November www.rosemurraybrown.com