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2012 Domaine Rolet Arbois Blanc Tradition

Tucked in the little mountain town of Montigny-les-Arsures, just north of Arbois, Domaine Rolet has 65 hectares under production, making it one of the bigger estates in the Jura. Wine is made under all four of the main Jura appellations, but the majority of their holdings lie in the Arbois.

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The Arbois AOC, due east (and up) from Burgundy's Côte de Beaune, was one of the original six appellations determined in May of 1936 by the French government. The town of Montigny-les-Arsures is famous for its red trousseau wines, but Domaine Rolet's whites are equally phenomenal.

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Savagnin is the native white grape of the Jura, made into the famous and long-aged Vin Jaune, here blended with chardonnay (itself now the most planted white grape in the region). Savagnin is one of the few white grapes of the world (along with the likes of palomino and macabeo, among others) that lends itself to natural oxidation. Similar to the palomino made in Jerez (as sherry), savagnin in the Jura is aged sous voile, or under veil, a film of yeast that forms on the surface of the wine in barrel that both allows for slow oxidation and protects the wine from unwanted bacteria over, in this case, four long years of aging.

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Alongside the fuller-bodied and mineral-driven chardonnay, this savagnin produces a rich, oxidative, sumptuous white, perfectly poised now at 8 years of age! Nutty walnut and golden raisin with sharp tangerine and mandarin orange citrus, a hint of peach, and surrounded by bold flavors of light caramel and sweet pipe tobacco, and unripe maple syrup. The finish is rich and spicy and dry with bright acid.

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This wine is great with rich mushrooms and roast chicken, hard Comté cheese, lemon herb agnolotti, and all sorts of other hearty mountain cuisine.