Vin jaune
Encyclopedia
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
made in the Jura wine
Jura wine
Jura wine, is French wine produced in the Jura département. Located between Burgundy and Switzerland, this cool climate wine region produces wines with some similarity to Burgundy and Swiss wine. Jura wines are distinctive and unusual wines, the most famous being vin jaune, which is made by a...
region in eastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is similar to dry fino
Fino
Fino is the driest and palest of the traditional varieties of sherry. They are drunk comparatively young, and unlike the sweeter varieties should be drunk soon after the bottle is opened as exposure to air can cause them to lose their flavour within hours.-Flor:The defining component of Fino...
Sherry
Sherry
Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez , Spain. In Spanish, it is called vino de Jerez....
and gets its character from being matured in a barrel under a film of yeast
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...
, known as the voile, on the wine's surface. Vin jaune shares many similarities with Sherry, including some aromas, but unlike Sherry, it is not a fortified wine
Fortified wine
Fortified wine is wine to which a distilled beverage has been added. Fortified wine is distinguished from spirits made from wine in that spirits are produced by means of distillation, while fortified wine is simply wine that has had a spirit added to it...
. The wine is made from the Savagnin
Savagnin
Savagnin or Savagnin Blanc is a variety of white wine grape with green-skinned berries. It is mostly grown in the Jura region of France, where it is made into the famous vin jaune and vin de paille.-History:...
grape, with some of the most premium examples coming from the marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
based vineyards in the Château-Chalon AOC
Château-Chalon AOC
Château-Chalon is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for wines made in the Jura wine region of France, around the village of Château-Chalon. Only white wines from the Savagnin grape made in the vin jaune style can be made using this appellation. However, the Château-Chalon wines are not explicitly...
. In other French wine
French wine
French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer...
regions, there has been experimentation in producing similar style wines from Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
and other local grape varieties using cultured yeast such as the vin de voile wine produced in the Gaillac
Gaillac
Gaillac is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France.-Geography of Gaillac:Gaillac is a town situated between Toulouse, Albi and Monatauban. It has gained a large amount of recognition due to the wines that bear the towns name. The Tarn river runs along the border of the town by the...
.
Production
Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer is an aromatic wine grape variety that performs best in cooler climates. It is sometimes referred to colloquially as Gewürz, and in French it is written '...
. The grapes are usually harvested
Harvest (wine)
The harvesting of wine grapes is one of the most crucial steps in the process of winemaking. The time of harvest is determined primarily by the ripeness of the grape as measured by sugar, acid and tannin levels with winemakers basing their decision to pick based on the style of wine they wish to...
in late October when the sugars have developed enough to have a potential alcohol level of 13–15% for the finished wine. The grapes are fermented
Fermentation (wine)
The process of fermentation in wine turns grape juice into an alcoholic beverage. During fermentation, yeast interact with sugars in the juice to create ethanol, commonly known as ethyl alcohol, and carbon dioxide...
slowly and then kept in small old oak casks that hold 228 liters (60 gallons). The casks are not topped up, as they are with most wines, so an air gap appears above the wine due to evaporation
Evaporation
Evaporation is a type of vaporization of a liquid that occurs only on the surface of a liquid. The other type of vaporization is boiling, which, instead, occurs on the entire mass of the liquid....
. A film of yeast grows over the wine, protecting it partially (but not totally) from oxidation. In Jura, this film is called the voile (veil
Veil
A veil is an article of clothing, worn almost exclusively by women, that is intended to cover some part of the head or face.One view is that as a religious item, it is intended to show honor to an object or space...
), but it is similar to the more familiar "flor
Flor
Flor is a winemaking term referring to a film of yeast on the surface of wine and which is important in the manufacture of certain styles of sherry. The flor is formed naturally under certain winemaking conditions, from indigenous yeasts found in the region of Andalucía in southern Spain...
" in Sherry production. The voile yeast has many similar properties to "flor" but thrives better in a lower alcohol environment and develops less heavily and thickly than "flor" does. Producers in the Jura include André & Mireille Tissot, Gaspard Feuillet, Chateau Béthanie, Domaine Berthet-Bondet, Frédéric Lornet
Frédéric Lornet
Frédéric Lornet is a wine producer who owns and runs the Abbaye de la Boutière in Montigny-lès-Arsures; a small village just outside of Arbois in the Franche-Comté / Jura region of France.-History:...
and Henri Maire.
The voile typically takes two to three years to develop fully. During this time the wine is exposed to slight levels of oxidation that provoke chemical changes that produce ethanal (as well as ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
, standard alcohol) and the aroma compound
Aroma compound
An aroma compound, also known as odorant, aroma, fragrance or flavor, is a chemical compound that has a smell or odor...
of sotolon
Sotolon
Sotolon is a lactone and an extremely powerful aroma compound, with the typical smell of fenugreek or curry at high concentrations and maple syrup, caramel, or burnt sugar at lower concentrations. Sotolon is the major aroma and flavor component of fenugreek seed and lovage, and is one of several...
. These compounds contribute to the unique flavors and aromas associated with vin jaune. Winemakers must carefully observe the wine throughout the aging process as there is a risk of it developing the wine fault
Wine fault
A wine fault or defect is an unpleasant characteristic of a wine often resulting from poor winemaking practices or storage conditions, and leading to wine spoilage. Many of the compounds that cause wine faults are already naturally present in wine but at insufficient concentrations to adversely...
of volatile acidity.
The wine acquires its characteristic yellow color and nutty flavors as it ages for the requisite time of six years and three months, the time that must elapse between harvest and bottling. Although, at certain points during this time, the wine is not necessarily in the cask. After the allotted time, only about 62% of the original wine remains. The vin jaune is then bottled in special squat bottles
Wine bottle
A wine bottle is a bottle used for holding wine, generally made of glass. Some wines are fermented in the bottle, others are bottled only after fermentation. They come in a large variety of sizes, several named for Biblical kings and other figures. The standard bottle contains 750 ml,...
that hold 62 cl (21 ounce
Ounce
The ounce is a unit of mass with several definitions, the most commonly used of which are equal to approximately 28 grams. The ounce is used in a number of different systems, including various systems of mass that form part of the imperial and United States customary systems...
s), called clavelins. Historically the bottle size alludes to the amount of wine left over after six years of aging and evaporation. The unusual size of the clavelin adds to bureaucratic complications often encountered when importing wine into countries such as the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where vin jaune is virtually unknown.
Wine regions
The Appellation d'origine contrôléeAppellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
region permitted to produce vin jaune include Château-Chalon AOC, Arbois Vin Jaune AOC, Cotes du Jura vin Jaune AOC and Vin Jaune de L'Etoile. There are also a few other vin jaune-style wines made in France outside the Jura region, such as Gaillac. The term vin de voile referring to the yeast film, thus indicates this style of wine.
Wine style and serving
Yellow wine ages extremely well. It is generally recommended that it not be drunk until ten years after bottling, that is, about 16 to 17 years after the vintage. The wine will keep for a long time, and 50 to 100 years is not unheard of.Vin jaune is often served at cellar
Wine cellar
A wine cellar is a storage room for wine in bottles or barrels, or more rarely in carboys, amphorae or plastic containers. In an active wine cellar, important factors such as temperature and humidity are maintained by a climate control system. In contrast, passive wine cellars are not...
temperature 13–15 °C
Celsius
Celsius is a scale and unit of measurement for temperature. It is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...
(55–60 °F
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
) and the wine is sometimes decanted
Decanter
A decanter is a vessel that is used to hold the decantation of a liquid which may contain sediment. Decanters are normally used as serving vessels for wine. Decanters vary in shape and design. They are usually made of an inert material and will hold at least one standard bottle of wine...
, exposing it to more oxygen prior to serving in order to stimulate the wine's unique aromas. The wine can be paired
Wine and food matching
Wine and food matching is the process of pairing food dishes with wine to enhance the dining experience. In many cultures, wine has had a long history of being a staple at the dinner table and in some ways both the winemaking and culinary traditions of a region will have evolved together over the...
with savory food dishes with local Jura cuisine often including chicken recipes
Chicken (food)
Chicken is the most common type of poultry in the world, and is prepared as food in a wide variety of ways, varying by region and culture.- History :...
where the wine is cooked with the chicken itself and as a sauce component. Another common pairing is the local Comté
Comté (cheese)
Comté is a French cheese made from unpasteurized cow's milk in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France.Comté has the highest production figures of all French AOC cheeses, making around 40,000 tonnes annually...
cheese that is produced in the Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté the former "Free County" of Burgundy, as distinct from the neighbouring Duchy, is an administrative region and a traditional province of eastern France...
region.
La Percée du Vin Jaune
A festival called La Percée du Vin Jaune (Opening of the Yellow Wine) is staged in the first week of February each year to celebrate release of the newly released vintage, which due to the legal requirements for aging will be the one harvested in the autumn seven years earlier. Recent events, including tasting sessions, have attracted over 30,000 visitors. This event takes place in a different village in the region every year. The host villages have been as follows:- 1997 : Poligny, JuraPoligny, JuraPoligny is a commune in the Jura department in Franche-Comté in eastern France.The town stands on the edge of the "Premier Plateau" of the Jura region, with limestone cliffs rising to its east and south, and a steephead valley leading to the village of Vaux-sur-Poligny to the east...
- 1998 : ArboisArboisArbois is a commune in the Jura department in Franche-Comté in eastern France. The Cuisance River passes through the town, which has some pretty streets lined with ancient houses...
, Jura - 1999 : Château-ChalonChâteau-ChalonChâteau-Chalon is a commune in the Jura department in Franche-Comté in eastern France.-References:*...
- VoiteurVoiteurVoiteur is a commune in the Jura department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.- Demographics :As of the census of 1999, the population was 718.The estimate for 2005 was 779.- References :*... - 2000 : L'Étoile
- 2001 : GevingeyGevingeyGevingey is a commune in the Jura department in Franche-Comté in eastern France.-References:*...
- 2002 : Montigny-lès-ArsuresMontigny-lès-ArsuresMontigny-lès-Arsures is a communes in the Jura department in Franche-Comté in eastern France.- See also :* Communes of the Jura department* Frederic Lornet* French wine* Jura wine- References :* - External links :...
- 2003 : ArlayArlayArlay is a commune in the Jura department in Franche-Comté in eastern France.-History:Arlay's early importance lay in the fact that it was a station where the "Salt Road" forded the river Seille. It was refounded by the Romans as an oppidum and functioned as a Gallo-Roman city until it was...
- 2004 : CramansCramansCramans is a commune in the Jura department in Franche-Comté in eastern France.-References:*...
- 2005 : Saint-LothainSaint-LothainSaint-Lothain is a commune in the Jura department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.-Demographics:As of the census of 1999, the population was 435.The estimate for 2005 was 417.-References:*...
- 2006 : Lons-le-SaunierLons-le-SaunierLons-le-Saunier is a commune and capital of the Jura department in eastern France.-Geography:The town is in the heart of the Revermont region, at the foot of the "premier plateau" of the Jura massif...
- 2007 : Salins-les-BainsSalins-les-BainsSalins-les-Bains is a commune in the Jura department in Franche-Comté in eastern France.Salins owes its name to its saline waters, used for bathing and drinking. There are also salt works and gypsum deposits. In 2009 the historic saltworks were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites...
- 2008 : Vincelles, JuraVincelles, JuraVincelles is a commune in the Jura department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.- Demographics :As of the census of 1999, the population was 362.The estimate for 2005 was 349.- References :*...
- 2010 : Poligny, JuraPoligny, JuraPoligny is a commune in the Jura department in Franche-Comté in eastern France.The town stands on the edge of the "Premier Plateau" of the Jura region, with limestone cliffs rising to its east and south, and a steephead valley leading to the village of Vaux-sur-Poligny to the east...
- 2011 : ArboisArboisArbois is a commune in the Jura department in Franche-Comté in eastern France. The Cuisance River passes through the town, which has some pretty streets lined with ancient houses...
, Jura
Chemical composition
Vin jaune is marked by the formation of sotolonSotolon
Sotolon is a lactone and an extremely powerful aroma compound, with the typical smell of fenugreek or curry at high concentrations and maple syrup, caramel, or burnt sugar at lower concentrations. Sotolon is the major aroma and flavor component of fenugreek seed and lovage, and is one of several...
from alpha-ketobutyric acid
Alpha-Ketobutyric acid
α-Ketobutyric acid is a product of the lysis of cystathionine.It is also one of the degradation products of threonine.It can be converted to propionyl-CoA , and thus enter the citric acid cycle.- Conversion in sotolon in French Vin jaune :Vin jaune is marked by the formation of sotolon...
.
External links
- La Percée du Vin Jaune mainly in French