Chateau d'Arlay Cotes du Jura Tradition Rouge 2009
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Robert
Parker
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Aromas of wild red fruits, cassis, morello cherry, undergrowth, green pepper, graphite, exotic wood.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Côtes du Jura Rouge is Pure Pinot Noir, mostly from marl soils, but it also contains some grapes from chalk soils. The wine fermented in stainless steel and matured in old oak foudres. They are experimenting with full clusters now, but they are very careful because they are afraid they might get too many vegetal flavors. They do a semi-carbonic maceration, which extracts quite well and in a powerful vintage like 2009, it helped with some extra freshness. The nose is quite austere and serious. It has more tannin than the other reds, which are all lighter, something that Alain de Laguiche thinks is the character of the Jura -- more rustic than the reds from Burgundy. It's a tannic, austere and somehow rustic version of Pinot Noir. I tasted the 2006 for reference, and the aged wine has that same profile.
Beyond the usual suspects, there are hundreds of red grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines, while others are better suited for use as blending grapes. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles, offering much to be discovered by the curious wine lover. In particular, Portugal and Italy are known for having a multitude of unique varieties but they can really be found in any region.
On the foothills of the Jura Mountains, just east of the Cote de Beaune on the Switzerland border, the Jura wine-producing zone is recognized for its unique reds, as well as its particular and diverse styles of whites.
Though borrowed from their neighbor Burgundy, Chardonnay and Pinot noir have been growing in Jura since the Middle Ages. But here the altitude, topography, climate and clay-rich, marl soils support a different style of Pinot noir, not to mention its other deeply-colored, full-bodied indigenous reds, Poulsard and Trousseau.
Considering area under vine, growers here favor Chardonnay for its consistency and reliability; it comprises almost half of Jura's vineyard acreage. However, Jura Chardonnay is anything but boring; its many offbeat styles are part of what make region’s wines so distinctive. It is used for Cremant (sparkling), Macvin (a fortified wine), as well as fine examples at the quality level of Burgundy.
Jura also has a unique oxidative style for Chardonnay but is better recognized for its similarly-styled “vin jaune,” meaning ‘yellow wine,’ which is made from the indigenous variety, Savagnin. Vin jaune is made using techniques similar to those used to make Sherry.
For all of its wines, Jura favors a traditional, natural and often organic style in viticulture and winemaking.