WTNs: Jurassic Park

Brought together some good friends for a tasting of Jura wines from Ganevat, a domaine I was curious to try. Took the opportunity to open my single bottle of vin jaune, hoping to finally “get” what oxidative wines are all about.

As an aperitif, we began with a 2009 white Fragolino, recently brought back from Enoteca Il Cantinone in Venice. This is a light and sweet sipper made from Noah, a non-vinifera varietal. It’s always a curious sensation to drink wine that tastes like grapes, but there’s little acidity to speak of and, for some inexplicable reason, it tasted much better in Venice.

2003 Domaine Baud Arbois Chardonnay 13.5%
Thanks to Marcelo for this. Rich mineral aromas with butter, white flowers and a light oxidative note. Good acidity, decent body weight, long finish. Slightly hot, as befits the year (in more typical years the alcohol is 13.0%).

2007 Domaine Jean-François Ganevat Côtes du Jura Poulsard Cuvée de l'Enfant Terrible 11.5%
Very pale, almost rosé. Aromas of strawberry and cloves, with a touch of tomato as the glass empties. More acid than sweet, light and flowery. Not sure I like this; much prefer the poulsards we’ve had from Tissot and Overnoy/Houillon.

2006 Domaine Jean-François Ganevat Côtes du Jura Pinot Noir Cuvée Julien 12.5%
Aromas of cherry, raspberry, and chalk, with some smoked meat notes towards the end. Attractive fruit, good acidity, excellent balance. Light secondary fermentation frizziness. Fine, but could use a touch more body.

2006 Domaine Jean-François Ganevat Côtes du Jura Trousseau Plein Sud 13.0%
Aromas of red fruit and gunpowder. Good acidity, excellent balance, good mouth feel. My WOTN by a capillary because of the body, despite the pinot’s more alluring nose.

1998 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Vin Jaune 14.0%
Once past the notion that this smells exactly like sherry, I find aromas of bread dough, yeast, almonds, hay and dry leaves. Saline, quite acid, very dry and, of course, oxidative. I dunno, I keep wanting this to be sweeter because the acid/sweet balance feels off kilter. Oh well, I was hoping the penny would drop this time but, after tasting a producer with Puffeney’s reputation, I have to capitulate and admit that I just don’t get oxidative styles. I know that makes me a bad person. Perhaps someday I will like them, just not this month.

All in all, I'd say that I'll continue to look for Tissots and Overnoy/Houillons (haven't tried regular Puffeneys), but Ganevat was a bit of a disappointment.

1998 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Vin Jaune 14.0%
Once past the notion that this smells exactly like sherry,.... I dunno, I keep wanting this to be sweeter because the acid/sweet balance feels off kilter. ... I have to capitulate and admit that I just don’t get oxidative styles. I know that makes me a bad person. Perhaps someday I will like them, just not this month.

Join the Bad Person Club. I've had vin jaune before from Chateau Chalon and I didn't get "it" either. Sometimes we just have to except our limitations and resist the endless prodding and hype-making machines of wine hipsterdom and admit there are certain wines or styles we just don't get. Through this process of learning, I've found some expensive bottles I can live without, finding vin jaune too much like sherry (and Bad Sherry at that) and alcoholic, Contini's Vernaccia di Oristano too much like Sherry and alcoholic, and Gravner's amfora just too...dull, like that boy in school who always thought too literal. Having seen Rome, I can happily spend my limited resources on the things that actually taste good. Thanks for the Ganevat trousseau note. I have a bottle of same but probably won't get around to drinking it for a year or two. What's your opinion of aging prospects for it?

Thanks for the sympathy, Mark. Have some Radikons lined up for later in the year, hope they are less dull than the Gravner. I'd hazard that the Ganevat Trousseau will improve and be better in two years, perhaps reaching some plateau then, and staying there for another two or three years. Not sure how much SO2 it has, so better to keep it cool.

1998 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Vin Jaune 14.0%
Oh well, I was hoping the penny would drop this time but, after tasting a producer with Puffeney’s reputation, I have to capitulate and admit that I just don’t get oxidative styles..

I'm no expert but despite Puffeney's reputation and respect, I believe he is one of the more traditional/backwards/difficult producers of Vin Jaune, so not exactly known for being user friendly. They probably need a few more decades and a lot of aged comté. I haven't gotten very into Vin Jaune myself but there are probably some other 'intemediary' producers that might be better suited for introducing you to the genre. If you're interested that is. I haven't dedicated much effort to the project myself.

1998 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Vin Jaune 14.0%
Oh well, I was hoping the penny would drop this time but, after tasting a producer with Puffeney’s reputation, I have to capitulate and admit that I just don’t get oxidative styles..

I'm no expert but despite Puffeney's reputation and respect, I believe he is one of the more traditional/backwards/difficult producers of Vin Jaune, so not exactly known for being user friendly. They probably need a few more decades and a lot of aged comté. I haven't gotten very into Vin Jaune myself but there are probably some other 'intemediary' producers that might be better suited for introducing you to the genre. If you're interested that is. I haven't dedicated much effort to the project myself.

Good to know.

We did have it with comté, though not aged.

A few more decades would no doubt add aromatic complexity, but the acid/sweet balance will probably not change in the direction of the latter.

We did have it with comté...

Sounds like you were on top of the game!

After a wile there is my notes, sometimes to much emotional and dyslexic, but a i thikg this can be useful!

2009 white Fragolino
The nose put me into a trip, for interior of state, were is easy to by boxes of niagra grape, a small grape, sweet in the polp, but vary acidity when you shew the skin. A sweet and a light wine. I love it because is friendly, unexpected, and makes me travel! not to vanice.... but to the center sate...yeah!

2003 Domaine Baud Arbois Chardonnay 13.5%
A vary strong nose of toasted of all kind of nuts, buttered and with a hint of flower. In the mouth a good acidity, strong structure, good finish. With a evident salti notes, bitter palate and a lot of calcareous flavor. after all, is evidend a mix of brad yeast, colophony and ravel glue.
for sure this will be wanderful with oysters... this is biting in my head strong! different, exelent!

2007 Domaine Jean-François Ganevat Côtes du Jura Poulsard Cuvée de l'Enfant Terrible 11.5%
A earthy nose in the beginning. Dry leaves. A couple minutes after a tropical note from jambo (myrtacea) and strong currant juice. In the mouth is simple, with dry and delicate tannins, very acidity, and finish of truit fruit. Vary light body, and lacking mouth feel. Remember me simple Cabernet franc.

2006 Domaine Jean-François Ganevat Côtes du Jura Pinot Noir Cuvée Julien 12.5%
The first impact was defenly a sweet chocolate, tost. In the mouth a secondary fermentantion with a frizz. Taste like chalk, white limestone. Good acidy but too light eader from my palate.. After all suisbois...

2006 Domaine Jean-François Ganevat Côtes du Jura Trousseau Plein Sud 13.0%
A strong gunpowder, a iodine ergot hint. In the mouth for sure the most balance and structure in the mouth. Remember me a ligth bodie Morgon. Vary good.

1998 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Vin Jaune 14.0%
My WOTN. Nose of brad yeast, mineral with a lot of colophony, a lot of nuts, iodine, and remember me a legume nose of zuccini and a delicate note o green apple. In the mouth is for sure salty, nothing of a desert wine! long and persistent in the mouth with high acidity! yeah oxidative for sure!... i am totally lost!

My impressing of this wine taste is that are not make int this world, maybee in the moon a far and undiscovered place. I like a lot strange and unusual wines, this it over concept for this. Probaly improving my palate this will better and better. I new world in the old world. Thaks for the amaising expiriace Oswaldo.

1998 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Vin Jaune 14.0%
My WOTN. Nose of brad yeast, mineral with a lot of colophony, a lot of nuts, iodine, and remember me a legume nose of zuccini and a delicate note o green apple. In the mouth is for sure salty, nothing of a desert wine! long and persistent in the mouth with high acidity! yeah oxidative for sure!... i am totally lost!

As someone with limited but very favorable past experiences with oxidative-style wines, it was very interesting to note the differing takes you and Oswaldo had on the vin jaune. The answer is not in the wines, but in ourselves . . . ?

it was very interesting to note the differing takes you and Oswaldo had on the vin jaune. The answer is not in the wines, but in ourselves . . . ?

Indeed it is all about us! I was going to say the same thing.

I'm planning to pop one of two bottles of 1983 Chateau-Chalon (Maire) sometime soon, so will go with the idea of Comte (and Beaufort / Gruyere as well?) with perhaps some nuts. Best served as an aperitif wine?

regards

Ian