Thoughtfully posted by John on Tuesday, August 9, 2011.
Though they will be hard pressed to admit it, wine hipsters are bringing fairly obscure wine regions to prominence on restaurant wine lists and retail shelves. And friends of mine in the business have repeatedly cursed professional wine writers for shedding lights on regions such as Jura in France. The Jura, perhaps the smallest macro-region in France, is still relatively unknown to even serious wine drinkers. Sadly for the young and hip wine crowd, their secret is out. Though many students and collectors probably wouldn’t be able to name more than one or two subregions within Jura, more attention is being paid by boutique owners and sommeliers to the importance (and deliciousness) to winemaking areas west of Burgundy. One of the regions that I have studied and have enjoyed drinking is L’Etoile. Located to the northwest of the town of Lons-le-Saunier, the appellation of L’Etoile, like the rest of the Jura, has a continental climate that enjoys warm summers and very cold winters. Though summertime temperatures can be similar to or warmer than Burgundy to the west, the climate is surely Old World. Many of the wines produced in L’Etoile are not of the typical dry, white style that many wine drinkers have been accustomed to with the Chardonnay grape. In addition to Chardonnay, two other white grapes are used in L’Etoile – Savignin and Poulsard. All three of these varieties are used to make four styles of L’Etoile – dry and still, dry and sparkling, vin jaune (yellow wine) and vin de paille (straw wine). The latter two styles – both unfortified but richly developed and nuanced, yield wines of intense concentration and ageability. Vin jaune, a ‘sous-voile (under the veil)’ style similar to fino Sherry, develops under a flor that yields a wine of unmistakable typicity.
Yellow and straw-wine styles aside, perhaps what wine drinkers should seek out from L’Etoile for everyday drinking are the still, bright, vibrant and mineral driven Chardonnays. What makes L’Etoile such a special and specific place to produce wine, especially since many of the wines coming from the region are based on the Chardonnay grape? Perhaps what makes the juice coming from L’Etoile specific is the refreshing Chablis-like vibrancy to the wine while also displaying notes that remind me of a Premier Cru offering from the Cotes de Beaune. Much of this expressive minerality is derived from the fossil-rich limestone soil structure that contains shells shaped like five-pointed stars – from which the appellation is named. In addition to climate and soil structure, traditional winemaking techniques yield slightly oxidized table wines in L’Etoile. Much of the Chardonnay or Savagnin based tables wines coming from the region are aged in large barrels without topping up, which allows for the oxygen to more freely exchange with the wine.
Some of these can be highly oxidized – which are delicious in their own right. However, the wine I picked up last week, the 2008 Domaine de Montbourgeau is slightly oxidized, but like oak, minerality or fruit, the notes it’s the slight oxidation expresses are seamlessly integrated into the wine. Like many other producers in Jura and L’Etoile, Domaine de Montbourgeau produces nearly all of the wines described above. Aged in 230 liter demi-muids, the Chardonnay (with a little Savagnin mixed in) also went through malolactic fermentation to give the wine a bit of creamy richness. We are not talking Russian River here, but the wine certainly has some weight. My full tasting note is below, but what makes the ’08 Montbourgeau a great choice for Chardonnay lovers is that it is distinctly Jura in style and more specifically, it speaks of L’Etoile. Neither completely Chablis nor southern Burgundy in style, it’s a Chardonnay that is clearly French in origin, but it expresses a firm sense of place, including traditional winemaking techniques that are sought after by both the ardent and newly initiated fans of Jura alike.
Wine: 2008 Domaine de Montbourgeau 
Grapes: Mostly Chardonnay with a touch of Savagnin.
What’s In The Glass: Upon first opening, almonds, fennel with apples and pears jumped out of the glass. On the palate, more fruit and minerality show through. After some time in the glass, the herbs and anise fade a touch with more apples and pears coming to the fore. All aromatics and flavors were incredibly balanced and wonderful hints of almond last awhile in the finish. A balanced and richly textured offering.
Sense of Place: Hints of Chablis, a dash of Cotes de Beaune with some oxidation – we must be in the Jura and L’Etoile.
Obscurity Scale: This is one of the more readily available producers from L’Etoile, but found mostly in fine wine shops and restaurants.
Is It Worth It: For $23 – absolutely. This should be the house pour for Chardonnay lovers who want to satisfy their wine curious souls.
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