Grape Variety: Savagnin

Colour: White

Savagnin is cultivated on the poorest marly soils in Arbois and the rest of the Jura region.  It has been suggested that the grape is originally related to the Traminer from the Bolzano area of northern Italuy. Savagnin is best known as the variety used in the vin jaune (yellow wine) of Chateau-Chalon aged for 6 years on ullage in barrel. Vin Jaune undergoes a process similar to sherry, whereby a film of yeast (une voile) covers the surface, thereby preventing oxidation but allowing evaporation and the subsequent concentration of the wine. The result is a sherrylike wine with a delicate, nutty richness.

The Savagnin from Daniel Dugois tastes of bruised apples, fresh walnut, vanilla and caramel. Watch out also for amazing aromas of fresh curry powder with fenugreek to the fore. It is a baby vin jaune with a highly developed style. For those of you who like to push the pedal to the flor. The vin jaune itself is probably a bit of an infant itself, having only just emerged from its yeasty veil. These yellow wines will go well with foie gras, chicken with morels, trout with almonds and various cheeses.

Lucien Aviet’s version is pure delight, remarkably fragrant with hints of orchard fruits (cut apple) mixed with walnut, dry honey, white pepper and a note of peatiness. His Vin Jaune has so many tangible and intangible qualities: a butteriness verging on the aroma of warm cheese (Comté, natch), a cachet of oriental spice, an array of toasted nuts and some eyeball-loosening acidity.

Emmanuel Houillon’s Savagnin Blanc Ouille is Savagnin sous lie from an organic grower who uses no sulphur in the vinifification. The wine acquires sherry-style nourishment from the yeasts and reveals all the concomitant nutty/dry spicy notes that you might expect. Here be aromas to get all seekers-after-and-snapper-uppers-of-considerable-trifles to whiffle keenly. Combine bruised apple and yellow plum, add melting butter, fenugreek, walnut, and finish with an electric charge of withering acidity. The intensity of the wine is balanced by its freshness. Poulet cooked with wine of similar complexion and served with as many morels as you can afford would be a condign match.