Sous voile wines are distinctive and outside of the Jura region, they are still rare finds.

To read more about Vin Jaune from the Jura, please go back and read Part 1: Vin Jaune

Vin Jaune wines are made solely from Savagnin blanc.  They are one of the unique wines of the wine world and are one of those made by ‘sous voile’ winemaking process. 

Savagnin Blanc is one of the most important grapes from the Jura region in Eastern France. It is capable of producing fresh, crisp, floral and zesty white wines. As a Vin Jaune style, the grape shows a rather different personality. After all, it would be impossible for any grape to remain unchanged by the Vin Jaune winemaking process. 

The process

In France, the process is aptly known as ‘sous voile’. Or ‘under veil’. There are several differences that transform the Savagnin blanc grapes into something very different from those crisp floral white wines. 

Firstly, the grapes are left to achieve the highest sugar levels possible. This will produce the alcohol level that will give the yeast the best growing environment for the years to come.

Then the wine becomes slightly oxidised while waiting for the voile, the layer of yeast to develop.  The wine spends around 6 years, at least 5 years, ageing under the layer of yeast. Unquestionably, that will surely add its mark.

It is this sous voile process that evokes the comparison between Vin Jaune and Fino Sherry. As with the production of Fino Sherry, only partially fill the barrels leaVing a gap. One of the key differences between the two wines is that the yeast develops on the Vin Jaune at a lower alcohol and is thinner. This means that while it is well protected, it is not quite as protected from oxidation as Fino is.

Throughout the maturing process, these partially full barrels are not topped up with more wine. This is despite evaporation lowering the level in the barrel. It is in this gap a layer of yeast grows. While the yeast develops though, the wine starts to oxidise which gives Vin Jaune some distinctive characters. The evaporation of the wine also causes concentration of alcohol by volumes as well as flavours and aromas and density of the wine.

In Jura, this is called a voile (veil) whereas in Spain it is the ‘flor’. Importantly, this yeast layer prevents further oxidation. When the wine has been in the barrel for a minimum of 6 years, it will go into bottle. 

What to expect

The result is a nutty, complex character. If this wine was a book, it would have more than enough plot twists and character development to keep you interested. 

Texturally it has an unctuousness that you might expect from a sweet wine. Of course, Vin Jaune is dry. Bone dry. The voile prevents the wine from oxidising further while developing addition complex characters. 

However, as you would expect from a carefully oxidised wine, you should expect to find caramelised apple and nuts. Walnut, hazelnut and almond are quite common.  Equally, figs will also often feature too, filling the senses with that perfume.

To read a review of a Vin Jaune wine, please click here to read a review on Domaine Badoz Vin Jaune Les Roussots

But curry?

Perhaps the most distinctive that sometimes appears in reviews is of curry and yeastiness.  Maybe even ‘cheese’ will appear in the description. The curry character can be attributed to the development of sotolon.

Sotolon is a compound that at high enough level may produce aromas of fenugreek, walnut, curry amongst others. It may appear in both oxidative ageing and in long maturation times of wines such as Vin Jaune, Madeira and Oloroso styled Sherry.

What to look for

There are other wines in France that make a sous voile wine. For instance, there are still some Gaillac winemakers producing a version using Mauzac grapes. To find these, look for bottles smaller than 750 ml with mentions of ‘sous voile’ on front or back label. 

In Jura, there are different appellations that may appear on the labels. The wines from Château Chalon AOC are considered the finest. Château Chalon AOC can only appear on Vin Jaune wines. Of course, the wines from the Arbois, L’ Étoile and Côtes du Jura are also excellent. 

There are also some rather unique Australian versions of sous voile wines. Look for those produced by Five Bells and Crittenden Wines. Both of these producers are making Australian versions of Vin Jaune with their Savagnin blanc grapes.

Missed Part 1? Please click here to go back and read Part 1: Vin Jaune

If you plan to visit the Jura, you might find Montagnes du Jura helpful.