Jurrasic Park

Once again I invited myself to unfamiliar grounds and opened a handful of Jura wines.

Before we get into the tasting notes, I have to underline some personal preferences. You should know that whenever I judge these wines, especially the white wines, I would always compare them to Champagne. This may seem rather irrational - but as the "Champagne bug" is already alive and me not being a professional wine judger - I have the comparison game in the back of my mind, as I need think about what to buy. In this context, the reds have an advantage, as they target other values and food paring, so I will not see them as an alternative to Champagne.

Let’s go Jura.

2008 Jean Francois Ganevat "Les Chalasses Marnes Bleues”

Blend: 100% Savignin

0% Sulphur

I was told to decant this wine - now I know why.

Right after the opening the wine has a lot of extra weight in terms of newborn baby fat fruit. It's providing lush, fat and creamy sensations of honey melon with a slightly oxidation. There is also a small film of flour running on top of the fruit core with even has the companionship of yeasty notes, which is interesting in terms of aromas, but preventing more immediate freshness to step forward. Taste follows up with oily touches and mouth coating appeal. At this stage its okay'-ish wine - but nothing more.

2 hours later.

Clouds are gone and we have sunshine. In the glass is a far more vibrant and fresh wine. Underneath you sense erosion of minerality, which is even more apparent on the palate, where the wine presents itself with splendid definition and tallness. However you still have these yeasty notes, which is providing some sweet pastry notes, but they have taken a step backwards.

This is indeed an interesting wine, with good cellar potential. There are some aspects to deal with for me to do summersaults, but I am indeed intrigued and willing to learn more.

2009 Jean Francois Ganevat "Pinot Noir Cuvée Julien"

Blend: 100% Pinot Noir

Vines: Planted partly in 1951 and 1977

0% Sulphur

I am such an easy target, when it comes to wines like this. As soon as that bright red fruit hits my nostrils I go into a happy dolphin mode. Here you have the finest and freshly picked raspberries, providing overall divine brightness and purity. There is also a small layer of dust. It's the same pattern I have seen with the wines from Fanny Sabre. It's very interesting as it gives better structure (almost like small grain particles) and prevents it from being too polished. Taste is pure, fine - yet there is also a wet soil element on the last meters, which takes it a little notch down in definition and quality, as I would have liked even more mineral bite.

Still - loved it and my overall favourite of these wines.

(2009 Jean Francois Ganevat "Pinot Noir Cuvée Julien")

2009 Jean Francois Ganevat "Poulsard Cuvée de L'enfant terrible"

Blend: 100% Poulsard

Vines: Planted in 1959

Completely different wine, when you have just tasted the Pinot Noir. When it comes to purity, I prefer the Pinot Noir. But that's like comparing apples with bananas, as the character of this grape is so different. You could say the Pinot is easier to understand, while this wine is a bit more intellectual. Having only tasted so few wines made from this Poulsard/ Ploussard grape - I would say it ranks as the best I have tasted.

First thing I would line out is that I prefer it rather cold. Tasting it around 15 degrees just makes it friskier. It's also a wine, which is in need of some air in order to loose some smoky components. In the glass you have a very light coloured wine - which to me always is a sense treat. The nose in rather interesting and there is so many things going on - like; wet forest, rusty iron, cranberries, cherries, leather, iodine, black olives, smoke and ashes. Taste is fresh, light in structure and with aromas of that wet forest and dried fruits. It's certainly not what I would call a mouth coating and lush wine. NO! - It rather rustic, but there is brilliant fresh curl around the tongue and the taste is rather intense, despite it's a fragile breed.

When I taste wine like this - I feel I have left a world of pumped opulent fruit with massive sweet oak appeal. Sure - I make such comparison sound simplified, revolting and beneficiary to my point. But what I want to state is that I feel this wine is like a time bubble. Time stands still here. It taste like wine made 1000 years ago. That's a good thing, as it's very honest and genuine wine.

So, I liked it a lot, but still find myself in a comparison with that red fruit I adore. This wine has some of it, but it's not all about shining red fruit. Without food - I prefer the Pinot Noir. I also prefer the Pinot Noir for laid back drinking. With food - I would go for this one, as you have so many options.

2007 Domaine de la Tournelle “Fleur de Savignin”

Blend: 100% Savignin

This wine was enjoyed with some guest we had over for dinner, so I didn’t write any notes. Right after the opening I was a bit concerned with it’s dominating smokiness and oxidized notes. There were even some cheese associations coming forward. However I learned to like the wine for two reasons. The smoky notes, takes a small back backward as it opens up and secondly it’s not the kind of smoke, you normally connect with white wines, which has seen too much oak and are dull on all parameters. No! – The wine is in fact rather slim and silky on the palate and with splendid mineral bite. So when returning to the nose, there is suddenly harmony. It’s not my favourite wine, but one should remember it’s a very fair price wine and that’s worth having in mind.

2008 Jean Francois Ganevat "Cuvée Orégane"

Blend: Chardonnay & Savignin

Served this wine with fried fresh salmon, dressing of yoghurt with nutmeg and on the side Pearl barley with broccoli, hazelnuts and cress. Worked great with the wine.

Again air is so giving to this type of wine. First I saw the typical note of melon, which is classic for Chardonnay. But I am not always happy about this note. Luckily it plays more than the guitar and the orchestra starts to give notes of; smoke, butter, yeast, yellow plums and hay. But really the best is the splendid freshness and purity of the wine. On the palate you can’t help to notice a small membrane of what texture wise feels like milk-skin and it’s giving the wine an elastic structure but also a delicate subtle mouth feel. Once again the mineral bite is constantly on the rise and with the texture frame it’s providing a solid anchoring of a fresh, sleek and delicious white wine. Yummy…really liked it.

With all wines; Glass: Zalto Burgundy

So – me like Jura – me wanna learn more….oh dear oh dear…it never ends, does it?