Domaine Labet
Les Singuliers Chardonnay Savagnin
Côtes du Jura, Jura, France
This wine is a treasure. A sensory intersection where tradition meets innovation and the result is superbly delicious.
It’s the 2018 Domaine Labet 2018 “vin de voile” expression of Chardonnay blended with a portion of Savagnin.
The blend bears hallmark notes of oxidative winemaking from the Jura, aging for years under the voile (flor) in used barrels, with added lift and precision thanks to the bright, crisp Chardonnay characteristics.
In the glass, it wears a golden robe, and sings a chorus of dried tangerine peel, chamomile tea, meyer lemon, fennel, green apple saltwater taffy, roasted hazelnut, bruised yellow apple, ripe cantaloupe, cider, cinnamon, honey, raw sourdough, and crushed wet stone notes.
On the palate, the mouthfeel is textured and viscous with high alcohol and concentrated flavors consistent with the nose, paving the way for a lingering saline finish, rounded out by dried quince.
This wine is layered, complex, and speaks to elements of a regional classic – the “Vin Jaune”
A “Vin Jaune” is made by fermenting Savagnin to dryness and then aging the wine in barrels with ullage (headspace, introducing oxygen), where a thin layer of yeast develops called “le voile” (the veil) under which the wine matures for a minimum of 5 years during a 6 year minimum aging in barrel…
While this isn’t a full-blown “Vin Jaune” it certainly resembles that distinctive style unique to the Jura, moderated by Labet’s winemaking choices that make this wine so versatile—ready to love now and worthy of cellaring.
This wine is a treasure. A sensory intersection where tradition meets innovation and the result is superbly delicious.
It’s the 2018 Domaine Labet 2018 “vin de voile” expression of Chardonnay blended with a portion of Savagnin.
The blend bears hallmark notes of oxidative winemaking from the Jura, aging for years under the voile (flor) in used barrels, with added lift and precision thanks to the bright, crisp Chardonnay characteristics.
In the glass, it wears a golden robe, and sings a chorus of dried tangerine peel, chamomile tea, meyer lemon, fennel, green apple saltwater taffy, roasted hazelnut, bruised yellow apple, ripe cantaloupe, cider, cinnamon, honey, raw sourdough, and crushed wet stone notes.
On the palate, the mouthfeel is textured and viscous with high alcohol and concentrated flavors consistent with the nose, paving the way for a lingering saline finish, rounded out by dried quince.
This wine is layered, complex, and speaks to elements of a regional classic – the “Vin Jaune”
A “Vin Jaune” is made by fermenting Savagnin to dryness and then aging the wine in barrels with ullage (headspace, introducing oxygen), where a thin layer of yeast develops called “le voile” (the veil) under which the wine matures for a minimum of 5 years during a 6 year minimum aging in barrel…
While this isn’t a full-blown “Vin Jaune” it certainly resembles that distinctive style unique to the Jura, moderated by Labet’s winemaking choices that make this wine so versatile—ready to love now and worthy of cellaring.