Vin Jaune tasting

P

Peter Czyryca

Peter Czyryca
Thanks to Joe Perry for putting together a wonderful menu and having us into his home on a weeknight to dive into some Vin Jaune.

I discovered Vin Jaune in NYC when I approached Crush and asked for an interesting and hard to source white - they suggested a Vin Jaune.

To my taste, these wines are best with food - more so than other wines imo. That said, I wouldn't hesitate to drink any of them sans food, except the angry, angry Lornet.

The wines:

2005 Domaine de Montbourgeau L'Etoile
We started with this gem, courtesy of Michael Malinoski. Very fresh and clean. Yeah, I said clean. Reminds of an oily/unctuous Soave - maybe not the best comparison, given I haven't tasted much of either, but that's my impression . Really dig the floral, feminine aspect, remains elegant and light, something I definitely wouldn't say for the Vin Jaune to follow.

2000 Domaine de Montbourgeau L'Etoile Cuve Spciale
Chalk chalk chalk! So much darker in color than the 05 L'Etoile, and possessing much more complexity and weight. Very dry, despite having delicious nougat and caramel, especially on the long finish. Mouth coating and really sticks to the palate.

1998 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Vin Jaune
Compared longside the 1999, I thought this was more drinkable/approachable but the 1999 had more "stuffing" for long term. Struck me as rounded, with none of the angularity of some of the other Vin Jaunes. Softer, with minerals, green herbs and sexy spice.

1999 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Vin Jaune
More for the long haul than the 1998, but to my taste wasn't as approachable for current drinking. Reminiscent of creamy, buttery popcorn - but with a sharp spine of acidity that tingles the tongue. I know acidic and creamy seem at opposition, but the acidity keeps lashing the cream back upon the palate in waves. Not as elegant as the 1998, but more of a beast to be reckoned with.

1997 Chteau D'Arlay Ctes du Jura Vin Jaune
This was an oddball. Started with this mellow nose that later turned into a funkfest. Not sure if there was a flaw here that developed with aeration or if it just helped peel back the covers on the odor. Better on the palate, but I didn't spend too much time given the weirdness.

1999 Frdric Lornet Arbois Vin Jaune
I underlined white chocolate and I recall it being pretty intense in the bouquet. Despite the alluring nose, this wine seemed angry for being roused from slumber, unleashing laser beams of acidity. Enamel-scraper for sure. Tough to evaluate now, but I bet it lasts forever. The only wine that was really tough for me to drink now, despite the warnings that Vin Jaune must be 60 years old to drink.

1999 Marcel Cabelier Chteau-Chalon
I found this similar in style to the 1999 Puffeney, perhaps with a gentler edge. Settled down nicely, I found it the best match with the chicken liver ravioli.
 
Joe and Amy were fantastic, gracious hosts and Joe really cooked up some delicacies to show off these wines. What an enjoyable evening (and into the early hours of the morning!).

Our host actually supplied the 2005 L'Etoile. I was responsible for the 2000 and also for the d'Arlay (courtesy of Joe's Cellar Outlet Store).

While I understand that these are mere pups, I was really struck by the complexity of these wines (especially aromatically) and their length and cut on the palate. I don't really know what I was expecting, but my expectations were easily surpassed. Gotta get some old bottles to try next (isn't that always how this sickness progresses?).

-Michael
 
Tooth scraping anamel...an apt descriptor of my one run-in with a vin jaune.
Guess these already come oxidised so you forget about them in your cellar for decades until they come around to some semblance of wine.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
originally posted by Michael Malinoski:
Joe really cooked up some delicacies to show off these wines.
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Such as? Lots of lemon and walnut dishes?

What was the comte situation?
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24 mo. old Comte

Roasted Chestnuts were to follow, but the batch wasn't great.

Chicken Liver, Parsnip, Sage and Bacon Ravioli made with Chestnut flour and served with a Black Trumpet cream sauce. Jay Miller and I had a similar dish at Insieme and I have been trying to repeat it for the few months.

Coq au Vin Jaune with 3/4 a bottle of Ch. Bonnet and 1/4 bottle of the 2005 Montbourgeau acting as the Vin Jaune. Served with French Fingerling.

The dessert was really neat, supplied by TW; we had a Black Rice dish and Peanut Butter Meringue cookies.
 
Thanks for the notes, Peter!

I think the 1999 Puffeney had an electricity and more defined structure. I can only imagine that this will be the marathon aging wine from the evening.

The Lornet was more wild, lots of intense flavors. I dug it.

The Cabelier did really well against the other wines. I had never heard of this producer before, so when I bought a bottle to try in Canada, I was worried it would be like the Henri Maire Jura wines. It wasn't, so at $30-something Canadian, it's a great QPR. Of course, I drank almost all the bottles that I bought within a month.

The problem with the D'Arlay, in my opinion, was that it lacked the potency of the other wines, so the glycerin nuance was more present.

I could drink decanters of the 1998 Puffeney without batting an eye.

Both Montbourgeau were fantastic. It's a clean producer that makes affordable and approachable wines. The Cuve Spciale was closer to the Vin Jaune than the fresh normale cuvee, which is surprising given the Chardonnay content.

We ended the night with a bottle of 1997 Huet CdB 1er Trie, which was kindly after the no-nonsense Vin Jaune.

There was a decent amount of speculation about the drinkablity of these wines prior to the dinner. While needing food, I can't think of a current spread of wines that I would rather taste. I will also note that there wasn't a drop of wine left after the evening - not in a glass and not in a bottle.

Life is good.

Best,
Joe
 
originally posted by Joe_Perry:

24 mo. old Comte
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Aha, so you fell victim to the plague of snobbery and avoided the younger versions!

Roasted Chestnuts were to follow, but the batch wasn't great.
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A shame, that could be a nice pairing.

Coq au Vin Jaune with 3/4 a bottle of Ch. Bonnet and 1/4 bottle of the 2005 Montbourgeau acting as the Vin Jaune.
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Not a bad strategy.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
originally posted by Joe_Perry:
Coq au Vin Jaune with 3/4 a bottle of Ch. Bonnet and 1/4 bottle of the 2005 Montbourgeau acting as the Vin Jaune.
Click to expand...

Not a bad strategy.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

It was funny; I had a little panic and scooped out some of the Bonnet when I remembered that a bottle of Vin Jaune is smaller than a bottle of Bonnet/Montbourgeau.

Not that the 13cl matters, but it was a funny little panic in the kitchen when I was trying to make everything perfect.
 
originally posted by Joe_Perry:
I will also note that there wasn't a drop of wine left after the evening - not in a glass and not in a bottle.
Click to expand...

I mean we were gluttons, yes, but 8 bottles for 7 people ain't too bad. Especially since they they only give you like 62 out of the 75 cl. Scammers...
 
Considering they were supposed to be 'undrinkable disappointments'!

Yes, the Jura is full of Scammers.

I bet they are responsible for putting potato chips in the bag, too.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
originally posted by Joe_Perry:

24 mo. old Comte
Click to expand...

Aha, so you fell victim to the plague of snobbery and avoided the younger versions!

Not a bad strategy.
Click to expand...

That's all me - I didn't have time to breathe that week with work-related stuff, so the wife graciously picked up whatever they had.

So actually, it's all her. :)
 
originally posted by Michael Malinoski:
originally posted by Joe_Perry:
I will also note that there wasn't a drop of wine left after the evening - not in a glass and not in a bottle.
Click to expand...

I mean we were gluttons, yes, but 8 bottles for 7 people ain't too bad. Especially since they they only give you like 62 out of the 75 cl. Scammers...
Click to expand...

Speaking of, I yearn for the days of working from home.

It's nearing midnight in the Perry home, and new bottles are being OPENED. On a Thursday.

Goddamn if I didn't have to work on Friday - with a 7am wakeup call and an hour drive ahead of me.

What time did the Jeebus wrap?
 
We turned the hose on Malinoski at 12:30am

I had a tough 1pm wakeup call the next morning.
 
originally posted by Peter Czyryca:
originally posted by Rahsaan:

Aha, so you fell victim to the plague of snobbery and avoided the younger versions!

Not a bad strategy.
Click to expand...

So actually, it's all her. :)
Click to expand...

Don't apologize. I dug that snobbery cheese.
 
originally posted by Peter Czyryca:
Vin Jaune tasting.....

1999 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Vin Jaune
More for the long haul than the 1998, but to my taste wasn't as approachable for current drinking. Reminiscent of creamy, buttery popcorn - but with a sharp spine of acidity that tingles the tongue. I know acidic and creamy seem at opposition, but the acidity keeps lashing the cream back upon the palate in waves. Not as elegant as the 1998, but more of a beast to be reckoned with.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the notes. I'm serving this tonight, and, based on the notes, decided to open it up yesterday and recork, to give it a chance to stretch its legs. I didn't have any others around for context, and only took a small sip to get things going. It seemed pretty approachable to me. Puffeney's version strikes me as much more delicate than Tissot (from recollection). It was bright, clean, and refined but perhaps dominated by oxidative notes, not really showing the depth I think is in there. We'll see what tonight brings.
 
Cliff, I hope you enjoy the wine tonight. I have not finished typing up my notes from the whole tasting, but my final '99 Puffeney note will look a lot like this:

The bouquet on the '99 Puffeney seems to have less of the nutty overtones exhibited by the '98 and instead veers more toward exotic and complex notes of apricot pit, wet chalk dust, lemon/lime zest, black Necco wafer, browning canteloupe rind and old brass. It comes across as generally more concentrated than the '98, with a rich feel up front that turns more restrained through the mid-palate. The flavors are not quite as immediate as the '98, nor do they fan out the way they do with the '98. Instead, it only slowly unfolds and never really shows all it will have to offer in the future. Although it seems creamy, there is a decided tingly feel around the edges of the tongue throughout and there is soft but persistent acidity that is a constant companion. It is certainly more structured than its relatively open-knit older brother and it perhaps exhibits better overall balance. The finish is absolutely mouthwatering, though later in the evening it turns more dry. I preferred the '98's more giving nature, but this seems destined to be the longer-lived of the duo.

-Michael
 
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