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Special dessert wine from the French wine-growing region of Jura. It is produced there in the four appellations of Arbois, Château-Chalon (considered the best), Côtes du Jura and L'Etoile. The production share is only around three per cent of the total Jura volume. French chemist Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), who was born in this region, was fascinated by the phenomenon of vin jaune. He investigated the complex processes of fermentation on site and made groundbreaking discoveries about the effect of the previously unknown bacteria. The name means "yellow wine"; it is also known as France's "answer to sherry". In contrast to sherry, however, there is no spriting (addition of alcohol).

Vin Jaune is made from a single variety of Savagnin Blanc (Traminer). After months of fermentation, it must mature for at least six years in oak barrels and may only be marketed six years and three months after the grape harvest at the earliest. Every year on the first weekend in February, the "Percée du Vin Jaune" (Percée = opening), the latest vintage is officially released as part of an event. The barrels are not filled to the top and the relatively large natural shrinkage of 20% to 40% caused by years of storage must not be topped up.

Vin Jaune - Flasche mit Hartkäse und drei Flaschen

The oxidative processes cause a grey bloom, a layer of special yeasts, to form on the surface. This gives the wine its characteristic nutty flavour, similar to a Spanish fino sherry. The layer of yeast absorbs the oxygen and only allows very slow oxidation. The wine is bottled in a special 62 cl bottle called Clavelin. The contents of the bottle roughly correspond to the loss of liquid over six years: one litre of base wine yields 0.62 litres of Vin Jaune. The best qualities can be stored for a hundred years or more. Well-known producers are listed in the appellations.

Further information

For the production of alcoholic beverages, see Champagne (sparkling wines), Distillation (distillates), Spirits (types), Winemaking (wines and wine types) and Wine law (wine law issues).

Royal Vin Jaune: By User:Arnaud 25 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

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