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Savagnin, Poulsard and Trousseau are unfamiliar words to most wine connoisseurs. They are actually all names of grapes, rarely seen outside the region but which make highly original wines most normally consumed in the region. Seeing that Jura itself is located only about an hour from Beaune, and Arbois only fifteen minutes past that, it makes one think that the wines would be more well known internationally than they are. Pre-phylloxera, the vineyards totaled 46,000 acres: today, it is one tenth that. Instead of wine, Arbois is primarily known as the childhood home of Louis Pasteur, whose experiments with the local wines eventually led to the sterilization process that bears his name. So what makes these odd wines so original? To begin, let's talk about the soil and microclimate. The soil, mostly Triassic or Liassic in origin, is rich in clay often overlaid with limestone. The climate is one of extremes, often harsh in the winter and relatively hot in the summer with sunny days extending into the Autumn. The grapes are normally grown fairly high off the ground, to protect them from the damp ground. The five major grapes of Jura are Poulsard, Trousseau, Savagnin, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Since we all know about the last two, let's find out about the others. The Poulsard is also grown a bit in Bugey and occasionally used in the sparkling wines of Cerdon. The large, oval grapes have very light skin, and are normally vinified traditionally. However, even after a 15-day fermentation, the wines arrive with the color of a deep rosé. They are usually low in tannin, and have light red fruit and game notes. They are often served with a light chill, most usually with cold cuts or roast chicken. Trousseau is richer in color and tannin, and is the major grape in Jura's red wines. Some scholars think its origin might be Portuguese. It can be compared in weight to Pinot Noir from the Còtes de Beaune, and makes a good match for red meats, roast pork or cheeses such as comté or gruyère. Savagnin is perhaps the noble grape of Jura, used to create the famous Vin Jaune as well as complex and long-lived white wines. Some say it is related to Traminer from the Alto Adige. Vin Jaune is aged in 228-liter oak casks, and is neither racked nor topped up for a minimum of six years and three months. During this time a voile or veil of yeast forms -- much like the flor of jerez or sherry. The wine is eventually bottled in 620 ml bottles (as approximately 380 ml of liquid are lost over the course of six-plus years). Domaine Ligier was created by Jean-Pierre Ligier in 1986 after separating himself from the Cave Coopérative. Today he is assisted by his son Hervé. The domaine comprises 10 hectares (24.7 acres) in six different vineyard sites. Much work is spent in the vineyard; certain types of pruning are used to limit yields, green harvests are performed if necessary. Chemical treatments are kept to a minimum, and efforts are made to create a living, healthy topsoil. Fourteen different wines are made at the property, in addition to a marc (the local grappa) and macvin (the local pineau des charentes, made with a blend of unfermented grape juice and marc).
These wines are some of the most peculiar in France, if not the world. If you are looking for fruit bombs or internationally-styled wines, do not look here. If, however, you're looking for wines that typify a place and wonderfully exhibit the variance, the uniqueness, and the terroir of a richly historical region, Jura is a wonderful place to start! Poulsard 2003: These vines range in age from a dozen to fifty-years-old. They are grown on sloped limestone soils, Trousseau 2003: Grown on clay and limestone soil, from 15-year-old vineyards that face east. The hand-harvested fruit is fermented in stainless steel and then aged in oak for a maximum of six months. It is bottled after a year of élevage. It has a deep ruby color (by Jura standards anyway!), from which strawberry and raspberry notes emerge. A light woodsy note gives this wine complexity. A pleasing alternative to Bourgogne Rouge.
Crémant de Jura: This lovely sparkling wine is made with 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. Fermentation (including malolactic) takes place in stainless steel tanks, the secondary fermentation takes place in bottle. It lays down sur lattes for a minimum of 18 months. It shows bright citrus fruits with a delicate touch of yeastiness.
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When I first started importing wine, many customers felt the wines from southwestern France were obscure. Not many people had heard of Madiran, Jurançon or Marcillac. But now, almost a decade later, these wines seem almost mainstream, the grape Tannat doesn't have to be explained anymore, most people have heard of Negrette, and I have renewed faith that Jurançon will one day be the new Sancerre. The wines of Jura, on the other hand, still seem eclectic, if not downright bizarre. 
with some chalk veins running throughout. The grapes are harvested by hand, completely destemmed, and aged in stainless steel for twelve months. Its light ruby color emits red fruit notes, along with woodsy and gamey notes. Medium-bodied and with light tannins. 
Mille et une Nuits 2000: These fifteen-year-old vines are grown on sloped vineyards facing east. Harvest is manual, and the fruit goes to the winery in small boxes. Fermentation including malolactic takes place in stainless steel. Afterwards, the wine spends three years (hence one thousand and one nights) in oak barrels where it rests under a yeast veil. Here it picks up complex notes of almond and hazelnut, adding to its already rich bouquet of creamy citrus and spice flavors.