Croix & Courbet Arbois En Chemenot Savagnin Ouillé 2022

Limited. The Arbois lieu-dit of En Chemenot lies just east of the village (Domaine des Cavarodes bottles a Poulsard from the same site). The soils are blue and grey marl on this north-facing hillside plot at 350 metres’ elevation. The Savagnin was planted in 2004, and the vineyard is managed using organic and biodynamic methods. Courbet is delighted with the quality coming from these vines (a portion of which is also used for the Côtes du Jura blend).

The winemaking here is similar to the Côtes du Jura—hand harvest, natural yeasts, low sulphur, etc. This cuvée was vinified in cement egg tank (90%), with 10% in a one-year-old barrel. Croix likes the tension and minerality the egg brings to the density of this vineyard’s fruit. And tension is again the word. It’s a denser and more complex expression than the Côtes de Jura blend, with a powerful, compact palate bristling with energy. It treads a fine line between crystalline, stone-like minerality and layered generosity, with a textured mouthfeel pulled taut by vibrant freshness and a nip of phenolic bite. A strikingly pure wine of length and precision. Delightful.