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February Takes the Winophiles to the Jura
In February, our Winophiles are virtually visiting the Jura region, located east of Bourgogne in the foothills of the Jura mountains. Take a look further down in this post for a list of links to fellow Winophiles’ discoveries.

Unique Wines of the Jura
Nearly half of the vignerons in the Jura are growing their grapes organically or biodynamically, and the winemaking has remained traditional. Modern viticulture and winemaking techniques emphasizing control in the vineyard and winery never took root in the Jura. The technique that sets traditional Jura wines apart is the practice of long aging in old oak barrels without keeping the barrels topped up, non-oillé in French. Modern wine aging keeps the wine protected from oxygen by weekly topping up of barrels during aging. This protects the fresh fruit aromas and flavors prized by most wine drinkers. Traditional Jura wines allow the wine to oxidize which brings darker color and aromas/flavors of nuts, bruised apples. Some wines even develop a thin layer of flor , or “la voile”, similar to sherry. While the fresh aromas are reduced, the wine retains refreshing acidity. The traditional wines of the Jura are favorites of many wine enthusiasts, but the unusual flavors are lost on the general winedrinking public. Consequently, many vignerons have moved to a more modern style, so a little research might be needed to understand what you have before you open the bottle!

Caves Jean Bourdy – Traditional Jura Vigneron
Caves Jean Bourdy is one of the oldest winemaking families in the Jura. The family has been growing grapes and making wine since 1579, 15 generations! The domain is run today by brothers Jean-Phillipe and Jean-François and they have never strayed from the traditional Jura approach. In the vineyard, they never embraced use of synthetic chemicals in the vineyard and became Demeter certified biodynamic in 2010. In the winery, native yeasts are used for fermentation with aging between 36-48 months in old oak barrels, again without topping up the barrels during aging. No fining or filtration at bottling and minimal addition of SO2.

Disclosure: None needed, wines were purchased at retail.

Jean Bourdy Côtes du Jura Savagnin AOC 2018 ($39 locally)
Eye: Medium gold
Nose: Medium plus intensity aromas of overripe yellow apple, roasted hazelnuts, a touch of caramel
Mouth: Dry, high acidity, medium plus body, medium plus intensity flavors, medium alcohol, long finish. Flavors follow the nose with bruised yellow apple, roasted nuts and caramel.
Observations: Oxidized style, traditional for the Jura. If you are unfamiliar with this style of wine, approach it with an open mind. The aromas and flavors are very different, they are also intriguing with good complexity. Try the wine with food, you may be a convert!

Jean Bourdy Côtes du Jura Rouge AOC 2019 ($29 locally)
Eye: Pale ruby
Nose: Pronounced aromas of ripe strawberries, raspberries, earth, animal fur (in a nice way)
Mouth: Dry, medium plus acidity, medium minus smooth tannins, medium body, medium alcohol, medium plus flavor intensity, medium plus finish
Observations: A bit of earthy Brettanomyces aromas but under good control, lean body and texture with nice red fruits.

Comté – the Cheese of the Jura
Comté is a delicious alpine cheese that is made in the Jura and nearby regions. As an AOP product (protected designation of origin) it only comes from this area, is only made from milk of two specific breeds of cows, only in approved facilities. The intent is to ensure the continuation of the small farm artisanal product. As many French cheeses, it is made from unpasteurized milk. Though it is aged long enough to allow export to the US in unpasteurized form, the FDA makes that difficult. I don’t believe I’ve had an unpasteurized Comté in the US. Comté is made in very large wheels weighing over 80 lbs, so you’ll often see it cut in large flat slabs. AOP regulations require the cheese is aged at least 4 months, with typical aging times from 12-30 months. Younger cheeses have a more creamy/fruity flavor and smooth texture. Older cheeses take on a firmer, nuttier flavor with a drier texture. Comté melts well, so try using it to upgrade your next grilled cheese sandwich. We love it as the cheese topping our French onion soup. It’s great for snacking or cheese board duty, and you can do as we did and use it as part of a delicious sauce for Comté Chicken. Yum!

Comté Chicken with Jura Wines
Comté is one of our favorite cheeses, delicious on a cheese board and great in a variety of recipes. It makes an excellent grilled cheese sandwich. Feeling French? Try it in a Croque Monsieur. We enjoyed this easy recipe for Comté Chicken from Great British Chefs. Its an easy stovetop preparation with a cheesy sauce. The advice to enjoy it with a really good baguette is excellent!

The photos below are from a day hike we took in the Jura back in November 2019. It’s a dramatic area! Click on any photo to view as a full size slide show.

French Winophiles Share Their Jura Finds
Take a look below at the gems our Winophiles are sharing, you’re sure to find something to try. In March, look up the Winophiles at “Women Working in Wine Sustainably in France” with Wine Predator…Gwendolyn Alley

• Camilla at Culinary Cam shares “Lamb Sausage-Stuffed Ravioli + Domaine Rolet Arbois Vieilles Vignes Poulsard 2018“
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares “Crémant du Jura: A traditional yet different sort of bubbly“
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest shares “Change your 2023 Wine Routine, Reach for the Jura!“
• Jane at Always Ravenous shares “After Dinner Sips From the French Jura to Linger Over“
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator…Gwendolyn Alley shares “Enjoying Jura’s Wine and Cuisine: Biodynamic Champ Divin Crémant du Jura Brut Zéro + Seared Scallops“
• Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles shares “Crémant du Jura & Rösti – blurring the borders and blending French and Swiss culture“
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares “Caves Jean Bourdy and Comté Cheese: Jura Classics“

Additional Sources

• Prior posts here on Food Wine Click! Chicken Vin Jaune and Jura Beyond Vin Jaune
• Bourdy Wines information from Bourget Imports, our local distributor
• Very good overview of traditional Jura wines
• Excellent website for Comté cheese with info and recipes

Local Sources
If you live in Minneapolis / St. Paul, here are the local sources for the ingredients of this post:

• Organic boneless skinless chicken thighs, responsibly raised at Braucher’s Sunshine Harvest Farm, purchased at Mill City Farmers Market
• Jean Bourdy Wines purchased at South Lyndale Liquors. Local wine shops: are you listening? Make your inventory available online!