# Côtes du Jura Chardonnay "de la Reculée" (2023)

- **Producer:** Domaine Pignier
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Chardonnay
- **Region:** Jura, France
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 13.0%
- **Average price:** €32
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 11–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** apple, lemon, peach, stone fruit, pastry, cedar, cream, toast

## About this wine

Domaine Pignier is an iconic Jura estate with historical roots extending to the 13th century when Carthusian monks cultivated vines and established underground Gothic cellars in Montaigu. Purchased by the Pignier family in 1794, the estate is now managed by the eighth generation: siblings Jean-Étienne, Antoine, and Marie-Florence Pignier. Located in the steephead blind valley of the Reculée du Val de Vallière, the vineyards feature rare ancient massal selections of Melon à Queue Rouge grown on fossil-rich blue and black micaceous Liassic marls.

## Interesting facts

- Cellars were originally carved out by Carthusian monks in the 13th century.
- Made from Melon à Queue Rouge, an ancient red-stemmed clone of Chardonnay native to Jura.
- Bottled on a lunar flower day with fire-branded natural corks.
- Only 7,300 bottles were produced for the 2023 vintage.

## Food pairing

The wine's mid-palate volume and crystalline acidity allow it to slice through rich cream sauces and butter-laden dishes while matching the earthy complexity of wild mushrooms and aged mountain cheeses like Comté without overpowering delicate seafood.

## Wine making process

Grapes are harvested manually in small crates and undergo a gentle, whole-bunch slow pressing. Fermentation occurs spontaneously using indigenous yeasts in 228-liter French oak barrels without debourbage or chaptalization. The wine is aged on full lees for 12 to 18 months using the topped-up (ouillé) method to preserve fresh floral purity without oxidative aging. Bottled without fining or filtration on a lunar flower day with low added sulfur.