⁠Château-Chalon is the smallest of Jura's appellations but it is still hugely significant
because it is the birthplace of the Jura's most iconic wine style: Vin Jaune.
I am here to visit Domaine Macle, one of the most iconic producers of Château Chalon.
The estate is run by the fifth generation, Laurent Macle, and I am going
to learn more about the mysterious Vin Jaune today.
— Hi Laurent.
— Hello.
— I see that I have arrived at the perfect moment.
— Yes!
— I’ve come to learn all about Vin Jaune, and I know that
you are one of the Jura’s foremost experts.
I would love to taste your 2014 vintage if I can.
— No problem. My pleasure.
— So, these wines require 6 years' ageing?
— Yes, 6 years minimum.
— And the yeast layer stays all that time?
— it forms a layer on top of the wine
— okay
— and the level of wine diminishes over time.
After 6 years, the level is just 2 - 3cm above the opening and the yeast protects
the wine from air, from oxidation.
— Why a 6 year ageing period?
— It is dictated by the AOC regulations and, we find that, for the aromas to develop,
the nutty, mushroom type aromas of Vin Jaune, we need a long time.
— But at Macle, it is a little longer than 6 years...
— Yes. A bit longer, 7 years. After all, 7 is a perfect number.
— Your cellars are a little bit colder, right?
— Yes, they are entirely underground.
— So, in Château Chalon, there is only Savagnin planted, correct?
— Yes, exclusively Savagnin. 100%.
— And it’s planted on the hillsides that surround the village
— Yes, that’s right.
There are about 50 hectares.
— Those are some pretty steep slopes.
— Absolutely.
— They are mostly facing south?
— Yes, south and south-east.
— What makes Château Chalon such an exceptional terroir
for Savagnin and Vin Jaune?
— The marl; the famous blue marl.
This blue-tinted, flaky soil formation, but also the hills that rise up above the vineyards
and protect them from the northern winds.
It allows us to wait until the grapes have fully ripened.
And also, the hills have outcrops of limestone scree that bring a lovely salinity.
— Mhmm, that freshness that we find here.
So, you harvest, by hand I imagine, and then you carry out a fairly classic vinification?
— Yes, like a standard white wine.
We do the alcoholic fermentation, then we rack the wine, then the wine undergoes malolactic
fermentation, there’s another racking, and we get them ready for ageing.
I wait for the cellar to warm up a bit so that the yeast layer can form quickly.
I fill the barrels up completely and, after 3 or 4 months, there is a bit of headspace.
We don’t top up the barrels, so the levels drop and a film of yeast forms on the wine.
The barrels are never washed or disinfected so it is easy.
The yeast is already present
That’s why, after only three or four months, the yeast layer forms.
— So, it is easy to make Vin Jaune!
— Yes
— You make Vin Jaune, obviously, but you also have Côtes du Jura parcels, right?
— Yes, we have some Chardonnay
— Do you make any non oxydative wines?
— A little bit, but mainly we age our Chardonnay sous voile.
— It's a hallmark of Domaine Macle then?
— Yes, it isn't just Savagnin that develops a yeast layer.
Our whole cellar is teeming with yeast, so even the Chardonnay barrels will naturally
form a veil.
— How long is the ageing period for your Chardonnays and Tradition cuvées?
— Minimum three years to develop sufficiently intense aromas.
— Okay
— The estate was founded in 1850?
— Yes
— but at that time, it was a polyculture.
— Yes
— It really wasn’t until your father took over in the 1960s
that wine became the estate’s sole production.
Can you tell me a little about that?
— Absolutely.
My father stopped producing milk for comté cheese in the 1960s, to focus exclusively
on the vineyards.
My grandfather had 1.5 hectares of vines and my father grew the property to 10 hectares.
— What did your grandfather think of that?
— He wasn't happy.
Relations were complicated for about 10 days.
— But, in the end he must have been happy with the result?
— Absolutely.
He would give cellar tours to the clients.
He liked that!
— Already, during your father's time, you weren't using any pesticides or herbicides.
— No.
He didn't use any systemic fungicides or other chemicals.
— What did the neighbours think?
At that time, chemical sprays were pretty common practice.
— I used to get teased at school
— Oh yeah?
— They called us old fashioned...but, in fact, my father was right.
— You were trailblazers!
— Absolutely.
— You joined your father in the 1990s, right?
And since then, you certified your vineyards organic.
— Yes, it was in 2015.
We actually started in 2010 just to give it a try.
Then in 2015, we started the conversion, and our first certified vintage was 2019.
— Do you feel the wines have changed at all?
— The clients say that the wines have more saline flavours than before.
— That is really interesting.
We were really blown away by the tasting earlier.
It was an unforgettable experience.
Thank you so much for this lovely day.
Good luck for harvest and thanks again for the warm welcome.
Tchin!
Vin Jaune is prized for its unique, nutty, savoury flavours and impressive ageability.
Laurent poured wines dating back to an unforgettable 1979 Tradition cuvée.
Afterwards, we took an invigorating hike through his Puits-St-Pierre vineyards.
The site is a labour of love to maintain, but the pure, mineral expression of its
Savagnin is worth the effort.