Château-Chalon

Château-Chalon is a wonderful wine from the Jura region. Protected by an appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) since 1936, this world-renowned yellow wine is produced on approximately 60 hectares of steep vineyards.

It covers four municipalities in the Jura department: Château-Chalon, Domblans, Menetru-le-Vignoble, and Nevy-sur-Seille.

 It stands out for its richness and generosity, its beautiful golden color turning amber with age, and its exceptional aging potential. The production of this precious wine dates back to the Middle Ages and is now subject to rigorous monitoring and controls.

The village, ranked among the most beautiful in France, is the original birthplace of the famous Vin Jaune. Perched on the edge of a cliff, it overlooks the steep slopes of the vineyards and protects them from the north and east winds. The first grapevines were planted in the 7th century by Benedictine nuns from an abbey that no longer exists.

The greatness of Château-Chalon wines owes much to the nature of the soil in which the vines thrive, made up of Lias marl (the famous blue marl) mixed with stones from the cliff scree. The Château-Chalon vineyard covers 50 hectares and rests on deep blue Lias marl covered with limestone scree. The vines are often planted on steep slopes protected by limestone cliffs. The climate is semi-continental with distinct seasons and harsh winters.

Facing south/southwest, the slopes enjoy maximum sunshine, providing heat that is retained for long periods by this type of soil. The Château-Chalon appellation covers four communes (Nevy-sur-Seille, Ménétru-le-Vignoble, Domblans, and Château-Chalon) and produces around 35 hectoliters per hectare.

Château-Chalon wine is exclusively a yellow wine made from the Savagnin grape variety. The Château-Chalon appellation produces wines of excellence, very rich and powerful, golden in color, wines with a very long aging potential, up to several centuries. It is truly a high-quality vineyard where controls are even more numerous than for others. Since 1958, a Château-Chalon AOC control commission has visited the vineyards every year shortly before the harvest to check that the grapes have all the qualities required to produce a yellow wine worthy of its reputation.

The "King of wines and Wine of kings" is ready to be enjoyed. To the eye, it has a deep golden color that evolves into amber over the years. On the nose, it offers a distinct scent of walnuts, nuanced with almonds and hazelnuts, with a refreshing note of green apple. 

The palate is harmonious and generous, perfectly balanced with delicate aromas of spices [curry, tobacco, wheat] and dried fruits [hazelnuts] tempered by a mineral note, all enveloping the traditional nutty flavor of Jura wines. The attack is powerful and the experience leaves a beautiful fullness in the mouth. 

This magnificent wine, elegant and full of personality, stands out for its power. Rich and generous, it remains a dry and fairly lively wine, with a rather high alcohol content. It should be served at 14°C and left to breathe for a few hours before tasting. It pairs perfectly with white meats, cream or curry sauces, morel mushrooms, and fish with character [haddock, American-style lobster]. It seems naturally made to accompany Comté cheese. For dessert, it is perfect with a walnut and chocolate cake.

Château-Chalon white wine is ranked among the five best in the world. Remarkable for its organoleptic qualities, it is also notable for its vinification method. After fermentation, it is aged for a minimum of six years and three months, including five years in oak barrels. It undergoes neither racking nor topping up and remains in contact with the air. A veil of yeast forms to protect it and gives it its distinctive yellow wine taste. The bottle [clavelin] is 62 cl, because the "angel's share" of Château-Chalon [evaporation during vinification] is said to be 38 cl/l of grape juice. A wine of excellence and remarkable aging potential, it retains its qualities for decades, and sometimes longer.

One of its producers, Jean Macle, is particularly well known for his significant involvement in reviving wine growing in the Jura region and preserving these exceptional wines. He played a major role in setting up a harvest commission which, together with the INAO, analyzes each plot of the vineyard individually every year. Any health or acidity issues, or excessively high yields, result in the downgrading of all or part of the harvest, thereby guaranteeing the quality of the vintage.