Berthet-Bondet - Château-Chalon Vin Jaune 2017

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

The estate overlooks the entire town of Château-Chalon, perched on a rocky outcrop at an elevation of 450 meters. Jean has passed the torch to his daughter Hélène, who returned to take over the business after a career as a translator in Brussels, and now oversees the smooth operation of the 15-hectare vineyard. Certified organic since 2013, the wines are among the vineyard’s greatest successes, particularly the voile wines, the estate’s signature specialty. The yellow wines (4.5 hectares in Château-Chalon) are aged in magnificent vaulted cellars.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

Beautiful green highlights accentuate a golden hue. Full-bodied and inviting, the nose takes its time to reveal itself. It unfolds very gradually, leading us slowly but surely down the secret path of Vin Jaune with its aromas of nuts and spices. Full of nuance, the palate follows the nose in a straight line, with (measured) power, (assured) balance, and (endless) length.

About the estate:

The estate was founded in 1985 by Jean Berthet-Bondet, a former mayor of Château-Chalon and an agricultural engineer, as is his wife. Cultivated according to organic farming standards, the 13 hectares of vineyards and vaulted cellars have been managed by their daughter Hélène since 2018.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

The 2017 Château Chalon comes from the first year of a recent pattern of frosts that now occur every two or three years (2019, 2021, 2024), a departure from the past, when they occurred only once every 30 years. Following the frost, the rest of the season was magnificent and perfect (unlike in other frost years). The wine has a sharp, incisive nose, with notes of peat, iodine, nuts, and morels. It has piercing, very intense, long, savory, and complex flavors, even for such a young wine. It has an alcohol content of 15.5%. This must be one of Château Chalon’s best vintages. They produced 10,000 bottles of this fantastic wine. I also tasted a bottle from 1997, which was magnificent. I think the 2017 will be superb with age.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

In 2017, Château-Chalon beautifully combines power and finesse. A deep, full-bodied, expressive nose, punctuated by notes of peat and fresh leather; a beautifully concentrated palate, balanced by a refreshing, inspired freshness; and what a finish! A true work of art…

About the estate:

Chantal and Jean Berthet-Bondet, both agricultural engineers, left the city in 1985 to establish this 11-hectare estate, located equally within the Château-Chalon and Côtes du Jura appellations, and certified organic since 2013. Hélène, Jean’s daughter, is now at the helm. The quality is evolving toward greater expression and purity of the fruit. New vintages and labels for fortified wines have been cleverly reimagined, though the wines aged under a veil remain the estate’s undisputed stars, with a Château-Chalon that serves as a model for the prestigious appellation.

Vinous

About the wine:

Bottled just a week before my visit, the 2017 Château-Chalon won me over in an instant. It immediately catches the eye, offering an expressive and precise bouquet of chamomile, dried grass, bread dough, and white almonds. On the palate, this multidimensional wine unfolds in every direction, dazzling with its remarkable sense of harmony despite its power and substance. Readers will note that due to severe spring frosts, the estate did not produce any Savagnin Côte du Jura in 2017—whatever remained was blended into the Château-Chalon.