Domaine Jean Macle - Château Chalon Vin Jaune 2011

The 2011 Château Chalon, which was about to be bottled when I tasted it, has a subtle and elegant character with notes of smoke, flint, and whiskey. 2011 was a cool year with fine weather during the harvest, yielding healthy grapes and a good crop that produced both quality and quantity. Macle compared it to 2008, a year with good acidity, but 2011 is probably a bit rounder. The wine is well-balanced and mineral. A second barrel had a stronger yeast character, with more bread-dough aromas, a hint of peat, and a slightly more powerful palate. This should make for a great bottle of Château Chalon; it’s quite classic and has a long life ahead of it in the bottle. There are 8,000 bottles, bottled in two different batches.

This Château-Chalon is distinguished by its impressive density, lingering finish, and good structure.

A leading figure in the Jura wine region, Jean Macle passed away this winter. Tasting a Château-Chalon from the estate that bears his name is, now more than ever, a particularly intense experience. A true “yellow” wine—straightforward, crisp, harmonious, and easy to drink—whose complexity stems not only from aging under a yeast veil. Now in the hands of Laurent Macle, this estate maintains such consistency and identity across vintages that it commands universal respect. Founded in 1850, it owns some of the steepest terroirs in the appellation, with slopes reaching up to 50 percent. The decision to plant vines on land where, at one time, no one dared to venture underscores the determination and passion of this winemaking family, which has become an integral part of the Château-Chalon vineyard.