Berthet-Bondet - Côtes du Jura Tradition 2022

The estate overlooks all 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 ensures the smooth operation of the 15-hectare estate. Certified organic since 2013, the wines are among the vineyard’s greatest successes, particularly the “vins de voile,” the estate’s signature specialty. The yellow wines (4.5 hectares in Château-Chalon) are aged in magnificent vaulted cellars.

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

The 2022 Tradition cuvée (Chardonnay and Savagnin aged for two years in barrels without topping up) can be characterized by its elegant subtlety. Very refined, slender, almost sharp, with no trace of the vintage’s sunny character, it offers flavors of green walnut, candied lemon, and fresh flour, unfolding in a distinguished yet not particularly full-bodied palate.

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 of the wines continues to evolve toward greater fruit expression and purity. New cuvées and labels for wines made with added wine have been thoughtfully redefined, although 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.