The colour is deep gold. On the nose pears, nuts and curry. In the mouth well-balanced and tasty. The savoury taste last for a long aftertaste.
This wine is reminiscent of a Fino Sherry. In fact, it is aged for four years under a layer of yeasts, called “voile” in French.
It is advised to open a Savagnin that has aged “sous voile” at least four hours before tasting. The bottle can then be enjoyed over multiple days. This is a wine that can age for many years and be left open for many days.
This exemplar is produced by Frutière Vinicole d’Arbois, one of the many cooperatives of the Jura region of France, both for wine and cheese production.
Although wineries managed by cooperatives often have a well-deserved bad reputation, in the case of Frutière Vinicole d’Arbois, the wines are praiseworthy.
During the two days I spent in Arbois and at the historic site of Saline Royal in Arc-de-Senans, I tasted a few wines of the region and all wines of Frutière Vinicole d’Arbois. I found the wines of Frutière Vinicole d’Arbois very well made and pleasant. On the one side, they certainly employ a good winemaker. On the other side, as the very nice lady attending the shop and pouring me the wine for tasting explained, nowadays the market is very selective. As a consequence, the cooperative has become more selective as well: if the delivered grapes are not of the expected quality, they are sent back to the grape grower. In the past, instead, “anything” would be accepted.
I tasted this bottle while staying at the hotel inside the UNESCO site of Saline Royal, where I did a picnic with my family. I finished the bottle during the next two days. I bought it at the shop just outside the site for 14.50 EUR. I enjoyed this wine very much.
Country: France
Region: Jura
Grapes: Savagnin
Type: White
Vintage: 2017
Producer: Frutière Vinicole d’Arbois
Price range: Medium (15-30 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 4/5