2022 Croix & Courbet Côtes du Jura En Beaumont Savagnin Ouillé, Jura

Croix & Courbet is a tiny Jura estate founded by winemakers Cécile Masson and Xavier Gros, a couple who left careers in Burgundy to focus on old vine Savagnin and Chardonnay in the limestone hills of Rotalier. Farming is organic and hands on, with deep respect for the fragile marl and limestone soils that define the southern Jura. En Beaumont is a specific hillside parcel planted to Savagnin, rooted in blue and grey marl that gives the wine its tension and salty edge. The philosophy is purity and place, letting the vineyard speak without oxidative handling.

This Savagnin is made in the ouillé style, meaning the barrels are topped up regularly to prevent flor development, preserving freshness rather than embracing the traditional nutty oxidative character. Fermentation is natural and élevage is patient, building texture and depth while keeping the wine crystalline and precise. The aim is clarity and structure, a Savagnin that feels alpine and mineral rather than broad.

Pale gold in colour, the aromas open with lemon peel, green apple and white peach layered with almond, fennel and crushed stone. The palate is medium bodied and tightly coiled, with citrus and orchard fruit wrapped in bright acidity and a chalky, saline texture. Flavours stretch into a long, mineral finish that feels cool and linear with a subtle savoury undertone.

It pairs beautifully with Comté, roast chicken, creamy mushroom dishes and alpine cuisine. Already compelling for its tension and detail, it will cellar confidently for ten to fifteen years, gaining nutty and smoky nuance while retaining freshness.