Château d’Arlay has a history as long as any of the grandest estates of Bordeaux. But this venerable property with its 17th century house and line of aristocratic owners stretching back to the Middle Ages isn’t in Bordeaux, it’s in the Jura, and its wines are deeply rooted in local winemaking traditions.
Alain de Laguiche is d'Arlay's current owner and a descendant of its founding family. A proponent of biodynamic farming, he has 25 hectares of ancient Jura varieties, planted across some of France’s oldest continuously-worked vineyards. From these he crafts a mesmerising array of wines unique to the Jura and, in some cases, to the estate itself.
Besides its celebrated varietal bottlings of Chardonnay, Savagnin and Pinot Noir, d'Arlay is known for its delicious pink-hued 'Corail' – a blend of all the region's varieties, red and white – as well as the labour-intensive, lusciously sweet Vin de Paille, made from dried grapes. The château's jewel, however, is its intense, nutty Vin Jaune, made in only the best vintages and aged under a veil of yeast for seven years.
After minimal fining and filtering, bottles are matured in the château’s cellars until Alain chooses to release them – often significantly later than other producers. Such is their fruit concentration and structure that they are exceptionally long-lived, a subtle oxidative complexity emerging with age.
These brilliant wines are the product of centuries of Jura tradition, and a dedicated, talented vigneron. Always compelling, they are a must-try for all Jura fans.
