Amélie Guillot Arbois Chardonnay 'Vielles Vignes' 2023

In the Jura, some of the most rewarding winery visits demand determination. To get to the heart of Amélie Guillot’s micro-winery, you first have to reach the isolated village of Molamboz, and then navigate a ramshackle ruin, carefully picking your way through rooms strewn with historic debris. It’s worth the effort. Guillot’s wines are the sort of rare discovery we dream of - classically styled, old-vine specialities that remain little-known and undervalued. The only catch is that barely any makes it past the locals.

Amélie is from Burgundy, but in 1995 she purchased two hectares of old vines in Jura, surrounded by wooded hillsides and apple trees. She farms these biodynamically, fermenting her wines with wild yeasts and ageing them in old barrels. She has built up a cult-like following among those who value traditional, small-scale Jura wines.

Make it through the winery to taste and you soon see why. The reds, from local varieties Poulsard and Trousseau, are layered with red berry fruit and floral tones. The whites, from Savagnin and Chardonnay, are subtle and elegant, with a deep streak of minerality and an alpine freshness. In the best vintages, a few barrels of Savagnin are selected and aged for a minimum of six years to make Jura’s greatest speciality - the oxidative, nutty and complex Vin Jaune.