It’s one of France’s most distinctive and intellectually compelling wine regions. While small in scale, the wines of the Jura have seriously made their mark the world over, you’d go at far to say reaching cult status. To help us delve into what makes the Jura so special, we hit up Ashleigh Barrowman. Having worked for two top producers in the region, and now producing her own beautiful wines now in Marlborough, she notes that “you can never mimic another terroir but I've certainly taken some of their winemaking practices back home with me”.
Tucked between Burgundy and Switzerland along the foothills of the Jura Mountains, the climate is broadly continental, but with a mountain influence it’s cooler, wetter, and more variable than Burgundy to the west. Growers must work carefully and hard in the vineyard, and Ash emphasises their focus on quality -
“There’s a minimum planting density (approximately 5,500 per hectare) and a maximum cap on yields per hectare to ensure quality over quantity. The total region also has a restriction on how many hectares can be planted, resulting in a landscape that supports other industries including pasture for dairy - unlike Marlborough where there are vines as far as the eyes can see”.
The marginal growing environment slows ripening, helping preserve acidity and aromatic precision. The wines carry a vivid freshness and a certain tensile energy.
The soils are also notable, “rich in limestone and marl, and in fossils! The best activity during the season was hunting down shells fully intact from 100-200 million years ago. This soil profile also contributes to the high acidity of the wines - a quality I absolutely adore and constantly look for in my own wine”.
The grape varieties are a further point of difference. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are grown here but tend toward more restrained, mineral expressions than their Burgundian counterparts. The region's identity however, rests on its indigenous grapes: Savagnin, Poulsard (also known as Ploussard), and Trousseau. Savagnin is the cornerstone of the region’s most iconic wines, while Poulsard and Trousseau produce pale, aromatic reds that defy expectations of colour and weight.
There’s also a unique approach to winemaking, and in particular the role of oxygen. Where most producers seek to exclude it, in the Jura they allow for the careful introduction of it in their white wines. The region’s most famous style, Vin Jaune (“yellow wine”), is made from Savagnin and aged in barrels for over six years without topping up. During this time, a veil of yeast (similar to flor in Sherry) forms on the surface, protecting the wine while allowing controlled oxidation. The result is a powerful, complex wine with notes of walnut, curry spice, preserved citrus, and a distinctive savoury tang. It is one of the most singular wine styles in the world.
Alongside Vin Jaune, the Jura produces Vin de Voile (also aged under a yeast veil, but typically for shorter periods) and ouillé wines, where barrels are topped up to prevent oxidation - yielding fresher, more fruit-driven expressions of Chardonnay and Savagnin. There is also Vin de Paille, a sweet wine made from dried grapes, and Crémant du Jura, a sparkling wine that has become increasingly important.
Ash has so successfully applied what she learnt to her own Wrekin Vineyard-grown wines here at home -
“With the whites I look for high acidity and make a lot of picking decisions around acid. I'm also a big fan of using oxygen instead of trying to protect the wine from it. I'm not too fussy when it comes to topping up my white barrels post ferment and try to age my wines in barrels for a long time before adding any preservative. I also like to battonage the wine when in barrel to introduce more oxygen. The resulting wines are savoury, textural, complex and made up of tertiary aromas and flavours.
The Jura makes some of the prettiest and lightest red wines I have ever drunk - they are easy drinking yet thoughtful and full of gentle structure. Red wine is often drunk first, followed by white wine whereas elsewhere the practice is the inverse. I've taken this on board when making Pinot Noir. I don't do any punch downs to avoid heavy extraction of tannins and colour. I enjoy making and drinking wines which are light and bright.”
The Jura’s unique combination of climate, soil, indigenous grape varieties would all be nothing without people - “they are true vignerons - growing their grapes and making their wine. And a lot of the vines are farmed organically. It has become a home to natural wine due to the mentality of the farmers here, with focus on the health of the soil first and foremost. They are also some of the most humble vignerons I have met.”
Top Producers To Try
Domaine Labet
Domaine des Marnes Blanches
Maison Maenad
