Savagnin
Savagnin is grown primarily in the Jura, where it is used to produce Vin Jaune and Vin de Paille. It is also found sporadically in Alsace, Germany and Austria. Gewurztraminer is in fact considered a pink-skinned mutation of Savagnin. The variety can also be found in Crémant du Jura blends.
A late-ripening variety, Savagnin thrives on the marl soils of the Revermont and favours well-ventilated sites. It is a demanding variety, susceptible to powdery mildew and prone to irregular yields, requiring careful attention both in the vineyard and the winery. Savagnin is, however, one of the few grape varieties capable of ageing under a veil of yeast for several years without losing its freshness, making it the cornerstone of the Jura’s great Vins Jaunes.
Highly aromatic, even exuberant in the best sense of the word, Savagnin offers impressive complexity, with characteristic aromas of flowers, honey and apple alongside an appealing minerality that can take on distinctive flintstone nuances. Oxidative ageing can also bring notes of sweet spice, curry, walnut and cheese rind. These wines age exceptionally well and, in the case of Vin Jaune, can seem almost immortal. A well-cellared bottle can evolve over many decades without losing its tension or aromatic intensity.
Several Jura estates produce outstanding expressions of Savagnin, including Ganevat, Domaine des Miroirs, Jean-Marc Brignot and Domaine Labet.
