The dried-mango and pineapple character is so delicious in this wine. It’s full-bodied and medium-sweet, with a pretty density and a fruity finish. Wonderful balance to this super Sauternes. This is a little in reserve now, with so much for the future.

Limited. The Arbois lieu-dit of En Chemenot lies just east of the village (Domaine des Cavarodes bottles a Poulsard from the same site). The soils are blue and grey marl on this north-facing hillside plot at 350 metres’ elevation. The Savagnin was planted in 2004, and the vineyard is managed using organic and biodynamic methods. Courbet is delighted with the quality coming from these vines (a portion of which is also used for the Côtes du Jura blend). The winemaking here is similar to the Côtes du Jura—hand harvest, natural yeasts, low sulphur, etc. This cuvée was vinified in cement egg tank (90%), with 10% in a one-year-old barrel. Croix likes the tension and minerality the egg brings to the density of this vineyard’s fruit. And tension is again the word. It’s a denser and more complex expression than the Côtes de Jura blend, with a powerful, compact palate bristling with energy. It treads a fine line between crystalline, stone-like minerality and layered generosity, with a textured mouthfeel pulled taut by vibrant freshness and a nip of phenolic bite. A strikingly pure wine of length and precision. Delightful.

Limited. This is our second allocation of En Beaumont, a highly regarded lieu-dit of Château-Chalon. The vineyard is farmed by Courbet himself and is currently in organic conversion. The Savagnin vines were planted in 1962, 1985 and 1991 and are rooted in gently sloping clay and limestone scree (60-80 cm deep) over blue and grey marl. Courbet believes the chalky soils of En Beaumont—carved from the dramatic cliffs that surround the village—respond best to barrel maturation, so this cuvée is raised in large oak for 12 months before a further six months in tank. Again, there is no sulphur addition until bottling. The wine is labelled Côtes du Jura as the Chateau-Chalon AOC is only for Vin Jaune. The 2022 En Beaumont is, as they might say in Burgundy, this year’s ‘queen of the cellar’. It’s an elegant and enchanting wine of limpid, stone-sculpted texture seasoned with a weave of chalk, savoury spice, citrus and stone fruit. It finishes gloriously long and dew-fresh, with a spun-out salt-flecked close. This is first-class winemaking from David Croix and Damien Courbet. At the table, this could work with anything that can be matched with great white Burgundy (even if it has its own unique persona). Again, it’s a wine that enjoys a decant at this early stage.