Domaine de Montbourgeau - Étoile Vin de Paille 2014 (liquoreux)

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

Nicole Deriaux has a soft spot for Chardonnay, preferably typical, which accounts for almost 70% of her vineyard (10 hectares in total in the Étoile appellation, including 2 hectares of Savagnin). His family has been at the helm of the estate since 1920, and has now been at the helm for over 25 years, assisted by his sons César and Baptiste. All her wines celebrate the Jura in the most beautiful and delicate of ways, with saline expressions, subtle takes on the veil, and soon an interesting wilted Chardonnay (2017 vintage). 2019 should mark the turning point in the conversion to organic farming. Montbourgeau shines at the summit of the Étoile.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

The Guides come and go... and the love affair with this house's straw wine continues year after year: the third in a row, to mention only the most recent! Berries harvested in September and delicately pressed on the shortest days of the year for the most beautiful of Christmas gifts. The magic of an old gold color is matched by a captivating nose of dried apricot and graphite. Majestic, full-bodied and dense, the palate is underpinned by superb acidity: sweetness and freshness are one and the same, with aromas of dried fruit, hazelnut and smoky notes stretching into infinite length. There's great strength in this wine for the most avowed of pleasures.

About the domain :

In 1920, Nicole Deriaux's grandfather Victor Gros settled in Montbourgeau. His father, Jean Gros, consolidated the estate's reputation. Next to the 11 ha of vines is a bucolic setting, bordered by an avenue of lime trees leading to the winery that surrounds the family home. A benchmark estate in the L'étoile appellation.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

I tasted this Vin de Paille L'Étoile 2014 the day before bottling. It's a blend of Chardonnay with 20% Savagnin and as much Poulsard that was harvested early enough to select the bunches that are the least compact and the healthiest to let them dry for 6 weeks and reach a potential alcohol level of 19%. However, in 2014, the potential alcohol level was 23% - the wine ferments to 14% alcohol and there are around 120g of residual sugars left - making for a powerful vintage of this precious liquoreux. It has a touch of volatility on the nose with nutty aromas, and a lovely balance: it doesn't seem so sweet. The flavors are clean and all the ingredients are there for good bottle ageing. It seems stable, and this type of aged wine evolves very slowly, so I'm optimistic that what I tasted will be similar to what we'll find in bottle. Vin de Paille de Montbourgeau is one of the most elegant wines in the Jura.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

A magnificent example of straw wine, this admirable 2014 is juicy and salivating, rich yet taut. Its highly digestible sugars line the palate without any heaviness, in a range of flavors dominated by barley sugar. A true model of passerillage.

About the domain :

Still too little known, the Étoile appellation can give rise to expressions of great finesse, provided the producer shows tact and sensitivity. Nicole Deriaux, aided by her son César, undoubtedly possesses these qualities. We particularly appreciate the domaine's style, with no frills or gimmicks, offering straightforward, intense wines in the best Jura tradition. The estate's cuvées achieve superb expressivity; the Cuvée Spéciale, a Chardonnay aged for a long time under veil, and the Vin Jaune are the most consistent in excellence. The new Cuvée Montangis appears to be of the same calibre. This careful, unobtrusive work deserves more recognition and the full attention of Jura aficionados. The first star is firmly in our sights.