Daniel Dugois Cremant du Jura Blanc
Daniel Dugois Cremant du Jura Rose
2009 Hughes Beguet Champ Fort Ploussard
2013 Hughes Beguet So True Trousseau
2013 Les Dolomies Les Combes
2013 Les Dolomies Les Boutonniers
2013 Les Dolomies En Novelin
2012 Hughes Beguet Tres Ordinaire Blanc
1973 Chateau Chalon Vin Jaune
Daniel Dugois Vin de Paille
Daniel Dugois Cremant du Jura Blanc – This had a searing nose almost painful, with lots of spices and lemon sherbet. Very acidic yet supple in the mouth, tart, grapefruit, has an interesting flavour profile where it seems to gain momentum as it moves through your mouth. It was a Chardonnay/Trousseau blend (majority Chardonnay which no doubt gives it it’s weight). Has a real sense of clean about it with a good length. Would make a really good aperitif as it certainly gets the juices flowing.
Daniel Dugois Cremant du Jura Rose – Bubblegum, strawberry, rose water, floral notes. Nice and soft, with the acidity taking a back seat, some earthiness which adds interest. This is fuller on the palate with more fleshy characteristics over the Blanc. This is 100% Trousseau and it’s almost like a watered down version of the red (in a good way). Light and enjoyable.
2009 Hughes Beguet Champ Fort Ploussard – This was a browny red with orange bricking, lovely sweet aromas of strawberry, cherry, green notes. Definitely puts me in the mind stylistically of Red Burgundy, fat acid with a chewy structure, with spices and sour cherry, white pepper. Definitely at the medium bodied end of the spectrum, so not in your face, softens with air and moves towards a nice champignon mushroom aromas.
2013 Hughes Beguet So True Trousseau – I did a double take when I saw the alc at 11% which is an exception to the rule nowadays. Meaty and earthy nose, dark cherry with some astringency. It’s has a foot in both camps being medium bodied with heavy tannins, making it almost mouth puckering in conjunction with its acidity. No chaptalisation here I’m certain. Needs food.
2013 Les Dolomies En Novelin – This was almost silver in colour when pouring, quite grapefruity on the nose, salty, spicy, lemon with a real purity of fruit. It almost buzzes across the palate, very linear and precise almost laser like. Really good persistence with some oak and popcorn making an appearance as it warms up. Good luck getting any of this, rare as hens teeth in Oz, if you see it in a wine bar or restaurant wine list do yourself a favour and try it. Great juice.
2013 Les Dolomies Les Boutonniers – Salty, grapefruit, tight and pristine. Hint of rockmelon and some nuttiness (which adds to the interest and complexiy), once again very linear with a bit more weight on the palate. It is almost like it has tannin like characteristics. On the palate it has lemon cordial, sherbet and a real mineral element.
2013 Les Dolomies Les Combes – A sweeter nose than the other two, with what appears to be a bit more oak treatment. So it comes across as full and a touch flabby in comparison to the previous two. I think it needs more time to integrate so can appear a bit unbalanced at this stage of its life. Maybe throw it in the decanter for an hour or so before drinking, great point of difference to the others and how the terroir can affect it.
2012 Hughes Beguet Tres Ordinaire Blanc – Strange name, a bit oxidative and moving to the more traditional style Jura wine. Lemon, tropical fruits, walnuts and oak/butter with a nice acidity keeping it in check. Nice weight and body and a match made in heaven with the Comte Cheese we had with it. Good length which finishes nicely with some caramel coming out.
1973 Chateau Chalon Vin Jaune – Very oxidative, very integrated and soft on the palate, apple cider and a hint of rubber with some honey notes rounding it off. Very tart and salty with a splash of ginger. It is such a confronting wine, it is hard to sometimes get your head around what’s happening in the glass. There are layers and layers of things happening in a cacophony of flavours, some at complete odds with each other yet the overall ‘noise’ that comes out is really interesting.
Daniel Dugois Vin de Paille – Mandarin, hugely sweet wine after all the others, do not go back to any of the others trust me on this, your mouth with set up picket line and refuse to co-operate. Has some nice dusty spices of nutmeg and cinnamon finishing it off. This would be a nice change to the ubiquitous Sauternes you invariably have with dessert, it puts me in the mind of a nice Italian Vin Santo if you are familiar with them.
Food wise was a bit of a mixed bag, no thanks to me going to Costco when hungry on the way in, so we had Tuna Sushi, Buffalo Wings, Vietnamese fried rice, Coq au No-Vin (or something like that) made by the host and finished off with some Comte, Roquefort and a few other cheeses.
Really fun night, albeit a late one. Thanks to all for the generosity as always.
Have notes for all of them. I even drove home afterwards. The spittoon (cocktail shaker) got a workout 
mmmm lots of rare Jura goodness.
