Why it matters
The producer
At Arlay, Château d'Arlay is a Côtes du Jura estate with a broad cellar vocabulary. Its vineyards hold Chardonnay and Savagnin Blanc for white wines, alongside Pinot Noir, Trousseau and Poulsard for red wines. The range includes still wines, passerillé wines, oxidative wines, fortified wines and spirits, with Vin Jaune as its most distinctive named style.
Vin Jaune is made from Savagnin and aged in oak beneath la voile, a naturally formed layer of yeast. The estate also bottles Cuvée Corail, a blend of all five permitted Jura grape varieties, alongside single grape wines such as Rouge de Pinot Noir and Blanc de Chardonnay.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The vineyards face south in Arlay, within the AOP Côtes du Jura appellation. The estate's location supports a range that moves between white and red grapes, still wines and oxidative wines rather than concentrating on one colour or one cellar method.
Chardonnay and Savagnin Blanc form the white side of the vineyard. Pinot Noir, Trousseau and Poulsard supply the red wines. That division appears directly in the bottles, from Blanc Tradition and Blanc de Chardonnay to Rouge de Pinot Noir and the five grape varieties assembled in Cuvée Corail.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
The white vineyards are planted with Chardonnay and Savagnin Blanc. Pinot Noir, Trousseau and Poulsard provide the red grapes. In the cellar, passerillé wines use sun dried grapes, which lose water before fermentation and gain concentration. Fortified wines receive added spirit, while oxidative wines develop through controlled contact with oxygen. Sparkling production by champagnization is excluded.
Vin Jaune is made from old Savagnin vines and aged in oak for seven years without topping up. The yeast layer known as la voile protects part of the wine from direct air while allowing a distinct oxidative ageing process. Blanc Tradition combines two thirds Chardonnay with one third Savagnin and spends three years in barrel without regular topping. Blanc de Chardonnay is aged in steel tanks.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range begins with red and white still wines. Rouge de Pinot Noir is the red Pinot Noir bottling, while Blanc de Chardonnay and Blanc Tradition represent different Chardonnay led white wine approaches. Cuvée Corail combines Pinot Noir, Trousseau, Poulsard, Chardonnay and Savagnin in one blend.
Vin Jaune occupies the oxidative category. Passerillé wines, fortified wines and spirits extend the estate's production beyond the still red and white bottles, giving the range several distinct forms of cellar work.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Choose Vin Jaune. It is the estate's Savagnin wine in the oxidative category, made from old vines and kept separate from Cuvée Corail, which combines all five permitted Jura grape varieties.