Domaine Fumey-Chatelain - Jura, France (includes interview)
JURA/ARBOIS
PREMIERES FROM MARIN FUMEY
OF DOMAINE FUMEY-CHATELAIN
(PRELUDE)
JURA, THE GHOST
For years it has felt if “the wines of Jura” could speak, like old King Hamlet, they’d be saying
“my hour is almost come.”
Is this the time for Jura’s wines to bust into the mainstream of all wine drinkers? Probably not quite yet, but it is high time to explore further to discover the beautiful, precise and original wines from the region.
Marin pouring a barrel sample. (photo Anne Claire Heraud)
CENTRAL OTAGO, NEW ZEALAND –
May 5, 2019 (- from our bethany, “the color collector”)
It’s an unlikely place to begin a story on the Jura, but this was the first time I tasted the wines of Fumey-Chatelain. It was the last day of vintage at Burn Cottage Vineyards where Marin Fumey and I had worked together since early January – first in the field and then in the cellar.
We started the season with a large group of international travelers, pulling leaves, dropping fruit, hanging bird netting. We would work from 7:00–3:30 in the 30+ acre biodynamic estate vineyard, then all take off to Lake Dunstan for a swim.
Everything seemed to be progressing perfectly, but as the days shortened, the weather cooled. We waited. We cleaned. Everything was spotless and ready. And then finally, weeks after we had anticipated, Pinot started rolling in. A harvest that would usually unfold over six to eight weeks arrived in sixteen short days.
All of us were exhausted and bruised with hands no soap could easily clean. But it was just as clear during the mad rush of cellar work as it was from day one in the field that Marin was no stranger to any of this. He worked with easy skill and a confidence developed over a lifetime. No matter how hot or cold or long the days got, his sense of humor never wavered.
On the last day of the vintage, Marin insisted on spending his time off to cook us a celebratory meal of Coq au Vin Jaune paired with a line up of Fumey-Chatelain wines his parents had shipped from France for the occasion. They were delicious.
Bethany, second from the right, Marin, third from the left.
fast forward…
September 2021
It turns out that if you tell E&R’s E about a cool producer from the Jura who is (as yet) relatively unknown in the states, he’ll find a way to get cases loaded on a boat within weeks - bound for E&R. Tasting these wines for the first time in New Zealand was memorable – but welcoming them to Portland is wildly exciting.
In a recent correspondence, we asked Marin a few questions about his family’s domain. Since it is unquestionably a project driven by history and heart, we thought we’d let Marin introduce you to Fumey-Chatelain in his own words. After the wines you will find some excerpts from our conversation.
With its trousseau, pinot noir, ploussard and vin jaune, Jura has lots to explore & enjoy. Click here for our in depth article all about the wines of Jura.
Our in house Fumey-Chatelain lineup.
THE NEW WINES
Arbois Chardonnay 2018
From rich limestone-based soil, the 2018 is mouthwatering from lemon-lime and licorice scents to a long saline finish. The vines are older - distinguished now at over fifty years in age - allowing for more opulence and power in the finished wine. Like all Marin’s wines, the Chardonnay is bottled unfiltered, and then after aging on its lees for almost two years. Large barrels, large value, small supply for now. $23.00
Arbois Trousseau 2018
The trousseau grape, aka “bastardo,” along with the ploussard grape, is one of two very cool hallmark red grapes of the region. Trousseau tends toward lighter colors but its “handshake” is firm with solid tannic grasp. Marin’s 2018 is a fine version: an earthy backbone backs its medium red tones in the glass, with a creamy texture, the finish concludes with fine refreshing lift. We suggest opening your bottle three or four hours before serving - and keep some for day two! $25.00
Arbois Pinot Noir 2018
Cheers to this delicious, airy pinot noir: our team noted the 2018 is “grounded in terroir” with lovely tension and is “two stops before the station of tart,” and shows off a vibrant, silky texture. From vines up to fifty years old, the pinot comes from two small vineyard lieu dits ‘Les Melineaux’ and ‘Au Vernois’ and is aged for 23 months in tank. Yummy. $26.00
Arbois Ploussard 2019
Extraordinary clarity in the glass, at 12.5% alcohol, Marin’s new Ploussard is a seamless wine of formidable character. Ploussard (“poulsard” in other parts of the region) is a thin-skinned grape shining with brilliant aromatics reminding some of the mountain wines of Italy and others the more pristine reds of Burgundy. The team at the shop absolutely adores this wine - from seventy-year old vines, it offers the power and complexity of top class cru wines while at the same time is quaffable and big on the “I’ll take another splash” scale. Dry, spiced, elegant, precise and packed with stylish fruit. $23.00
SHOP FUMEY-CHATELAIN WINES HERE
Excerpt from our Jura article (link above) regarding Savagnin, the wine/grape in the following box below.
“OXIDATION: “OH LORD,
PLEASE DON’T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD!”
Oxidative qualities in a wine can be intentional, as in Sherry or Vin Jaune - or unintentional, as in a flawed. In the winemaking process, barrels are routinely “topped off” as the wine ages inside them. Keeping air in a barrel to a minimum keeps the wine “fresh.”
In Jura, there is a long tradition of making some select wines in an oxidative style - with barrels not being topped off - intentionally so. This process is strictly controlled to allow the wine to develop with grace, power, complexity and a glorious nutty quality that, albeit, takes some getting used to. (The line between fault and intention can seem obscured to the uninitiated, but becomes tastefully clear to the experienced drinker.) In time, a thin film of yeast called “Viole” forms, closing off the juice and creating an oxygen barrier. The wine then becomes partially oxidized and flavors resulting from the process, yeast, and grape, culminate to create a unique and exceptional wine: pungent and savory, redolent of walnuts, ginger, sea salt and dried fruits, with a rich yellow (jaune) hue and 100 mile finish. The best of these wines are highly prized and among the wine world’s greatest expressions. They can also outlive a few generations worth of humans.
See one such wine next!
Arbois Savagnin NM (nv)
Jura’s most iconic whites - Savagnin, Vin Jaune and Chateau Chalon are each made from its most original white grape - Savagnin, the parent grape of sauvignon blanc and chenin blanc (and possibly others). Made from Savagnin of three different vintages, this nv NM is aged for about thirty months a la viole (see above) lending notes of green apple, almonds and spices. The Fumey-Chatelain Savagnin is sensational: balanced, distinctively dry, complex and stony and with a touch of nutty umami-like aromatics: saline on the finish and mouthwatering too. $30.00
THE SUPERB CREMANT
Fumey-Chatelain
Cremant du Jura Blanc
Hyper-talented Marin Fumey makes his small production Cremant from Chardonnay using the time honored traditional method in Jura. Saline and doused in white flower aromatics, the small bubbles are energizing and finessed - the second formation is in bottle. Lively acidity and perfect balance make this wine an ultimately sip-able sparkler pairing well with pre-dinner, post-dinner and no dinner conversation. Also matches quite well with Jane Austen or James Lee Burke novels. $25.00
Marl, the famed soil of parts of Arbois: “Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and silt.” In the Jura it comes in grays, reds, blues and other blends.
TRIO: THE NEXT STEPS UP
Arbois Ploussard “Grappes Entieres de Fertans” 2018
From seventy year old vines which grow in singular gray marl (“marnes grises”). The name “grappes entieres de fertans” refers to the ploussard grapes fermented using the whole cluster process: the grapes and stems crushed together, a traditional method the Jura. Lovely plush fruit, dry, a touch chewy and loaded with energy and life. A simply delicious wine of some opulence. $28.00
Arbois Trousseau “Le Bastard” 2018
Yes, “bastard” used here is, in part, from the bastardo grape, finding top real estate in Portugal and Arbois. From selection massale trousseau plantings, Marin’s Le Bastard is one formidable wine with two parts power, one part fruit and one half part joyous funk. The winery also suggests a minty freshness, licorice and leather as part of the wine’s flavor profile. The fruit undergoes twenty days of maceration prior to aging. $34.00
Arbois Pinot Noir “Remonte en Ligne” 2018
Like the pinot noir above, “Remonte en Ligne” (“back on track”) hails from vines in the fifty year old range from lieu dits ‘Les Melineaux’ and ‘Au Vernois.” This more concentrated bottling, from the press juice, is deeper and darker than the above delightful Pinot Noir offering. Suave, dense and smokey, Remonte is chewy-licious and worth the detour - it is cool to try the two pinot noirs side by side, not to be more impressed by one than the other, but to experience fine Jura pinot noir in two beautiful guises.
$28.00
OUR INTERVIEW WITH MARIN FUMEY
E&R: What is the history of your family winery?
Marin: The Domaine was founded by my parents 30 years ago. The first wine released was the 1991 vintage. My parents used to produce and sell grapes to Henri MAIRE (a négociant in the Jura). But that year a big wave of spring frost put the yield down to only few Hl/Ha. My parents decided to make wine with what was left, and the result was pretty decent wines. So they kept making it.
Only a few hectares came from my father’s family (3ha). My grandparents used to be farmers, raising cows for comté cheese, growing cereals and a tiny bit of vines. But they didn’t own a lot of land. Now we have around 17ha in production that my parents slowly acquired through time.
E&R: When did you become involved in the vineyard and winery?
Marin: As it’s a family business, I’ve been involved since I was a kid. I grew up on the farm. But I started to seriously help after my studies in Burgundy in 2015. I’ve been making the wines since then, but I didn’t really change the recipe straight away. I needed to travel and get experience to find what kind of wine I like and what I want to produce. Since 2018 the wines and the vineyard managing are changing quite a lot. But I’m lucky that my parents are still young and still do a lot.
E&R: Where have you worked other than Burn Cottage?
Marin: I’ve worked twice for Peter Schell at Spinifex wines in Australia (learned a lot about whole cluster ferment), with Peter Allan Finlayson at Crystallum wines in South Africa (learned a lot about Pinot Noir again) and with Chris Alheit at Alheit vineyards in South Africa too (learned a lot about how to make delicious white wines). All of them are legends and became wine mentors.
E&R: What are your farming philosophies?
Marin: I think what we want is to keep it simple. We are more than happy to finally turn organic. It is honestly a bit harder but much more simple. No more chemical! Makes my dad happy and our lands too.
In the cellar, the wines are low-intervention. I realized that the best wines are the most simple and that’s what gives you a true expression of the terroir. Our wines are more and more natural, especially since 2020. We never used anything but sulphur but we start to use less and less.
E&R: What makes your vineyards special?
Marin: We are pretty lucky to own some of the best vineyards in Montigny les Aasures (our village) and Arbois. Our vines are 40 years old in average but some old blocks are 80 (with is a lot in Jura). We’ve got few different blocks in different vineyards. Our vines are growing into Marl and limestone from the Lias and Trias geologic area. It gives a lot of mineralogy, acidity and freshness to our wines.
It is all planted with locals grape varieties such as Savagnin, Trousseau, Ploussard and of course Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (that are also here since forever). We are also producing a micro cuvée produced with the rare Savagnin rose.
Even if red Jura wines are light and drinkable, the Arbois region is well known for its reds. The soil here is a bit richer than in the other Jura sub-regions (it sticks to you boots as we say) and it allows us to produce beautiful reds in addition to delicious whites. The Jura is a patchwork of different terroirs. There are a lot of different slopes with all kinds of exposure.
E&R: What are the wines you most love to make and drink from the Jura?
Marin: The cool thing with Jura wine is that you can’t get bored of it. There is so much to drink, from fresh and mineral whites to flor wines, to sweet wines. I love to make all of them. I’m never getting bored of a delicious Ploussard but if I have to keep one drink for the rest of my life, it will be Trousseau for sure. (Montigny les Srsures is the world capital city of Trousseau and you can find here some of the best terroir for it).
E&R: What would you like to see for Fumey-Chatelain in the future?
Marin: We are now turning organic and that’s something I wanted to happen since a while. Next step will by biodynamic farming (maybe we will start next growing season). I’m still into Hybrid varieties even if we didn’t plant any so far. I am really trying to look for varieties that would suit the Jura. We’ve got more land to plant soon, and I hope that we will start to produce a bit of disease resistant varieties.
It will also be nice to produce something other than vines at some point, fruits, cereals, cattle (maybe just a few). I don’t know yet, but I’d like to see our Domaine as a farm more than a « Domaine ».
Article - E. Interview - BK.