Wine Jean Bourdy Château Chalon 1964 - 62cl

One day Napoleon said to the Prince of Metternich: "You really serve the best wine in the world here [Johannisberg]!”. Reacting to this comment, the prince stated that "the best wine in the world doesn't come from here on the Johannisberg [Johannes mountain], but rather from a small town in your kingdom named Château Chalon.”

1964: January and February bring a lot of snow and cold weather. After a dry winter, the spring begins in the same way. There is no frost this year, so the vines can enjoy growing under normal circumstances. On the 12th and 13th of May the temperature climbs drastically, and on the 25th of May the vines are treated with sulfite. From April on it rains as good as never, except for a couple short bursts in July and August. In September there are a few short rain showers. In December there is still no rain. On Christmas Eve it snows. Jeans Bourdys grandfather was noted as saying that he had not once experienced such a drought in his whole life.

The Vin Jaune from Château Chalon shows a wonderfully golden color from this year. It is elegant on the nose with a light touch of lemon. The summer temperatures helped to produce an especially excellent grape harvest.

Firstly, the wine should be opened three to four hours before it is to be consumed, in order to let its diver range of flavors awaken. French connoisseurs recommend decanting the wine as well. It's also important to know that vin jaune should be consumed warmer than a typical white wine. It is best served at between 15° and 17° Celsius and therefore just a bit under room temperature.

With which dishes should I serve Vin Jaune?

Trout, poultry, smoked fish (like haddock for example) with an accompanying cream sauce, are all wonderfully complimented by Château Chalon. This rare wine is also uniquely suited to complimented Asian or Oriental dishes that contain curry spices. Jean Bourdy recommends consuming Château Chalon with foie gras, scallops, and lobster.

We also recommend, however, that you enjoy this special wine on its own – accompanied by some Comté cheese and a few walnuts – in order to let the unique aromas affect you. If you don't have Comté cheese available to you, good substitutes are Gruyère, an old Gouda cheese, or another old, Dutch hard cheese.