Wine Jean Bourdy Château Chalon 1973 - 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.”

1973: The year begins with a dry and very cold January, without snow. In March the trend continues, and not one drop of rain falls. Frosty temperatures remain until the beginning of May. The buds on the vines develop relatively late, but they make up for time with the following warm weeks accompanied by a few rain showers. Unfortunately a very cold spell of rain arrives on the 21st of June, before the end of the Savagnins' developmental phase, which can lead to spoilage. Following this small trauma, a wonderfully dry and warm spell ensues. From the middle of July until August there are quite a few rain showers and thunderstorms, and it even begins to hail at one point.

From the 10th to the 15th of August and exceptional heat wave arrives, that initiates the beginning of the ripening period. This warmth remains until the 22nd of august and the "delay” that the grapes experienced until now has already been made up for in the last weeks. On the 28th of August an intense burst of rain falls. Until the end of September the temperatures sink gently and there is a rain shower every now and then. On the 25th of September the best harvest ever experienced by the Château Chalon begins. The grapes are in perfect condition at this moment in time – it is exactly the right time to begin harvesting.

The harvest was wonderful, and the wine is one of a kind. The Vin Jaune from this year is not its typical golden color but rather a little more yellow with a remarkably wonderful impact on the nose. It is gently and wonderfully sour on the palate with a resilient flavor and a long aftertaste.

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.