
2021 Domaine Bornard Savagnin Les Chassagnes










WINEMAKER: Tony Bornard
REGION: Jura, FR
VARIETY: Savagnin
VITICULTURE: Certified Biodynamic
Les Chassagnes is named for the lieu dit where the Savagnin for this wine is sourced from. It is within the Côtes du Jura appellation just outside Pupillin. The wine though, is now classified as a Vin de France. The soil is iridescent marne from the Keuper, which formed during the Triassic period, and is a complex layered stratified rock system which covers much of western Europe. The exposition is easterly and the vines were planted in the 1990s.
Whole bunches were directly pressed into vats to begin the fermentation and then subsequently most was transferred to 2400 litre foudre with a proportion in tank. It was aged on lees for two years and topped up during that time. for much of the time it was still fermenting, including when we visited in September 2022. However, because of the age of the foudre there is a hint of oxidation from exposure to air via the wood. It has also had a substantial further period of aging in bottle
Tony’s translated obervations are “As it ages, this wine will develop smoky characteristics. It is aromatically intense and has a mouth that finishes with freshness.” He things it has the potential to age for 30 years – sadly we will not find out if that’s the case! We also like French wine merchant Petite Caves’ description of this wine as “Slight hints of oxidative notes (almonds and hazelnuts) on the nose, quickly complemented by grapefruit and ripe yellow fruit. The mouth is full and delicious”. 12.6% ABV.
Philippe Bornard lives in the village of Pupillin near Arbois and the Swiss border. His vineyards were inherited from his father, who previously sold only to co-ops. It was Pierre Overnoy, another Arbois winemaker, who eventually convinced Philippe to begin to make his own wine, and now, with over 27 years of experience under his belt, he is working with nearly 6 hectares of 30-year old vines, and farms exclusively biodynamically - officially certified in 2012. The grapes are grown at high altitudes, on limestone and clay soils, allowing a slow ripening. Typically the wine begins a long, slow maceration in fiberglass, and then is moved to large older oak barrels for maturation, which lasts about one year.
Big changes have occurred in the Bornard domaine over the past couple of years. Philippe has retired and his talented son Tony has taken over the operation with little fuss and with few observable differences for outsiders. Tony is a meticulous operator both in the vineyard and in the winery. He has a very clear vision about what he wants to achieve and how he is going to achieve it. The winery and many of the vineyards are in the quaint commune of Pupillin which is quite close to Arbois near the Swiss border. Tony is building a new winery in this village so that his father’s house will no longer be given over to the winemaking operations.