NV Domaine Jean-Luc Mouillard Cremant du Jura

Jean-Luc Mouillard established his estate in 1991 in Nevy-sur-Seille, at the foot of the limestone outcrop that gives Château-Chalon its name, before relocating the cellar to a sixteenth-century stone house in Mantry in 1997. He farms just over ten hectares across the Côtes du Jura, L'Étoile, and Château-Chalon appellations, working organically since 2020 and earning full certification in 2023. The cellar work stays hands off, relying on spontaneous fermentation and minimal sulfur additions.

This Crémant du Jura is made from 100 percent Chardonnay using the traditional method, with a second fermentation taking place inside the bottle. After pressing and a cool primary fermentation, the base wine is bottled with its own natural sugars and yeasts to trigger the mousse, then left to rest on its lees for a minimum of twelve months. That extended aging builds the wine's fine, persistent bubbles and adds a touch of yeasty depth beneath its core of orchard fruit, before disgorgement and a final dosage bring the wine to its finished dry style.

The wine opens with vibrant citrus and green apple, lifted by a touch of exotic fruit and a whisper of butter. The mousse is fine and persistent, carrying a fruit-forward palate to a brisk, mouthwatering finish. Pour it with steamed mussels, fried calamari, or a plate of Comté.