2023 Domaine Maire & Fils Cotes Du Jura Tradition Rouge 750 ml

Once you drink a wine from the Jura, you wonder where they’ve been all your life. 

The high-altitude region east of Burgundy close to Switzerland beasts some of the best attributes of its lower-altitude yet (much) higher-priced brethren from Burgundy. We visited last year, and we have found an absolute delight in the 2023 Domaine Maire & Fils Cotes du Jura Tradition Rouge.

Domaine Maire has been tucked in the Jura since the early part of the 17th century. The estate was founded by a man named Maire, and for generations, it has been run by his descendents, who have built upon one another’s expertise and success. For over 300 years, generations of Maires succeeded one another, strengthening the house’s expertise. Just this century, Domaine Maire was snapped up by the Boisset collection, led by French-born Napa Valley entrepreneur and boulevardier Jean-Charles Boisset. 

The Tradition bottling comprises three of the red grapes that thrive in the Jura: Pinot Noir, Trousseau, and Poulsard, all grown on a selection of Domaine Maire’s best plots. The latter two grapes might need a bit of an introduction. Trousseau, indigenous to the Jura, is deeply colored and bold in flavor and aromas. The thin-skinned Poulsard gives light-colored wine with beautiful perfumed characteristics.

Domain Maire’s soils vary from Bajocian limestone and calcareous scree to clay and marl. The wines were harvested by hand, macerated for 12 days in stainless steel, before being fermented with some pumpovers and punchdowns. After going through malolactic on the fine lees, the wine was aged for eight months in stainless steel tanks, before light filtration and bottling. The result is a wine of pure aromas and red-fruited characteristics, intense and lively and spiced.  

If you don’t know the reds of the Jura, this is a fine introduction. It’s the kind of wine you crave on a chilly winter night, or alongside magret de canard or a spoonable cheese.