As Rare as Henri Jayer One Day - The Swan Song of the Most Classical Producer in the Jura

If there is a reference style traditional producer in a region, Jacques Puffeney is the guy they shouldall aspire to be. 50+ vintages in a region (Arbois) that has only been popular in recent years. The man was doing it for the love of the game. Well, the end has arrived as he announced his retirement last year. And he has. He will tend to the wines in the cellar but he's retired.  These wines are unicorns in the sense that they will never be made again. The great d'Angerville estate in Volnay has leased his vines and if they plan to make wines like they do in Burgundy, like they do at their other estate, the Jura is at a huge loss, as people in Jura need to make Jura wines and no one was better at doing that than Jacques Puffeney. I am sad to see him go off into the sunset but happy to look back on a fruitful and very lengthy career. The wines are some of the first I ever bought as a wine buyer when no one knew where the Jura was. They are the pinnacle of classical winemaking in the Jura. He is the master of the oxidative style and his Vin Jaune is the stuff of legend. The hallmark of Puffeney's wines are the elegance and purity of them and also their ability to age longer than almost all of their brethren.

Today I have 2 wines from the Jura master. One from his last vintage 2014, and a very special, small allocation of his knee bending 2009 Vin Jaune.

I have a small amount of the 2014 Jacques Puffeney Savagnin for $49.99 a bottle on a 3-pack. As far as I am concerned this is the best traditional Savagnin that has been and will ever be made in the Jura. This is like a sherry in that it was aged under a veil of yeast yet has mind-bending freshness and that whiplash of acidity than only Savagnin can have. It has amazing intensity and smokey flavors of grilled nuts and Meyer lemons and finishes super salty. And it never ends, it literally becomes a part of your mouth it is so pure and beautiful with such elegance.

I also have a very limited amount of the 2009 Jacques Puffeney Vin Jaune which can be had for $99.99 Net. He has raised his prices significantly for his final wines.  I have less of this than the Savagnin and balanced orders will be given first priority. Vin Jaune is one of the greatest wines in the world, bar none. It is the most oxidative style of wine in the Jura and is even bottled in special 620 ml bottles called Clavelin. They are hauntingly complex, almost immortal wines of such flavor intensity and depth that they have a very justified cult following in the world. With the heralded 2008 version, we have a wine that might last 100 years. Ideally they should be served with comte or rich creamy dishes. But one thing is they should be served with food in my experience as it totally transforms the wine and the food and elevates both. Do not miss this.

Disclaimer:
Two of these wines are in the "sous voile" style which means there is an semi-oxidative tang/element to this wine. Kind of like a sherry or not. It is a long standing tradition in the Jura to make these wines and when executed by a master like Puffeney the juxtaposition of the wild Jura flavors, delicate finesse driven mineral character, super 2010 acid structure, they must be sold, offerered, discussed and debated for many years.  This is a perfect wine to bring to a tasting. It's traditionally been hard to source in the States so even serious collectors appreciate trying a bottle.

2014 Jacques Puffeney Savagnin - $52.99 ($149.97 3-pack) 

(VERY LIMITED)

2009 Jacques Puffeney Vin Jaune - $99.99 NET (VERY LIMITED)