Jacques Puffeney was one of the most celebrated and individualistic winemakers in the Jura, operating his small domaine in Montigny-lès-Arsures in the Arbois appellation until his retirement in 2014. Known as ‘le pape du Poulsard’ for his mastery of the Jura’s indigenous red variety, Puffeney was equally revered by Jura specialists for his Vin Jaune: a wine of extraordinary depth, precision and age-worthiness produced by the traditional ouillage-free barrel-ageing method under the fléor of native yeasts that defines the Jura’s most distinctive white wines. The domaine’s wines have become genuinely collectible in the years since Puffeney’s retirement and the subsequent sale of the estate, with older vintages now commanding prices that reflect both the wine’s exceptional quality and the irreplaceable status of wines produced by a now-retired master.

Arbois Vin Jaune is produced in the Arbois appellation from Savagnin aged for a minimum of six years and three months under fléor in partially-filled Jura barrels, developing the wine’s characteristic oxidative complexity, walnut character and extraordinary longevity without the astringency of a fully oxidised wine. Puffeney’s approach to Vin Jaune was notably traditional: minimal intervention, very long fléor ageing and a commitment to expressing the specific character of Montigny-lès-Arsures’ Triassic soils rather than the more commercial, house-styled Vin Jaune of the major négoçiants. The 2008 Jura vintage was warm and produced wines of excellent ripeness and concentration that have continued to develop beautifully since the wine’s release approximately six years after harvest.

Jacques Puffeney’s retirement vintage wines are among the most sought-after in the Jura, representing the final expressions of a career that defined what was possible with the region’s most traditional varieties and methods. A 2008 Arbois Vin Jaune from this estate is a wine of historical significance for the Jura collector, combining the excellence of the producer’s craft with a vintage of outstanding quality and almost two decades of bottle development since its eventual disgorgement and release.

Deep amber with a complex and profound nose of roasted hazelnut, preserved lemon, curry leaf, walnut, beeswax, exotic spice and the characteristic sous voile mineral depth of exceptional Jura Vin Jaune. Full-bodied with great natural acidity, extraordinary aromatic complexity and a very long, nutty, saline, mineral finish. This is at its peak now and can be held for many more years. Best now through 2038.