Vintage Character Arnaud Baillot Savagnin 2021 is a dry Côtes du Jura Savagnin. The Jura's 2021 growing season was hit by a severe early-April frost after premature vine growth, then by a wet summer that increased disease pressure. Savagnin resisted the frost somewhat better than Chardonnay and Poulsard, but the region's total harvest was exceptionally small. This wine therefore comes from a difficult, cool-leaning year rather than a ripe and abundant one. Acidity and restrained fruit are the likelier markers of this year than heat-driven breadth, and Baillot's selection and élevage have to carry a scarce crop with its precision intact. The 12.5% alcohol fits that lighter seasonal frame.
Tasting Profile & Food Pairing Golden apple, lemon peel, fresh almond and a faint fern-like herbal note lead the nose. The dry palate moves from a brisk, vivid entry into a rounder middle, then finishes long with an appetising compote suggestion. Oak ageing adds quiet texture without heavy vanilla, and the wine is not a Vin Jaune in style. Comté, roast chicken and trout with browned butter answer its acidity and nutty nuance. Serve cool, around 8 to 10 degrees Celsius, allowing the wine to warm slightly in the glass so the orchard-fruit and almond detail emerge together.
Winery Background Baillot's Côtes du Jura Savagnin comes from parcels around Rotalier, with vines averaging about 45 years old. Hand-picked fruit is sorted, fermented in steel for roughly 15 days, then matured about 12 months in Burgundian oak barrels, only a small share of them new, before unfiltered bottling. Baillot is based in Beaune but also works this Jura site. This is 100% Savagnin, distinct from his Burgundy Chardonnay and traditional Jura Vin Jaune.