2018 Petite Voile ChardonnayBarrel aged Chardonnay under a veil

At any given time our barrel cellar is full of aging wines from various vintages, all with their own set of parameters related to the style of wine we’re making. After the harvest of 2019 a single 400L cask of neglected wine was discovered in the back of the cellar. A costly mistake. Convinced it would be vinegar, Matthew was prepared for disappointment but instead was very pleasantly surprised. Over the months, a portion of the wine had slowly evaporated and left the wine’s surface unprotected. Typically this can create all kinds of issues resulting in spoiled wine no one wants to drink. Instead, by some miracle, the wine developed a thin veil of yeast. In the Jura this is known as Sous Voile. The yeast sits delicately on the surface as the wine matures. The effects of oxygen is slowed and spoilage organisms are prevented from destroying the wine. We tasted it, loved it, and decided to encourage the veil to keep developing with no addition of SO2 and leaving the veil undisturbed. 

After 3 years we finally bottled it and the results are transformative. The wine has an undeniable saltiness to it. Olive brine, oyster liqueur, the clean scent of a sea breeze. A soft nuttiness compliments lemon curd, clove, and ume boshi. There is a fleshy density to this wine without weight and a clean line of acid that carries through to a bright finish. 

Our Petite Voile doesn’t go down the dominant oxidative path you find in Jura, but instead is an ornamental kiss to all of the other complexities that came from maturing under a veil of yeast. A mistake we will try to repeat in the future.

Only 30 cases made.