2023 Domaine Courbet, Poulsard, AOC Côtes du Jura, France.
The beautifully delicate and light pale ruby hued Courbet Poulsard is fresh, vivid and slightly savory in the glass with crushed berries and herbaceous aromas and a light framed palate of tart strawberry, sour cherry, orange and red peach fruits, along with stony/mineral tones, peppery spices, minty notes and a lingering earthy element. Coming from ancient seabed and limestone soils, this organic Poulsard, which was hand tended and harvested, saw a natural indigenous yeast fermentation and almost no sulfur. It’s well known that Poulsard has very loose bunches with very thin skins, making sorting very important for the best results. The Courbet’s red grapes are de-stemmed and this Poulsard sees a 24 hour cold soak and then is fermented and then aged a full year exclusively in stainless steel vat, all to produce a wine of purity and crisp detail, as this 2023 vintage perfectly and transparently shows.
Maybe a bit surprising, all biodynamic Domaine Courbet flies under the radar, but is one of the oldest and most traditionally natural family estates in the Jura and Château Chalon, which was originally founded in 1869 with vineyards, livestock and grains. Over generations Domaine Courbet gradually evolved to grow only grapes and make wine here for the last 50 years and is now run by the father and son tram of Jean-Marie and Damie Courbet. Their estate is tiny by modern standards at just about 7.5 hectares of vineyards, but with prime parcels in the famed Château-Chalon, as well as plots around Domblans and Menétru. Courbet’s US West Coast importer Beaune Imports says the reds, all farmed Biodynamic since 2005, like this Poulsard, the Trousseau, and Pinot Noir, are grown in light marne soils with some limestone, which contribute to the wines having distinct terroir. I was thrilled to taste through the current releases here at Courbet, courtesy of Beaune Imports and I was very impressed with the whole lineup, with the reds, especially the Trousseau and this Poulsard being standouts.
($40 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive