2022 Cellier Saint Benoit Arbois Pupillin Courbes Raies Pinot Noir

Benjamin Benoit farms just half a hectare of Pinot Noir, but given that he trained with the likes of Charles Lachaux in Burgundy, I wouldn’t rule out that he will plant more. Regardless, this wine proves how successful Jura Pinot Noir can be when planted in the right soils and farmed accordingly. It’s from vines in the curving Courbes Raies vineyard on calcaire à gryphées—limestone-rich soil heavy in fossils. Benoit also farms Chardonnay on this site’s north- and south-facing slopes. The Pinot lies on the west-exposed slopes. The vines were planted by Benjamin’s father (mid-1980s) and grandfather (around 1959). Like the Trousseau, the Pinot ferments as whole bunches in large Grenier tronconique, while the aging takes place in 228-litre Burgundy barrels and larger, 600-litre demi-muid. Benjamin explains that this wine often confounds local tasters perhaps less familiar with a classy, polished Burgundian style of Pinot Noir. From the vibrant, floral aromas through the nuanced palate of red berries and minerals to the precise, uplifting finish, we love this. Again, it is a more powerful wine than typical for the domaine, but none the worse for it.