Vin Jaune undergoes a specific and typical ‘film’ maturation technique.
The Savagnin is the latest grape, and must be 'overmatured' (even with noble rot) it is harvested from the second fortnight of October for a duration of about 1 week.
Harvested mainly mechanically, we also harvest it manually so as not to rush our young vines.
The Savagnin is pressed directly into vats and vinified individually into dry white wine, followed by a short maturing (until spring) on fine lees.
The wine is then intoned in oak barrels, with a 'small day' of 5L, so that the development of the veil is done quickly. We seek a controlled oxidation, the veil acting as barrier between ambient air and wine. These barrels rest quietly in our cellars, marked by high thermal amplitudes (between 10° and 23°C) and very dry atmospheres to juggle between finesse and power!
Our barrels selection was carried on oak barrels of 5 wines minimum so as not to give 'woody' to the wine. Rich in yeasts and micro-organisms they promote the formation of the veil. Their capacity of 228L, offer the best volume ratio of wine and surface exchange with air to ensure the development of the veil and the specific aromas of this wine.
It is thus aged at least 6 years and three months, without intervention, but with a regular follow-up and an attentive eye. This process, which respects the natural evaporation of the wine, causes the creation of a thin film of yeasts on the surface. The one which patiently nourishes the wine of the famous "yellow taste": complex aromas of walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, spices…
At the end of its ageing, the resulting nectar is bottled in 62-centilitre (volume of a litre of savagnin remaining after maturation) ‘clavelins’ - bottles specially designed for this wine.