Croix & Courbet Côtes du Jura Poulsard 2023

David Croix and Damien Courbet’s inaugural Poulsard comes from the lieu-dit of Bois de la Lième in the village of Pannessières, due south of Château-Chalon. The soils here are iridescent marls from the lower Triassic, which Courbet describes as having the colour of red wine lees. The vines are now 30 years old. Destemmed and aged for 18 months between six-year-old oak and stainless steel tanks, this first release is a pure charmer. Fine-boned and perfumed, it’s a transparent Jura red offering succulent pomegranate and Turkish Delight flavours suffused with floral-tinged elegance and a flinty twist on the finish. If there is one drawback, it would be that this wine is far too easy to drink.