Domaine des Carlines La Vouivre 2022

Domaine des Carlines, founded by Patrick and Sophie Ligeron, sits in the Cotes du Jura in eastern France. La Vouivre is a blend of Chardonnay and Savagnin made in the topped-up or ouille style, the counterpart to the region's oxidative wines. The barrels are kept full through fifteen months of ageing, so the wine develops without the flor veil and keeps its fresh fruit while gaining texture and a light nutty complexity from time on oak. The Jura's clay-limestone marls and cool continental climate give slow ripening and high natural acidity, which frames the wine and keeps it precise. Ageing on the lees rounds the palate and adds a creamy weight. The colour is bright gold. The nose shows ripe pear, green apple, hazelnut and a touch of beeswax, with a light vanilla note from the oak. The palate is textured and fresh at once, with lemon acidity, almond on the mid-palate and a firm, mineral finish. Serve at 11 to 13 degrees.