Jura's Grand Cru: 2007 Macle Chateau Chalon

Posted by Joe Salamone

Jean and Laurent Macle's Chateau Chalons represent Vin Jaune at it most elegant and most mineral.

Château Chalon is the Grand Cru of Vin Jaune. It's here that Vin Jaune reaches its pinnacle of refinement and ageworthiness.

Curnonsky, a famous 20th Century Parisian gourmet known as the "Prince of Gastronomes," included the wines of Chateau Chalon among "the five great white wines of France," along with Montrachet and Yquem.

For quite some time, Macle has been the reference point for Château Chalon.

Macle's Château Chalon boasts a ridiculous depth of complexity. In The New France, Andrew Jefford comments that Macle’s wines, "...seem to rifle through a repertoire of the natural world as you sniff and sip." That gives you a good sense of what you're dealing with.

It covers a mind-bending range: everything from yellow plum and citrus to pine needles, mushrooms, walnuts and rocky minerality. The 2007 has an especially radiant profile showing more of the citrus and mineral side of this wine.

The Macles print "Vin de Garde" (wine for keeping), in the center of the label. And, for sure, Macle's can age 30, 40 and 50 years without any difficulty. Part of that means that some vintages can be shy in their youth.

Macle's Chateau Chalon is a vinicultural treasure. A tasting of 78, 79, 81 and 82 a few years ago only confirmed the breed and importance of these wines.

We've been offering Macle's Chateau Chalon since the 1999 vintage and we're happy to see the domaine's reputation growing. The only issue is that there's never enough of their Chateau Chalon to go around. With only 4ha in the appellation and very low yields, normally in the 24hl/ha range, demand far overwhelms supply.

Please give us your maximum order, and we'll allocate accordingly. To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Joe Salamone


Wine Buyer

Crush Wine & Spirits