2020 Cotes du Jura Les Chalasses Vieilles Vignes

When I tasted the perfumed 2020 Les Chalasses Vieilles Vignes, it was pending bottling after almost four years in barrel with lees. It comes from vines planted in 1901–1902 on red Bajocien soils, which are very good for Chardonnay. The vines deliver low yields of concentrated grapes, and in the warm 2020 vintage, the wine reached 14.5% alcohol and is round and spheric but keeping the poise and freshness. This is a warm terroir that, surprisingly enough, works quite well in warm vintages. There's finesse here. A sample from a new foudre showed some volatility and even some unfermented sugar, so they have to wait for it...