Auguste Vandelle settled at L'Etoile in 1883 and the sixth generation, Valentin, took over in 2020. The Mont Morin slope of white Lias marl above the village is the estate's Savagnin heart.
Tip: Certified Haute Valeur Environnementale, and one of the few L'Etoile caveaux open six days a week without booking.
Address: 186 rue Bouillod, 39570 L'Etoile, France, Jura
Vines planted by Carthusian monks in the 13th century and in Pignier hands since 1794, now 12 hectares at Montaigu farmed biodynamically and certified by Demeter France.
Tasting: Caveau open Monday to Friday 2pm to 6.30pm and Saturday 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 6.30pm; closed Sundays and holidays. Cellar visit included.
Tip: The tasting happens in the vaulted 13th-century Cellier des Chartreux where the wines still age.
Rotalier family of six growers farming 13.5 hectares split across 45 parcels, four communes and thirteen lieux-dits, and bottling around thirty cuvees a year.
Tasting: By appointment only, Monday to Saturday, arranged by email; Saturday is the day the family groups tastings, which run about two hours.
Tip: Chardonnay is two thirds of the plantings, so this is the place to taste the Sud Revermont's parcel-by-parcel whites.
Twelve hectares in the Sud Revermont split between Chardonnay, Savagnin, Trousseau, Poulsard and Pinot Noir, fermented on indigenous yeasts with most cuvees bottled without added sulphur.
Tasting: Visit and tasting by reservation only.
Tip: Book well ahead. Production is small and the no-sulphur cuvees sell through the allocation quickly.
Passenans family domaine recorded since 1692 and run by Nathalie and Emmanuel Grand, with 10 hectares on clay-limestone and irised marl farmed organically.
Tasting: Caveau by appointment daily except Sunday, and closed weekends from September to April; visit takes in the old and modern cellars and a small winemaking museum.
Tip: The street is literally called rue du Savagnin, and the estate holds Chateau-Chalon parcels as well as Cotes du Jura.
Certified organic domaine in Poligny, passed father to son since 1659 over ten generations, working mainly in vin jaune and vin de paille alongside the rest of the Jura range.
Tasting: Tasting and sales at the Badoz Vins et Fromages shop, 19 Place des Deportes in Poligny, Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 7pm, Friday and Saturday 8.30am to 7pm, Sunday morning 9am to 12pm.
Tip: The Poligny shop pairs the wines with Comte from the family cheese business, which is the local way to taste vin jaune.
Arbois house with parcels spread across Arbois, Cotes du Jura and L'Etoile, harvesting entirely by hand and bottling Cremant, whites, reds, vin jaune, vin de paille and Macvin.
Tasting: Tasting and sales at the Arbois shop in the town centre; the working cellars sit on the route de Dole edge of town.
Tip: The range is split into floral whites and typed sous voile whites, which makes it an easy place to learn the difference.
