Arbois Poulsard, Domaine du Pélican 2020

They started producing a separate cuvée of Poulsard in vintage 2015, from vineyards they had taken over from Jacques Puffeney. Poulsard, sometimes also called Ploussard, is an old-established, emblematic Jura grape variety that produces a deceptively pale wine, with a lot of personality. Their Poulsard vineyards are located in Arbois and in Montigny-lès-Arsures. Their age varies between 25 and 60 years, and they grow on marly and sometimes sandy limestone soils. Poulsard is a fairly fragile grape, that needs to be harvested within a short window, between underripe and overripe. Vinification is similar to that of Pinot Noir or Trousseau. They destem the entire crop and gently recycle the juice without punching down. After fermentation, it is stored in a large foudre until bottling.
Very pale ruby. Lightly fruity nose with sour-cherry and orange notes, somewhere between the Pinot and the Trousseau in terms of red fruit and herbal characters. Searingly delicious acidity balanced by the zesty fruit, which has something slightly sweaty/smoky on the palate, like lapsang souchong tea. Very fine and very dry tannins, like paper, and a lovely salty/umami aftertaste, dry and stony in texture at the very end. Super-lean and fine-boned, pure and extreme. Very long. (JH)