Domaine Courbet 'Les Isles' Chardonnay 2022 (100ml)

Domaine Courbet is a Jura estate, run by father-and-son team Jean-Marie and Jean-Baptiste Courbet. They specialise in Chardonnay and Savagnin from the hillsides, working organically and favouring long, unhurried ageing. The wines show the region’s hallmark tension and nuttiness but always with a clean, well-defined line of acidity.

Courbet balances tradition with precision, creating wines that feel both rooted in place and finely tuned.

France’s wine story begins with Greek settlers, Roman farmers and medieval monasteries that shaped famous regions. It remains the benchmark for many of the world’s classic wine styles, built on a deep history of regional identity and an appellation system designed to protect it. AOC rules outline where grapes can be grown and how wines are made, giving structure to places such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and the Rhône. Key grapes like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah all find their most famous expressions here, alongside countless regional varieties.

From the driven whites of the Loire to the rich blends of the south, French wine is ultimately about clarity of origin and a commitment to balance, and modern France continues to evolve, combining precise regional traditions with a renewed focus on sustainability and site expression.

Jura is a small eastern French region known for its distinctive character and traditional winemaking. Chardonnay and Savagnin dominate white plantings, ranging from clean modern styles to the region’s famous oxidative wines such as Vin Jaune. Poulsard, Trousseau and Pinot Noir produce light reds with bright fruit and gentle structure. The region’s mix of limestone and marl soils adds subtle complexity while long-established methods such as sous voile ageing set Jura apart.

Despite its size, the region offers a wide spread of styles all with a clear sense of place and a focus on detail, individuality and minimal intervention winemaking.