Ploussard La Sombarde, Daniel Dugois, Jura

Ploussard La Sombarde, Daniel Dugois . Dugois primarily produces red Trousseau, but also makes a small amount of Ploussard (= Poulsard) . His version is delightfully light and spicy, with notes of red currant and raspberry. This wine is beautifully classic, accessible, and perfectly balanced. And also reasonably priced. Excellent for drinking relatively young, but can also be aged longer.

• Serving: 15 °C
• Drink: now until 2031+

Daniel Dugois, rising line in the Jura

The Domaine Daniel Dugois encompasses over 10 hectares of vineyards near Arbois. 40% of these are planted with Trousseau (along with Poulsard, the other typical Jura red wine grape). The quality has risen significantly, especially in recent years. Dugois produces superb wines at a reasonable price.

Now, Philippe Dugois, son of Daniel, is in charge of the day-to-day running of the estate. He makes wines in the traditional Jura style, meaning longer aging, mostly in casks (large wooden barrels holding hundreds of liters).

Dugois: "We're looking for fruity wines with a fine structure. That's why we harvest and sort by hand on the sorting table in the vineyard. The harvest is also 100% destemmed and lightly crushed. Fermentation is spontaneous and lasts about 15 days. The wine then ages for eight months in oak barrels to add finesse. The wine is filtered and then bottled."

Geology: Red clay soil on red marl. Yields are limited by the green harvest in June.

Ploussard La Sombarde, Daniel Dugois, Arbois, Jura