Appellation
Château-Chalon
Identity card
RegionalAOPWhite
Jura · Recognised on 29 May 1936
Key points
- Vin jaune only: no topped-up white, no red, no rosé.
- 62 cl clavelin; on sale from 1 January of the seventh year after harvest.
- At most 40 hl/ha and at least 12% natural alcohol.
Grape varieties
White wine onlySavagnin
Enfariné and Gringet allowed under agreement, at most 10% of the blend
That cap rises to 20% for holdings of under 3 ha
Production rules
40
hl/ha
Maximum yield
12
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
5,000
vines/ha
Minimum planting density
Minimum ageing: At least 6 years in oak, never topped up, with 60+ months under flor
- Maximum yield
- How much wine a hectare may produce under the appellation (a higher, exceptional ceiling often exists). The lower it is, the less can be made: one of the levers on how concentrated the grapes are. For reference: 35 hl/ha to 80 hl/ha across 96 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum natural alcohol
- The alcohol the grapes' own sugar must be able to give, without enrichment: a ripeness threshold at harvest. For reference: 9 % ABV to 14 % ABV across 46 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum planting density
- The fewest vines allowed per hectare. For the same yield, more vines means fewer grapes on each. For reference: 4,000 vines/ha to 9,000 vines/ha across 105 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum ageing
- A minimum ageing period the specification requires before the wine may be sold to consumers.
Terroir
- Lie of the land: Slopes below a limestone cornice, at 250–400 m
- Soils: Grey Lower Jurassic marls under limestone scree
- Aspect: South to south-west, sheltered by cliffs from north winds
Wine style
- dry and generous
- walnut, very ripe apple
- spice, candied fruit
- great length
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
11 August 2026
Arrêté du 11 août 2026 homologuant le cahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine protégée « Château-Chalon » (JORF n°0190 du 15 août 2026, texte n°18 ; publié au Bulletin officiel du ministère de l'agriculture le 27 août 2026), abrogeant le décret n° 2011-1187 du 23 septembre 2011. Appellation initialement reconnue par le décret du 29 mai 1936.
Labelling terms
- A registered lieu-dit may appear, in letters at most half as large
- Enfariné and Gringet may never be named on the label
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine protégée « Château-Chalon »— INAO / Ministère de l'agriculture (Bulletin officiel)
- Reference bookThe Oxford Companion to Wine— Oxford University Press
- Reference bookWine Grapes: A Complete Guide to 1,368 Vine Varieties, Including Their Origins and Flavours— Allen Lane / Ecco (HarperCollins)
- Trade bodyLe mystérieux vin jaune— Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins du Jura (CIVJ), site officiel des vins du Jura
A Jura appellation reserved for still white wines called "vin jaune" alone, across four communes of the Revermont, on grey marls below a limestone cornice. Recognised by the decree of 29 May 1936, it produces no topped-up white, no red, no rosé: Savagnin is the only principal variety (Enfariné and Gringet are allowed only under agreement), aged at least six years in oak without topping up.
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Château-Chalon
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