Domaine Labet Les Varrons Chardonnay 2019
- 96
- Drink by: 2022-2045
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Labet has a signature acidity of not only Jura but Labet typicity – it is laser like, electric and feels like it is charged with plenty for the future! From Bajocian limestone soils, it has intense salinity and a finish of dried fruits. Austere at first, this is a wine that evolves dramatically, so let it breathe. I mean, let it breathe through days if you can, especially when it is so young. You will notice an enveloping softness as it becomes rounder with notes of yellow fruit and some almond.
The words that echo here are slaty, purity and energy! Youthful now, I can only imagine what more maturity can confer to its complexity. If you are lucky to encounter Labet’s whites, hold on to them!
Fact: Alain Labet at the end of the 1980s was one of the very first vignerons of the Jura to produce topped white wines.
Fact 2: His son Julien Labet, after having worked at Ramonet in Burgundy, has perfectly understood how to enhance his wines, and once back home he was able to concentrate on his domaine where his father already practiced respectful and ethical agriculture, abolishing the use of any industrial chemicals and reducing the use of sulfur to a minimum.
Fact 3: Labet’s white wines are vinified and aged in barrique and demi-muid, and stays on its lees for a minimum of 18 months. The reds are partially de-stemmed and aged in large wooden barrels. Bottling takes place in spring, when the wines are cold and clear.
Liinaa Berry is a Melbourne-based wine critic and consultant with over a decade of experience as a sommelier and wine buyer across Australia and around the world where she has built award-winning wine programs and championed independent producers with conviction. Now focused on reviewing and writing, Liinaa brings a floor-trained palate and commercial insight to her assessments. She is also the Melbourne Ambassador for Star Wine List and serves on the committee of Sommeliers Australia. An advocate for site-driven wines and thoughtful farming, Liinaa is particularly drawn to producers who articulate a clear sense of place. Her tasting philosophy centres on structure, balance and context — always asking not just how a wine tastes, but why it matters.
