Cotes du Jura: Domaine Victor Richard Chardonnay

Nestled in the picturesque landscape of eastern France, between Burgundy and the Swiss border, the Jura is one of the country's smallest and most distinctive wine regions. It works chiefly with indigenous grape varieties - the whites Savagnin and Chardonnay, and the reds Poulsard, Trousseau, and Pinot Noir - grown on limestone and clay-marl soils in a cool, continental climate. The region is famous above all for its unique specialities: the nutty, deliberately oxidative Vin Jaune, made from Savagnin and aged for years under a veil of yeast, and the lusciously sweet Vin de Paille.

The Côtes du Jura is the region's principal appellation, running the length of the Jura in a patchwork of small holdings and rewarding enthusiasts willing to venture off the beaten track. It spans the full range of local styles - crisp whites and light, pale reds, sparkling Crémant du Jura, and the celebrated Vin Jaune and Vin de Paille - drawing on Savagnin, Chardonnay, Poulsard, Trousseau, and Pinot Noir.