The fruit comes from very old Chardonnay parcels and is grown following organic (Ecocert) principles with biodynamic practices on site. Grapes are hand-harvested, whole-cluster pressed gently and fermented with indigenous yeasts. The wine is élevaged on its lees in old barriques / demi-muids (long élevage often around 18–24 months) with minimal intervention — little to no bâtonnage, and usually bottled with no fining and little or no filtration; SO₂ is kept to a minimum. The result is a textural, saline Chardonnay with nutty, orchard-fruit notes and a long, savory finish.
Notes on the producer
Domaine Labet is a family domaine based in Rotalier in the Jura (the estate totals roughly a dozen hectares) run today by members of the Labet family — Julien, Charline and Romain — who work a patchwork of old-vine sites on Lias/Triassic marl and Bajocian limestone at mid-altitudes. They are certified organic and practise biodynamic methods; the domaine is known for combining traditional Jura techniques with a low-intervention cellar approach and extended élevages in older barrels for many of their Chardonnay and Savagnin cuvées. Their wines range from crisp, mineral whites to more complex, long-aged bottlings — and La Reine, made from old Chardonnay vines and long barrel élevage, is one of the domaine’s standouts.
