BFM Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien Grand Cru Vin Jaune (VJ2)

Just over the French border into the Swiss side of the Jura mountains lies the Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes, or BFM. Here some of the most interesting beers being made today originate. The head brewer and owner, Jerome Rebetez, started the brewery in 1997. He started out as a wine maker, but found some success with brewing when he made some home brew, entered it in a local brewing contest, and won first place. This has ultimately led to the Abbey de Saint Bon-Chein, considered by many to be the best beer currently made.

The beer itself defies traditional definitions. It is brewed with an enormous amount of malt, and is quite high in alcohol, ranging from 11 to 15 percent. The beer is then aged in barrels for as long as one year. It is full flavored, exceedingly smooth yet demonstrative, and is often referred to as Belgian or even French in style. But I think this beer is uniquely Swiss.

The Jura mountains also produce an equally unusual product, Vin Jaune. This is made in a few small A.O.C.'s on the French side of the mountains. Vin Jaune, or yellow wine, is an oxidized wine made somewhat similarly to sherry, but it is not fortified. The wine is made from late harvest Savagnin grapes, and is aged in barrels for over six years! The barrels are carefully monitored during this process where a layer of yeast spreads over the top of the liquid called a voile or vail. This is similar to the flor that lays on sherry, but the voile does not get as thick.

So the good people at BFM took some Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien and put it in some Vin Jaune barrels for one year. They then bottled this with out "prise de mousse" or what is generally referred to as bottle conditioning. This would give the beer some carbonation. As a result this beer is completely still. It's the only beer I've had to decant. This effort is well rewarded. The resulting Vin Jaune flavors, or should I say subtle nutty, tangy flavors mingle with the slight sourness that lies in the back, just behind the slightly earthy malty flavors that I already know so well.

Interestingly Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien is a vintaged beer. Each vintage has different qualities and peculiarities. The VJ2 states that it was brewed in 2008, a particularly successful vintage of this beer. Also of interest is the recommendation that Vin Jaune not be consumed until it is at least ten years old, from bottling. Similarly this beer will age tremendously, stupendously even! With some serious luck one can wait that long.