The Etoile estate, where Philippe learned winemaking techniques and secrets at a very young age from his grandfather Joseph, has been in the Vandelle family for six generations, since 1883. Made from 100% Savagnin, farmed and vinified sustainably on a limestone subsoil with a predominance of blue, gray, and red marl, the ‘sous voile’ aging is the secret of this extraordinary Vin Jaune. The wine spends a minimum of 75 months (over 6 years!) in barrels where a liter of liquid will be reduced, via evaporation, to a mere 620ml, thus the size and shape of the classic Vin Jaune bottle called a Clavelin. In the space that the evaporated wine occupied, a voile or veil of wispy yeast form, creating both a tangy oxidative flavor as well as inoculating the wine against further oxidation. It takes on a deep, yellow color, with intense aromas of nuts, curry and ginger spices, as well as rose petal and citrus peel. Pairs exceptionally well with escargots, creamy dishes with morels, exotic cuisines, or a simple aged local Comté cheese.