Trousseau
A Savagnin-descended red grape, Trousseau makes the Jura's most structured light reds and travels to Portugal as Bastardo.
About Trousseau
Trousseau is the more substantial of the Jura's two indigenous reds, a Savagnin offspring that gives deeper colour, riper red fruit and firmer tannin than the ethereal Poulsard. Late-ripening and demanding, it is planted on the region's warmest gravel terraces, where it yields perfumed wines of cherry, cranberry and orange peel wrapped around a savoury, earthy core. The same variety travels widely: in Portugal's Douro and Dao it is known as Bastardo and contributes to both dry reds and port blends, while in northwest Spain it appears as Merenzao. Naturally suited to a lighter, high-acid style, Trousseau has become a darling of growers seeking transparent, food-friendly reds. Chillable yet capable of age, it is the Jura's answer to Burgundy's lighter Pinot expressions.
Variety profile
Editorial notes
Serve lightly chilled; its firm acid and gentle tannin make it versatile at the table. Note that Bastardo (Portugal/Douro) is the same grape.