Trousseau: The Jura Cult Grape (That's Also Hiding in Portugal)

Trousseau is pronounced troo-SOH.

Few grapes have a cooler cult following than Trousseau — the light, savory, perfumed red that's become a holy grail for natural-wine drinkers hunting through France's tiny, eccentric Jura region. But here's the underdog twist that ties this whole site together: Trousseau is the exact same grape Portugal has grown for centuries under the name Bastardo. A French cult wine and a humble Portuguese workhorse, one and the same. I love that.

What it tastes like

Trousseau is a light red — pale, translucent, low in tannin — but don't mistake light for simple. Expect bright cherry and red-berry fruit, high, mouthwatering acidity, and a savory, earthy, almost-mossy minerality, sometimes with a wild, gamey "jerky" note that natural-wine fans adore. Serve it with a slight chill. It's the antidote to heavy, oaky reds: refreshing, food-loving, and full of character.

The Jura: wine's weird, wonderful corner

The Jura, tucked between Burgundy and Switzerland, is one of the most distinctive wine regions on earth — tiny production, oddball traditions, and a devoted following far bigger than its size. Trousseau is its most serious red grape (the area around Arbois is the heartland). Because production is so small and demand so cult, good bottles vanish fast.

The Portuguese connection

Over 1,200 hectares of this grape grow in Portugal as Bastardo, including tiny amounts on Madeira — the same near-immortal island that gives us bone-dry Sercial — where rare old vintage "Bastardo" Madeiras are legendary. So if you've been following my Portugal pillar — Alentejo, Baga, Touriga Nacional — here's a grape that quietly links the cult cellars of France to the everyday vineyards of Iberia. Underdogs all the way down.

Bottles to look for

From the Jura, look for Domaine de la Tournelle, Lucien Aviet, Bénédicte & Stéphane Tissot, or Michel Gahier — but buy what you can find; Jura bottles are scarce. For the Portuguese side, hunt down a varietal Bastardo from the Dão or Douro, or splurge on a rare old Bastardo Madeira if you ever spot one. Drink Trousseau lightly chilled with charcuterie, mushrooms, or roast poultry.

One grape, two identities, zero mainstream attention — the cult red of France's strangest region and the forgotten workhorse of Portugal. A scored review will follow once I've tracked a few bottles down.

— Chris Berry

If you're switching from a famous grape

Trousseau is a natural underdog swap. If you usually reach for Pinot Noir, it's worth knowing — see the full set in Order This Instead.

Part of Lesser-Known Wines: 17 Obscure Grapes Worth Switching To — the full underdog-swap guide.