What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon! Jean-François Ganevat Chardonnay "Les Chalasses" Vieilles Vignes Côtes du Jura, what a wine! Woody, apply, zesty scents unfurl and collect in the glass. The palate, oh my. Salty and lemony, with a stunning minerality late on. One problem... one bottles not enough!! -

 What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon! Jean-François

𝑬𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆 𝑫𝒆𝒖𝒙 𝑩𝒍𝒆𝒖𝒔, 2016

To a start, the nose had some matchstick, yeasty and croissant-like notes backed by some yellow apple. It opened up and offered fresh citrus, lemon peel, apricot, wax, honey, dried ginger and roasted nuts. Some smokey, stony and oystershell notes.

The palate is medium-bodied, tight and with a crispy and sharp acidity, that rounded over some time making it perfectly balanced. Ripe red apple, dried pear, lemon and red grapefruit, pickled ginger, fennel and walnut. Long finish, quite salt and super mineral.

• Hand-harvested from the famous Grass terroir

• 24 months in French oak barrels (small and big)

Kenjiro Kagami is very highly spoken and pretty much on every Jura-lovers’ lips. Everything about this domaine is small, except for prices and the international demand.

The name ‘Miroirs’ itself is both a play on his name in Japanese and he believes in an expression of the “Mirror” between himself, the wines and the terroir.

 ⭐️93+/100⭐️ 𝑬𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆 𝑫𝒆𝒖𝒙 𝑩𝒍𝒆𝒖𝒔, 2016 📍Côtes du Jura, Jura

2014 Domaine du Pelican - Trois Cepages Arbois (86 pts)

- Pale ruby color. Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of cranberry, redcurrant, sour cherry, earthy, tree bark, and rose petals. The wine is dry, high acidity that is extremely edgy, medium- drying tannins, medium acidity, and light body. The palate is underripe red fruit that come across sour. Underripe cranberry, currant, and cherry. Less earthy and floral on the palate. In general palate is more subdued than the nose. Finish is short. I have tried the previous 2 vintages and preferred them a lot more. This is underwhelming given the pedigree of Marquis d'Angerville.

 2014 Domaine du Pelican - Trois Cepages Arbois (86 pts)

1990 Camille Loye - Arbois Cuvee St. Paul (82 pts)

- The color is tawny with a red hue. Medium intensity nose that has a lot going on except fruit. Notes of tobacco, leather, and wet leaves. Noticeable oxidation with almond and carmel on the nose. There is also a high end honey smell that I would normally associate witg white wines, but Trousseau is barely red I guess. Dried apricot and dried cherries. Medium+ lively acidity, low soft tannins that have faded over time, medium alcohol and medium- body. A lot of tertiary flavors on the palate. Dried fruit like prunes, apricots, cranberries and cherries then quicky followed up by leather, tobacco, and cedar. The medium finish is salty-sweet flavors (wine is very dry) like salted almonds and honey. While I find this interesting and unique, it would be hard to imagine finishing anything more than a glass. I have had other older Arbois reds that have faired much better. This could be due to bottle variation or just simply passed its prime. I have a few other vintages I will check out soon.

 1990 Camille Loye - Arbois Cuvee St. Paul (82 pts)

2014 Caveau de Bacchus (Lucien & Vincent Aviet) - Arbois Trousseau Cuvée des Geologues Les Bruyeres (93 pts)

❓Do you have a favorite Jura Producer?·

ℹ️ Domaine was started in 1960 Lucien Aviet. His son Vincent works with him. They are traditionalists. Everything is hand harvested, all fruit is de-stemmed, indigenous yeasts, spontaneous fermentation, and aged in old large oak Foudres.  This Cuvée is named for the geologists who helped him choose where to place the which grape varieties. Vines are 40+ years old and planted in gravel on top of blue marl·

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe red currant, cherry, strawberry, violets, and wet rock·

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ lively acidity, medium- fine grained tannins (almost low), medium alcohol, and medium- body. Flavors of ripe crunchy red fruits. Sour cherry, cranberry, red currant, and strawberry. Followed by wet rock, slate, and an earthiness. Finish is long·

🔔 I know very little about this producer, but this is stunning juice. Elegant, pure fruit, and tons of minerality. Really balanced acidity, light tannins, and top notch finish. Snap these up if you can find them·

 2014 Caveau de Bacchus (Lucien & Vincent Aviet) - Arbois

2012 Domaine Didier Grappe - Les Insouciantes Cotes du Jura (80 pts)

- While I commend natural wine makers and organic vineyard practices, in the end if it doesn't come together then it's not good 🍷. Pale ruby color with a garnet watery rim. Medium- intensity on the nose. Aromas of cranberry, sour cherry, wet stone,dried leaves or tree bark. There is also a yeasty aroma that bothers me and I sometimes get this on natural wine. This wine is bottled with minimal sulphur. The wine is dry, high acidity, low tannins that are really subtle and resolved, medium- alcohol, and medium- body. Initial attack on the palate is crunchy red fruit, then it quickly gets taken over by this cheese rind, wet dog, yeasty beer (saison) flavor. My guess is Brett, but I am wondering if this is Mouse?The only reason I am thinking that is that this has gotten progressively worse after tasting this wine over 3 days. The finish is medium length, but not something you want to last long on the palate with this flavor profile. Probably just a bad bottle or just a natural wine that was sat on too long. My score and review may sound bad, but in reality this was an 85 when I opened it on day 1 and it just kept dropping. 80 = palatable at best. This wine is a blend of

the last one threw me compared to what is in most Cotes du Jura red blends.

 2012 Domaine Didier Grappe - Les Insouciantes Cotes du Jura

2011 Domaine Jean Bourdy - Cotes du Jura Rouge (91 pts)

- Noticeablely pale ruby color reflective of the region with a pale garnet rim. Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of red currant, Bing cherry, earthy, leather, and dried flowers. The wine is dry, high acidity,  Medium alcohol, medium- body, and low tannins that were spicy in nature. Similar flavors on the palate as on the nose. Extremely balanced and goes down so easily. The finish is subtle with medium+ length and quite floral. Classic Bourdy! Classic Jura!

 2011 Domaine Jean Bourdy - Cotes du Jura Rouge (91 pts)

𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐞𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐬  𝑹𝒆́𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒖 𝑪𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒂𝒖, 2014

📍Montigny-les-Arsures, Jura, France🇫🇷

After the Algerian war, Lucien Aviet established Caveau de Bacchus in 1960 located in Montigny-les-Arsures (just next to Arbois) in Jura. He went against the Chardonnay-trend and chose to focus mainly on Savagnin and Trousseau - today reputed as one of the best Trousseau-producers of the region.

Today, Lucien is retired and his son, Vincent, is running the business with same traditional philosophy and care for sustainable/organic viticulture.

Manually harvested from 50 years old vines located in Arbois and Montigny-Les-Arsures.

Natural fermentation with indigenous yeasts before spending 5 years in old 228 and 500 liter barrels with the traditional Jura oxidation method “sous voile” (like the Sherry-“flor wines”) with no racking and topping up during elevage. After around 3 years, a relatively big part of the wine has evaporated and a film of yeast is naturally layered on top of the wine.

The aromas of this beast are extremely expressive from the very beginning offering a mix of fresh yellow apple and brown oxidized windfallen apple, brown sugar, salt-baked lemon, candied ginger, old hayloft, walnut, honey, butterscotch, green stem, dried orange peel, a hint of curry and wet stones.

The palate is medium-bodied and slightly creamy with a surprisingly high acidic level and a sick minerality. It offers crispy ripe pear, green olives, lemon grass, golden raisin and ginger. The finish is very long and salt, leaving your mouth watering and with that special (and delicious) flavor of “flor”.

Quite like a Vin Jaune, but the acidity in this case outshines all the Vin Jaunes’ I’ve had.

 ⭐️93/100⭐️ 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐞𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐬  𝑹𝒆́𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒖 𝑪𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒂𝒖, 2014

The winery of Florent Rouve, run by Jean Rijckaert, are based just outside Mâcon in Bourgogne, from where they produce local classics such as Mâcon-Lugny, Viré-Clissé and Mâcon-Villages from their 4 hectares of land. But, they also have 5,5 hectares of land in Jura to take care of.

The viticulture are focused on sustainability and low human intervention, aiming for a classic, clean expression from the wines.

Vin Jaune, “yellow wine”, is made from late harvest Savagnin grapes, which undergo a slow and complete fermentation and rests 72 months in small oak casks. There’s no racking and topping up during the elevage, which results in ≈30% evaporation of the wine and the occurrence of a film of yeast called “voile” (same as “flor” in Spanish Sherry) that protects (not totally) the wine from oxidation. The combination of oxidation and the yeast particles are the fundamental elements of developing the flavors of Vin Jaune. It’s bottled in the special Clavelin bottle with only 62cl. The lost evaporated part is called “the angels’ share”.

From the very first smell, your not in doubt that you’re dealing with a voile/flor-wine. The aromas are very expressive with classic heavy oxidized notes - brown moldy windfallen apple, raisin, ripe pear, caramel, banana peel, warm hayloft, fresh fennel, roasted hazelnuts, wet gravel and a mild hint of curry.

The palate is bone dry and medium-bodied (slightly oily) offering dried pear and apricot, wet wood, orange peel and the special oxidized taste occurring from the voile.   It’s not super developed on the tongue yet but the nose is delicious.

For the price, this is a great Vin Jaune, but it lacks a bit of “everything” compared to the big boys in the game.

 ⭐️89/100⭐️ Florent Rouve Vin Jaune, 2012 📍Jura, France🇫🇷 🍇

𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐡 𝐃𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐧 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒖 “𝑽𝒊𝒆𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝑽𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒆𝒔”, 2018

‭Joseph started making his wines in 1989 from 2 ha located ‬on the slopes above the village of ‭Vadans, 5 kilometer west of Arbois. The vineyards were planted by his grandfather back in 1937, wi‬th an additional plot coming later in ‭1957.‬

‭The vineyards are organic and on the path to cer‬tification.‭ The soil is worked and turned effectively twice per year ‬with the help ‭by horses. The vineyard‬s are planted with a mix of Trousseau, ‭Ploussard and Pinot Noir for the reds, and Chardonnay and Savagnin f‬or the whites.

The grapes are hand-harvested from a tiny parcel of old vines. Destemmed before fermentation followed by 9 months in steel tanks.

If uncorking this bottle at such an early state, please (for your own sake) enjoy it over two days. The wine goes from “good” to “absolutely delicious”!

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟏) Reductive animalistic start, blowing off in favor of dried cranberry, strawberry wine gum, mild charcoal, white pepper and a touch of rose petals. Very mild and fruit forward. Still delicious.

Highly expressive and concentrated, offering (very) ripe strawberry with cream, candied raspberry, new asphalt, wet moss, pressed red flowers, fresh topsoil, cola, cool mint, white pepper and green hazelnuts.

Medium-bodied with super soft tannins and a refreshing acidic touch. Sour raspberry, blood orange, ripe cherry, garden herbs and mild anise. Long and cooling finish.

Pretty much the same. A little more expressive and some black tea added to the finish.

 ⭐️91/100⭐️ 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐡 𝐃𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐧 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒖 “𝑽𝒊𝒆𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝑽𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒆𝒔”

𝑭𝒐𝒖𝒅𝒓𝒆 𝒂̀ 𝑪𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏 “𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆́ 𝑶𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆́”, 2017

📍Pupillin, Arbois, Jura, France🇫🇷

Julien Mareschal established his tiny domaine of just 5 hectares in 2003, quickly moving his work in those vineyards to biodynamic practices.

Julien plays with more or less all traditional winemaking techniques and profiles, making non-oxidative, oxidative, dry and sweet wines. All very classic in style and quite far from the funky natural wines also found in Jura.

This Arbois Pupillin Blanc is non-oxidative (“ouillé” is the technical term for wine aged in topped-up barrels, which is important to distinguish from “voile” (flor) - especially in Jura - where the barrels aren’t topped up which results in an oxidative wine).

Manual harvesting with 50% destemming before fermentation, which takes place in 600L to 1500L foudres, where it rests for 24 months on the lees.

First thing I noticed on the nose was a heavy and delicious note of Danish “koldskål” with crumble. Lovely on a warm summer day.

Following was notes of ripe peach, banana, elderflower, sweet melon, butterscotch and a beeswax/honey thing.

The palate is medium-bodied with a fresh and lively acidity. A bit milky and oiled in texture. Yellow apple, tangerine, honey biscuit, white pepper and salt in the finish. Nice yeasty touch.

 ⭐️90/100⭐️ 𝑭𝒐𝒖𝒅𝒓𝒆 𝒂̀ 𝑪𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏 “𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆́ 𝑶𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆́”, 2017 📍Pupillin

Well, this wine really shows why Domaine Ganevat is one of the leading producers in Jura. The family has cultivated vines since around 1640, but it’s Jean-Francois who has raised the domaine to its current status. After some educating years in Burgundy (he went to the Beaune Wine School and had apprenticeship at Domaine Jean-Marc Morey in Chassagne-Montrachet), he took over the family domaine in 1998, and has run it since - now together with his sister, Anne. The domaine-wines are harvested from their own vineyards, while they also have amazing negoce-wines in their portfolio.

“Cuvée Orégane” is biodynamically harvested from vines planted in the mid 1970’s on clay-marl soils. The musts are vinified in in the, for Jura, quite modern ouillé-way (regularly topped-off demi-muids of 600-litres) to protect the wine from too much air/oxidization. It’s kind of a reformation to the “classic” Jura-styled wines under voile/flor. The wine is aged three years in old French oak.

Intense and fresh aromas of lemon peel, mild oxidized apple, a slight touch of valatility and garden herbs with a superb minerality showing notes of wet gravel, chalk and lead/pencil. It’s quite reductive as well with a marked scent of gunpowder, burnt matches and old eraser - all well integrated with the wood.

The wine is medium-bodied with high acidity and minerality in combination with tastes of white stone fruit, lemon juice, bergamot, dry hay, pine nuts and mild mushrooms. The energy and the balance, btw, is just incredible, and the finish seems endless with a tiny salty touch.

It’s got so much potential for many, many years of storage!

 ⭐️92/100⭐️ Domaine Jean-Francois Ganevat Cuvée Orégane, 2016

Florent Rouve took over the famed Rijckaert estate in 2013, after working alongside founder Jean Rijckaert.

Farming organically and with minimal intervention, Florent’s wines are known for their expressiveness, minerality and balance.

Vines are 30-35 years old, in gravelly limestone and grey marl soils. Fermented with native yeasts, aged for 18 months in neutral oak, unfined, unfiltered.

Transparent coral-ruby in colour, with aromas of cherry, raspberry, Darjeeling tea, earth.

Cherry, strawberry, summer earth and white pepper are framed by black tea tannins and tangy acidity.

Cherry and cranberry accent the crushed rock mineral finish.

Rijckaert ‘La Rouge’ Poulsard Arbois 2018

 Florent Rouve took over the famed Rijckaert estate in 2013

Benoit Badoz is the 10th generation to head the family domaine in the heart of the Jura region of eastern France. 10 hectares of vineyards are farmed with minimal intervention and organic methods, with a focus on encouraging and protecting the natural biodiversity.

Vines are on slopes between 300-350 meters in elevation with Roussots soils of a “mix of blue, grey and red marne over a clay and limestone subsoil”. Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts.

Dark garnet in colour, with aromas of blackberry, smoky pine and violet. Silky layers of black currant, plum, pomegranate, blackberry and eucalyptus are framed by hearty tannins and fresh acidity.

Black currant and flinty minerality infuse the velvety finish.

Domaine Badoz Trousseau Côtes du Jura 2018