SAY HI TO CEDRIC

G’day,

Just back from lovely Umbria where I was busy sourcing the goods, more on that when the wines land in the New Year but I can say, it’ll be a tasty start to proceedings.

Onto more pressing matters…

Like all good things, this one has taken time. I’ve been drinking these wines on sight for the last 5 years, visiting Cedric for the last 2 and unpacking the pallet for the last hour. Finally we’re ready to launch Domaine des Notes Bleues.

Tucked up in quiet Mesnay, Cédric Mottet has been producing sublime bottlings ever since he resettled in the area in 2017. With his background in music, there’s both a precision and a flow to the winemaking that translates to the glass. These are wines of purity and finesse above all else.

Since acquiring the ‘Les Nouvelles’ plot bought from Stephane Tissot in 2017

Cédric has built up almost 5ha of vineyard land, mostly with old vines of 60-70 years, including the ‘Cul de Bray’ vineyard which sits on the upper slopes in Mesnay overlooking the cellar. He draws on experience in the cellars of Renardière and Touraize as well as a nod to the Burgundian method of parcel selection and isolation for his suite of wines.

All farming is organic, and in the cellar work is fastidious and controlled. The resulting wines are those of immense purity and translation of place and variety. Nothing better.

We’re stoked to be able to offer out the following wines. These are an absolute steal in terms of price:quality anywhere in the world, but especially in the Jura. Fill yer boots, whilst you still can…

Chardonnay ‘Marchand de Cailloux’ 2021

Old vines planted on calcareous scree. A tingling, ozone driven iteration with that lively sensation I associate with the best wines of the region in a modern style. Such an energetic wine, despite having a couple of years resting in bottle already, tightly coiled yet extremely expressive on the front/mid palate.

Chardonnay 'La Pierre, les Abscisses' 2023

A selection of fruit from both marne and calcareous soils. In contrast to the Cailloux there is a distinct Burgundian feel to the shape. It spends 12 months in fût, lending some breadth and allowing the fruit to develop some open knit character. As with all the whites, the rear is dominated by a phenolic tension that keeps us jumping back in.

Savagnin Ouille ‘Les Sarres’ 2023

Older vines planted on marnes soil, the vineyard enjoying both decent altitude as well as south easterly aspect - sunshine. This is a style I could hammer all day. Exotic fruits, musky aromatics and texture cut to shreds by driving acidity.

52ème rue, une nuit, un oiseau 2023

A blend of Chardonnay planted on grey marl and Savagnin off calcareous soils. Spritely as soon as the cork is pulled, the Savagnin is really dominant on the palate at present showing faint oxidation which nicely balances out the ozone character of the acidity.

Pinot Noir 'Le Cul du Bray' 2023

Le Cul du Bray sits overlooking the town of Mesnay on limestone and gravel soils.

A short maceration as whole berries before spending 6 months in tank, bottled without SO2. Really pure, blue fruited with plenty of acidity derived from both soil and the cooler microclimate enjoyed here.

Pinot Noir 2023

A blend of fruit from parcels in Mesnay as well as Les Nouvelles in Arbois. The same winemaking as with the Cul du Bray, save for the addition of 1g of SO2 at bottling. Way more tannin on show here, as well as plenty of herbal spice. There is a tonic like quality to the wine, more savoury and floral but in a decaying way. Tasty.

Trousseau 'Clos de Verreux' 2023

As with the Pinot, the aim here is for a shorter maceration and to get the juice in bottle asap to avoid anything going awry. No SO2 added.

Made from the increasingly rare Trousseau à la Dame, it shows immense poise and fragrant spice from the off. Musky and ethereal on the palate, it is one for more immediate consumption.

xoxo
Dan