TALES FROM THE JURA + SAVOIE 🤩

Hey you lovely lot,

Just writing this as I make my way back from an unforgettable 5 days exploring Jura, Bugey, and Savoie. I'll give you a proper rundown once my liver and arteries have recovered. For now, here's a sneak peek at a few gems we’ve got in stock. Fear not, this trip was fruitful for discoveries so you can expect some new gems arriving over the coming weeks! Start saving ;)

One of the many stops was at Fumey Chartelain, where I got to catch up with Marin. These wines always overdeliver and after seeing the farming and vines, it’s easy to see why. The 2022 Arbois Chardonnay might be the best Jura at it’s price point. Laughable that we’re considering it the “entry point.” It’s fresh, with tons of energy, whilst the single-site expressions are real stunners—serious wines with long-aging potential from some incredible parcels…

Not just a Chardonnay wizard, Marin also makes an Ouille Savagnin that’s as varietal as they come. And the Oxy? Think of it like a baby Vin Jaune – raw nuts and curried spice galore! Marin was also kind enough to crack open some dusty bottles from 1999 and 2000, and they were still young… Marin even got the East London memo about wild garlic season, and here you can see some growing in a newly acquired parcel that is being split with a certain Mr Tissot! Biodiversity is rife here, and it’s this healthy soil that really makes these wines sing.

Another highlight worth mentioning is Domaine De Gringet, where I spent a marathon 8-hour visit ending at 2 AM. All their wines are vinified the same way – in a mix of concrete eggs and steel, which is a win for terroir geeks like me who love tasting the land itself. Bergerie, their ‘entry-level’ blend of sites, is now really hitting its stride, with a flinty reduction that’s mellowed out beautifully, balancing crisp apple and fresh fruit flavors. Etraz, from the site that used to be in the famous Mont Blanc fizz, is creamy on the palate with a delicate, detailed nose. We even tasted a 2011 fizz from this site so I wouldn’t worry if you forget about it for another 15 years. Chez Ed, from the highest and oldest vines – super gnarly, low-yielding, and packed with power. A wine that’s only going to get better as it ages. Despite going all in on Gringet they still have a small amount of Altesse. This is more textured and fleshy but still with plenty of alpine freshness. Another one that’s destined for the ages when it goes all golden and savoury.

My phones about to die I’ve just been handed one last bottle to swig from as we head back to London from the airport so I’ll call it day! Plenty and I mean plenty of exciting bits to come though so watch this space. If you want to hear me ramble on about this trip you should say Hi! at our Heinrich event in a few weeks.

LYSM
Fionn

xoxo