Salon #2 - Le Nez dans le Vert - Arbois - Les vignerons bio du Jura - March 2017
The now unmissable Jura show ("Le Nez dans le Vert") was back at Winery de la Pinte for its 7th edition. It is with a sunny weather that I take the road on Sunday, March 26th to join Arbois and position myself not far from the show. Objective: to be on my feet early, with my nose in the glass!
As soon as I arrived on Monday morning, I realised that the professionals had already arrived. We have to park at the bottom of the hill. No problem after all, what better way to get into shape than to climb the road leading to the cellars of Winery for a good fifteen minutes. As soon as your breath is settled, you go to the entrance to get the sesame (meal ticket, glass and tasting booklet). I leave the sun, the light, to enter the cellar where the wine growers are lined up (about forty of them, anyway). Yes, I confirm, there are many people, but much less than on Sunday, the day of the individuals. For this show, the winemakers have been voluntarily restricted in the number of vintages (7 maximum... phew, that's going to rest our taste buds and our brains a bit).I start my little tour at Alice Bouvot 's (Winery de l'Octavin) and I taste again the wines already partly tasted at Les Anonymes (Angers, last February). It is therefore a 2016 Chardonnay still maturing that will be the reference wine for this morning. And it is in place, and even very well in place! We go round the wines, in the company of 6 other people, and 6 vintages later, I leave a little card saying 'if ever...' :-) Next to Alice, we find the cowboy Philippe Bornard with his big Jura smile, his good mood and his few natural sparkling wines (the only wines to be tasted this time).
From now on, I don't go it alone because I meet my friends from Lyon (Fred from Vercoquin and Didier from En attendant Septembre). It's always nicer to taste and share with others at a wine fair. It's also a good way to exchange on each other's favourites or dislikes! My way to the back of the cellar now leads me to one of the newcomers of Petitescaves.com: Valentin Morel (Winery Morel or Winery les Pieds sur Terre). The moment is pleasant, we taste the wines we currently offer, except the Trousseau 2015 (sold out at Winery), then some new vintages, already reserved. And finally, still maturing but soon to be available, the magnificent Trousseau 2016, which runs full of freshness around my mouth. Paf! Hmmmm... I have to hurry a bit because from 7 vintages to 7 vintages, I am not progressing at the desired pace. My fellow travellers and tasters suggest I go and see Winery Les Bottes Rouges, directed by Jean-Baptiste Menigoz. Very nice sensations, in particular - for once - on Pinot noir. We talk about the availability, the possibilities of... " will have to see according to, must send an email "... it will be done, don't worry dear friends!
Mirror effect and sunrise
I then find myself in the last third of this tunnel cellar (albeit bottomless) and the human density per square metre is much, much higher... why, how?! The answer comes quickly. The names, those who have made and still make the reputation of the Jura are there. You'll have to be patient but how can you not go there if not to refresh yourself and update some of the vintages that we offer on our website. On the way I hand my glass at arm's length to Winery des Miroirs (Kenjiro Kagami - "Kagami" means mirror). A small Winery of 2.5 ha, only 2 vintages... but 2 splendid pearls where, yes, a beautiful energy emerges. What a balance, what a skeleton! Well, this was just to please myself, nothing to sell because in reality almost 90% of the production goes to the Land of the Rising Sun: I'll send the nth email just in case...
The Vin Jaune of Winery Labet. We approach Winery Labet ; Julien is not there but we see Charline and Romain (Julien's brother and sister). Pouhaou, so many people, it doesn't matter, we have to go there even if we have almost nothing to sell at the moment... The wines are magical and in particular we love the 2009 Vin Jaune which has just been bottled... We dream of... but it's good to dream, isn't it? Pierre Overnoy
Star duel: Overnoy VS Ganevat
My journey continues to greet my friends Manu & Anne Houillon and the famous Pierre Overnoy. Pierre is always there, smiling, eyes sparkling. He poses with many people, selfies here and there. During this time, Manu shows a 2016 Savagnin aged young, round and a bit rough but already fine, with a 2010 Savagnin still aged in a cool cellar. Obviously, nothing to see, and understanding what time brings to the wine, at Grape variety is called terroir, minerality and aromatic complexity. Yes, Grape variety is fading! Of course I want to know when the 2010 will be bottled: " no idea, probably within 2 years, but when?? I can't tell you" replies (I imagine tirelessly) Emmanuel to the tasters who come and go non-stop. Next to the Houillon-Overnoy (their official name in fact since 2012, when Pierre adopted Emmanuel), there is another great name, I named "de toute beauté". You heard me right, the famous Fanfan: Jean-François Ganevat, here with his sister Anne.
More than anywhere else, the world is there, the glasses are outstretched and waiting for their turn to taste the 7 vintages presented that day such as Florine 2004, Marguerite 2014, Les Grandes Teppes 2014, Cuvée Julien 2015, etc... We can say to ourselves that we are going to be critical with the wines, but the result is clear: yes, they are great wines! The 2014 whites have a vivacity, a crystalline purity ... wow, the wait was worth it. I say tasting because to discuss, useless and hopeless. It is time to go back in the other direction to discover other domains like Les Marnes Blanches (with a magnificent traminer, a kind of muscat savagnin). I am still waiting for the prices ;-) We taste a sublime trousseau at Etienne Thiébaud (Winery des Cavarodes) then we spend a little longer at Loreline Laborde (Winery les Granges Paquenesses) with a Chardonnay under veil, which is rare because it is very difficult to make. Nothing for sale, "a waiting list of more than 3 years " she says... gloups. I'm not going to mention the few glasses of tasting at Tissot, a brief visit to La Tournelle (the whites are always among my favourites).
We take stock, calmly
We've been tasting underground for a good three hours now, and it's high time to get back to the sun and have a little snack offered by the winegrowers! Thanks guys. A traditional Jura dish: sausages, potatoes, pork loin and a piece of Comté cheese. To fill the glasses, Philippe Bornard's 2014 Ginglet vintage (trousseau). Slurp... A little walk in the sun, then coffee, and finally to look for and find Anne Houillon-Overnoy to get some of their wines, for the pleasure of course (shhh!!). For lunch, Ginglet 2014 from Philippe Bornard...It's 3pm++,
It's time to get back on the road with a little diversions to Hersinger's in Arbois (Chocolatier M.O.F) and then on to the casa. This show was again a nice vintage, with the feeling that it is going to be more and more complicated to get wine from the Jura where the terroirs are now widely recognised. In any case, I spent a good part of the day the nose in the glass In any case, I have spent a good part of the day and I hope we will have some positive news from one or two selected estates. That would be a success in itself. :-) See you next year!