TN: Some Jura newcomers and more established names (Ganevat, Cavarodes, Bienaimé, Lannay)

WINE TALK
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These are my notes from a small Jura tasting we had last December.

We started off with a wannabe Bugey-Cerdon by Ganevat (ie. an off-dry pét-nat), followed by two wines by Maxime Lannay, a young winemaker who used to work at Domaine de l’Octavin and made his first wines in the very difficult 2017 vintage. Biodynamic farming and very minimal-intervention approach in the cellar; no SO2, etc. The wines we had were Vin de France without any indication of vintage, but based on the lot number, these were from 2018, so most likely they were from Lannay’s sophomore vintage.

Then we moved on to the wines of Bruno Bienaimé, another naturalist newcomer who used to work at Georges Laval, in Champagne, for approximately 10 years before moving in to Jura in 2016. His first vintage was 2017, too, resulting in a meager production of a few thousand bottles or so. Currently he farms 3,5 hectares according to organic principles and keeps to a hands-off philosophy in the cellar.

Finally we had a flight of more established naturalist names of Jura - one red wine from Domaine des Cavarodes and one white and one red from the Jurassic maverick, JF Ganevat.

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  • 2018 Anne et Jean-Francois Ganevat La Bubulle à Jeannot - France, Vin de France (26.11.2020)
    The wine is NV, but since all the sources say that this is 2018, I must assume this is 2018 vintage. The small wax coating on the crown cap (not around it) seems like a lousy joke. This is a naturalist pét-nat composed of a blend of Poulsard and Gamay, in the style of Bugey-Cerdon. 11% alcohol.

Pale reddish-pink color. Clean, restrained and fruity nose with aromas of ripe red apples, some strawberry, a little bit of brambly raspberry, light leesy notes of yeast, a hint of white peach and a touch of fruit candies. the wine is dry-ish to off-dry and light-bodied on the palate with rather ripe flavors of ripe red apples and fresh cherries, some crunchy white fruits, a little bit of strawberry whipped cream, light stony mineral tones, creamy hints of leesiness and a touch of licorice. Moderately high in acidity with tiny, soft mousse. The finish is quite straightforward and rather short with quite clean flavors of strawberries, apples, some brambly raspberries, a little bit of boysenberry, a hint of leesy yeast and a subtle touch of something funky that might turn into mousiness with air. Fortunately for the time being there is no mousiness in the aftertaste.

A nice, easy and straightforward little pét-nat. Feels like an inexpensive Sec sparkling wine that can’t decide whether to be white or rosé. Perhaps a bit simple, linear and short, but eminently refreshing and drinkable. The strawberry whipped cream notes seem to grow only intensity with air, but I fear that so do the funky notes in the aftertaste suggesting mousiness, which is why I wouldn’t leave the wine opened for a particularly long time. Pop open and drink fast. (84 pts.)

  • 2018 Maxim Lannay Raffut Tendu - France, Vin de France (26.11.2020)
    Lot CHCUFUT2018, so I guess this must be from the 2018 vintage. 100% Chardonnay from 20-60 yo vines grown in Montigny les Arsures, Jura. Aged for 12 months in old oak barrels (1/3) and “tanks” (2/3) - I don’t know if this refers to concrete or fiberglass tanks. Vinified without any added sulfites, bottled unfiltered. 11,5% alcohol.

Pale lemon yellow color. Sweet and rather lifted nose with aromas of bananas and apricots, some nail polish VA, a little bit of sweet golden apple, light funky notes of bretty leather and a phenolic hint of smoke. The wine is lively, rather lifted and very slightly prickly on the palate with a light-to-medium body and ripe yet quite crisp flavors of fresh golden apples, some bretty leather, a little bit of sweet nail polish remover character of VA, light banana tones, a hint of bretty barnyard funk and a savory Touch of phenolic spice. Overall the wine has a somewhat lambic feel to it - only lower in acidity and higher in VA. The finish is ripe yet rather short with somewhat sauvage flavors of apple, some banana, a little bit of leathery funk, light earthy tones and a hint of sesame seed that suggests a slightest hint of mousiness. Most likely this nutty note of mousiness will overwhelm the aftertaste if the wine is left open for too long.

A rather generic and “natty” naturalist Chardonnay with very little sense of place. The combination of quite elevated VA and tropical fruits really don’t make the wine particularly interesting or appealing. While the wine is drinkable, I wouldn’t go as far to say it’s enjoyable. Overall the wine has a somewhat lambic beer feel to it, but if I want to drink lambics, I drink lambics, not Vins de France from Jura. I’m all for natural wines, but that means the winemaker should at least know what they are doing; this producer could probably go far if they’d use some sulfites instead of doing the extremist natural wine thang. Waste of money at 31,65€. (80 pts.)

  • 2018 Maxim Lannay Don’t Take My Coconuts - France, Vin de France (26.11.2020)
    Lot CHMAC2018, so I guess this must be from the 2018 vintage. 100% Chardonnay from Jura. Other sources say the wine is macerated with the skins for 2 months, others say the wine is vinified as whole bunches for 2,5 weeks. Don’t know what to trust here. Aged for 12 months in old oak barrels. Vinified without any added sulfites, bottled unfined and unfiltered. 11,5% alcohol.

Slightly hazy golden yellow color. Heavily volatile nose with aromas of nail polish remover, some overripe nectarine and a hint of funk. The wine is ripe, sweet-toned and heavily volatile on the palate with a medium body and rather wild flavors of nail polish remover and ether, some ripe apples, a little bit of nectarine, light notes of orange and a rough, vinegary hint of acetic acid. Overall the acetic acid seems to add a bit of sharpness and lift to the acidity that otherwise seems to drop in the glass as the wine warms up - I wonder if there was some CO2 in the wine, boosting the acidity upon opening? There are no tannins whatsoever. The finish is ripe, rather acetic and quite lifted with flavors of nail polish remover, some tart notes of barely ripe orange, a little bit of ripe red apple, light savory notes of phenolic spice, a hint of vinegary roughness in the throat and a touch of nuttiness that seems to grow into full-blown mousiness as the wine stays open.

A rather poor, unbalanced and overtly natty wine that feels more like a very ripe white wine than an actual orange wine. The excessive levels of VA make the wine feel quite unpleasant. Overall the wine is all over the place, lacking freshness, typicity and sense of focus. A rip-off at 31,65€. Avoid. (66 pts.)

  • 2018 Domaine Bienaimé Le Savagnin de Bruno Bienaimé - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (26.11.2020)
    100% Savagnin, the grapes are sourced from two vineyards; Champ Levot and Vignes de Cour. Fermentated spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, aged for approx. 2 years in oak, bottled unfiltered on July 31st, 2020. Bottle #418 of total 1082 bottles. 12,7% alcohol.

Lemon-yellow color. Cool and somewhat waxy nose with aromas of bright, lemony citrus fruits, some sweeter notes of ripe yellow fruits, light notes of creamy oak, light savory woody tones, a hint of sweet bun dough and a touch of cinnamon. The wine feels light-bodied, intense and quite racy yet not too high-strung on the palate with very focused flavors of pronounced lemony fruit, tangy salinity, some creamy oak tones, a little bit of stony minerality, light Granny Smith apple notes and a crunchy hint of whitecurrant. Very structured, bracing acidity. Long, mouthwatering finish with precise flavors of creamy oak, tangy salinity, some lemony citrus fruit, a little bit of ripe Granny Smith apple, light steely mineral tones, a hint of whitecurrants and an Alpine touch of wet stones,

A wonderfully fresh, firm and focused Savagnin that shows lots of fruit and tons of acidity to back it all up. The oak character doesn’t seem to exhibit much if any new oak tones, but it still feels rather prominent - probably because the wine is bottled only a few months ago. The overall feel is still very youthful and perhaps a bit nervous and all over the place, which is why I’d say the wine will benefit greatly from at least a few years of aging. I’d leave the wine in a cellar for another 4-6 years, just to integrate the oak a bit better with the fruit and let the wine get its game better together. Nevertheless, all things considered, this is a wonderful, fresh and precise ouillé Savagnin that just screams of the sense of place. Stylish stuff showing tons of future potential. (92 pts.)

  • 2018 Domaine Bienaimé Le Trousseau de Bruno Bienaimé - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (26.11.2020)
    100% Trousseau, the grapes are sourced from two vineyards; Aux Chaffaux and Vignes de Cour. Fermentated spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, aged for approx. 2 years in oak, bottled unfiltered on July 31st, 2020. Bottle #383 of total 1303 bottles. 12,6% alcohol.

Youthful, luminous and somewhat translucent black cherry color. At first the nose exhibits some flatulent reduction, which slowly blows off revealing aromas of sappy forest fruits like lingonberries crowberries and sweeter notes of wild strawberries along with mineral notes of cool wet stones, a little bit of herbal character and a hint of brambly black raspberry. As the reduction continues to disappear, a little bit of sweet, toasty oak makes its appearance. The wine is dry, acid-driven and very crunchy on the palate with a rather light body and crisp flavors of tart lingonberries and crowberries, some sour cherries, a little bit of licorice, light savory woody tones, a brambly hint of stony minerality and a sappy touch of vegetal character. The reduction lends a slightly smoky note of fireworks smoke to the taste, while the toasty oak peeks through a bit here and there. Great, fresh and acidity but no tannins to speak of. The finish is dry, fresh and quite acid-driven with savory flavors of crowberries and black raspberries, some licorice root, a little bit of sweet toasty oak spice, light peppery tones and a tart hint of lingonberry.

A very nice, fresh and crunchy Trousseau that feels more like a light and playful little red wine than a tough and dead-serious example of the variety that would call for lots of cellaring. Stylistically this is quite close to a lighter-end Cru Beaujolais or a top-notch Bourgogne Villages. Overall the wine is drinking very nicely already this young, but I’d let the wine wait for at least a few years, just to let the reduction disappear a bit and the oak integrate better with the fruit - it feels still a bit disjointed this soon after bottling. All in all, this is a nice and pure effort that shows some potential for future improvement. Recommended. (90 pts.)

Youthful, somewhat translucent and slightly dull, deep black cherry color. Cool yet ripe nose with attractive, dark-toned aromas of classic Pinosity, some wet stone minerality, light sweet notes of black cherries, a little bit of sous-bois, a hint of savory bretty funk and a lifted, floral touch of rose petals. Overall the nose feels quite clean and very pretty. The wine is ripe, light-to-medium-bodied and quite savory on the palate that feels more funky and sauvage than the nose with flavors of crunchy cranberries and ripe lingonberries, some sweet lift from the VA, a little bit of earthy farmhouse funk and autumnal leaves, light peppery tones, a slightly acetic hint of sharp VA and a touch of sour cherry bitterness. The acidity feels high - although there might be a bit of CO2 here, since the acidity seems to drop slightly as the wine opens up - with very light and gently grippy tannins. The finish is dry, acid-driven and very subtly tannic with quite long flavors of tart lingonberries and sour cherry bitterness, some sous-bois, a little bit of acetic roughness in the throat, light peppery tones, a hint of leathery funk and a touch of autumnal leaves. The aftertaste is quite clean, but the funky tones and somewhat elevated level of VA strongly suggest that the wine is going to get quite mousy if left open for too long.

All in all, this is an enjoyably fresh and crunchy Jura with a lovely, fragrant and quite attractive nose. However, the wine leaves something to be desired with its rather natty taste; just a bit lower levels of VA would make a great difference, as the funky notes alone don’t bother much, but the somewhat rough and aggressive vinegary streak from the acetic acid takes a small toll on the pleasure. Overall the wine shows good intensity and sense of balance between the ripeness and the rather high acidity. However, I’m not entirely convinced. I think this could be so much better had a smallest dose of SO2 been used during the vinification… (88 pts.)

Medium-deep and very slightly hazy lemon yellow color. Dry and somewhat restrained but also very nuanced and attractive nose with layered aromas of ripe golden apples, some leesy creaminess, light savory woody tones, a little bit of hay and nutty notes of slivered almonds, hints of ripe citrus fruits and a touch of chalky minerality. Overall the nose is wonderfully clean and precise for a naturalist wine. On the palate the wine feels very ripe and quite concentrated, but at the same time noticeably saline, mineral and almost electric with its bracing acidity. Intense flavors of ripe lemony citrus fruits, some steely minerality, a little bit of hay, light leesy notes of creaminess, a hint of savory old wood and a nutty touch of chopped almonds. Overall the wine feels very firm, sleek and structured with its racy acidity. The finish is firm, concentrated and mouth-cleansing with very lengthy flavors of tangy salinity and tart lemony citrus fruits, some sharp notes of Granny Smith apple, a little bit of hay, light nutty notes of toasted walnuts, leesy hints of creaminess and a touch of stony minerality.

A very beautiful, firm and classically built ouillé Jura Chardonnay that is - true to the Ganevat style - an impressive combination of electric acidity, pronounced salinity and lots of concentrated yet somewhat restrained fruit. Overall the wine feels so very impressive, but all too youthful as well. Most likely the wine calls for another 5 years before it doesn’t come across as too nervous and high-strung and probably another 10-15 before the wine starts to close in on its plateau of maturity. Feels not unlike a Cru Chablis of the highest degree - only that this is better than most Chablis out there. Spectacular. (94 pts.)

  • 2018 Jean-François Ganevat En Billat - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (26.11.2020)
    100% Pinot Noir from a biodynamically farmed vineyard planted at a high altitude. Fermented spontaneously, aged for a year in Burgundy barrels, bottled unfined and unfiltered. 12,5% alcohol.

Youthful, pale and fully translucent raspberry red color with a thin pink rim. Incredibly fragrant and seductive nose with perfumed aromas of ripe cranberries and brambly raspberries, some hibiscus, light lifted notes of floral bretty funk, light grape marmalade tones, a sweet hint of exotic spices and a touch of kirsch. The nose is undeniably wild, but nevertheless remarkably clean and very attractive. The wine is clean, vibrant and rather light-bodied on the palate with ridiculously crunchy flavors of tart lingonberries, ripe cranberries, some brambly raspberry tones, light floral notes of violets and hibiscus, a little bit of bretty orange zest and phenolic peppery spice, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a subtly acetic touch of VA. The acidity feels moderately high, but there are really no tannins to speak of. The finish is light, lively and very subtly grippy with quite long, acid-driven flavors of tart cranberries and lingonberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of stony minerality, light brambly notes of raspberries and a hint of tangy saline minerality.

A beautifully fragrant and subtly sauvage Pinot Noir that feels more like a light bistro wine made in the style of a Loire or Beaujolais Gamay than attempting to be a serious wine to challenge Burgundy Pinot Noir. The overall style is markedly natural without coming across as excessively natty. There’s lots of everything except for weight or much ripeness. Most likely this wine won’t be built for the long run, but is instead showing its best when it is still young. Overall a very fresh, playful and hands-down smashable effort. Recommended. (92 pts.)

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