it’s exactly what makes Balagny’s wines so special. That tart fruit + acidity combo sounds super refreshing. Wish I had a bottle to pop open right now!
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Clos de Vignes du Maynes - Au Quin Chateau 2018
Great Macon Cruzille. Lovely acidity and freshness for an otherwise challenging vintage. Hay, sesame seeds, lime in the nose and a long moderately acidic sip. Meyer lemon and yoghurt. It can probably age quite well, as has been my experience with his wines otherwise.
Will edit tomorrow if any changes in stability.
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Two lovely natural wines from last night. Ganevat showed very well. The Cavarodes was also very good, but perhaps not quite as complex as some of the older reds I had from the domaine.
- 2012 Jean-François Ganevat Grusse en Billat - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (3/13/2025)
Nice nose that picked up a LOT of weight with air. Notes of stone fruit, lemon, minerals, hay, herbs, and a hint of smoke. Nice acidity with lemon and lime notes, lots of minerals, salinity, and tart peach on the palate. Good finish. Lovely Chardonnay with good complexity. Compared to Ganevat’s higher end cuvées, this maybe misses a bit of complexity and length, but it’s so good on its own… (93 points) - 2015 Domaine des Cavarodes (Etienne Thiébaud) Arbois Trousseau de Messagelin - France, Jura, Arbois (3/13/2025)
Nice nose with notes of cherries, forest floor, a bit of brett / barnyard, and raspberries. There’s a little effervescence on the palate that never dissipated, good acidity, tart red fruit, more cherries, and earthy flavors. Good finish. Very nice wine, perhaps a bit less nuanced than some of the older Cavarodes reds (especially the Poulsards) I’ve had, though. (91 points)
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Recently picked up a bottle of Ganevat Les Grands Teppes VV 2019, will be my first time trying their wines. Anyone have a suggestion of when to drink it?
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I’d say with enough age. It’s a solid vintage and even if the wine is drinking remarkably well already now, most likely it will be so much better at +10 yrs of age.
And if you open a bottle in a knowledgeable crowd, nobody will ever chafe you for having a +10 yo Ganevat! 
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I generally agree with Otto’s advise, but if you never had Ganevat and this is your only bottle, waiting 10 years isn’t practical…
I’d say open it now and see how you like it, then stock up on more 
Or try to find one with a bit of age, ideally from 2015 or earlier…
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Not for 10 years, but for another 4-5 years!
But yeah, if one wants to just taste Ganevat, what better time than now?
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These two are right 
As Andy points out about the air— extensive airing will improve the experience.
I’ll happily open Labet and Ganevat 12-24 hours in advance and decant before serving.
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2023 Domaine de Mandelot HCdB. Very pretty nose, light berries and some Indian ink, but a lot of Brett.
Thank you all for the suggestions! I’ll hold onto it for a few more years, then share it with people who I know will appreciate it.
When it comes to zero sulfur wines, I am curious how some producers can consistently produce high quality, relatively clean/not faulty wine whereas others are littered with faults. I know it’s a scale, and even some of the top zero-sulfur wines contain some VA and other resulting characteristics, but from what I’ve read the Domaine Ganevat wines are all zero sulfur while still performing at the top level (particularly the whites it seems). Another good example would be Lapierre Morgon (the zero sulfur one).
That’s not to say they are always consistent, judging from Otto’s several Ganevat (and other Jura) tasting notes. However I wonder what the main variables are which make zero sulfur wines able to age gracefully for 5-10 years or more. Is it the high acidity of the wine? The age of the vines or quality of the grapes, leading to numerous other variables? Cleanliness of the winery itself?
And would the wines be “improved” with a small dose of sulfur? Or would it take away something in the wine?
Sorry, it’s something I’ve been thinking about lately while exploring wines with differing amounts of sulfur added. The consensus seems to be that using a tiny amount of sulfur to stabilize the wine, but not too much, is ideal. Luckily there are wines out there produced both ways, such as the aforementioned Lapierre Morgon (the “S” version having sulfur added if I remember correctly), so I suppose you can get a sense of what the difference might be. I haven’t tried a zero-sulfur and minimal-sulfur wine side by side before, which might be a good place to start.
Sorry for the tangent and for any of my information that might be incorrect. It’s something I’ve been thinking about lately, especially since I work with a lot of “natural wines” at work (ITB).
You’re thinking of Lapierre
You’re right, whoops! Got them mixed up. I’ll edit my post.
Amazing wines for lunch at one of our favorite locale restaurants. Also had a mind blowing bottle of 1988 Dom Perignon, but I guess that doesn’t qualify for this thread
- 2018 Domaine Bizot Marsannay Clos du Roy - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Marsannay (3/15/2025)
Gorgeous wine on the nose with perfumed notes of darker fruit, cherries, spices, cloves, earth, and forest floor. Good acidity with a bit of tannic structure on the palate and flavors of strawberries, darker cherries, and more forest and underwood. There's a lot going on and the flavors are delineated and quite complex. Nice and lingering finish. Super delicious, serious wine that is drinking well but should ideally age for another 7-10+ years. I don't recall having anything remotely close in quality from Marsannay. 94++ (94 points)
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It’s rare that I’m totally charmed by Riesling - I usually enjoy them more on an academic level than an emotional one if that makes any sense at all. This is different. Certainly the most “natural” Riesling I’ve had with a heavy dose of VA and a whiff of something that for lack of a better vocabulary I will have to just call funk. But it’s well integrated and energetic rather than detracting. Oodles citrus and pale stone fruits, bursting with bright acidity, and yet carrying a subtly yeasty character I don’t usually associate with Riesling. I’d have to look at the spec sheet, but I bet from the mouthfeel it’s carrying a faint hint of residual sugar too.
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All are important factors. When I read stories of how the chickens run freely from garden to chai at Metras I can’t help but think they’re important factors of this voluntary game of roulette I choose to indulge in. On the other hand, Cornelissen supposedly runs a very clean shop and has now switched over to a little sulphites added, but his wines can also be tainted.
Maybe it’s worth doing a comparison yes. Buronfosse doesn’t use sulphites at all as far as I’m aware, so maybe doing a comparison with Ganevat and Labet would be interesting as they all share the Varron field I believe. Labet adds a little sulphites from time to time. Ganevats’ use seems to be hard to establish— although he states that the reds see absolutely no added sulphites, which to me just seem a bit crazy. Labet has started bottling red Pinots with these labels;
“Vin sensible á l’air, à boire dès l’ouverture”
In the Alsace I can also recommend trying Schuellers Eichberg GC or Meyers Muenchberg GC next to a conventional maker.
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I can recommend the Schiefergold! With 10+ years of age, they just sing. Like all rieslings they reward time tenfold.
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Rarer than Musigny if targeting a rather different crowd. There might be a good Passetoutgrain there somewhere but it is hiding behind a secondary fermentation fizz.
A bit of a perplexing wine. Could smell this all day, though…
- 2014 Gerard Schueller Pinot Noir LN012 - France, Alsace (3/16/2025)
First experience with Schueller's Pinots. The nose is fantastic! Layers of fruit, flowers, a hint of baking spices, blood orange, pine needles, and tart berries. The palate, on the other hand, is predominantly tart and acidic. Once you get past that tartness, there are strawberries, pomegranate, tart cherries, and earthy notes. Good finish. I'm not really sure what to think about this. I absolutely loved the nose (and would probably rate it 94-95) but the palate is too much of a contrast and doesn't have the depth (probably a 88-89). (90 points)
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Mac Forbes EB Big Willy Nebbiolo.
I don’t know the producer, from Yarra Valley. This is part of their ‘experimental’ range. Very light red, a hint of brick dust, tastes like a white, but just a little unclean. 11.5%. Poor value really.
@patrick_c_albright posted about these wines a few times now and I had one in my cellar, which I opened last night. This is great stuff!!
- 2011 Domaine Le Moutherot (Georges Comte) Chardonnay Champ de la Pierre - France, Vin de France (3/17/2025)
Nice nose with notes of lemon, minerals, white peach, apples, and a hint of reduction. Great acidity on the palate with a bit richer mouthfeel but lots of minerals and citrus flavors for balance. Good finish. This was surprisingly good! Almost feels like a Boyer wine with less VA and a bit more ripeness. Good complexity and some tertiary notes just about to emerge, this is drinking perfectly right now. (94 points)
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