Kopin!

Nestled in between Burgundy and Switzerland, the cool climate mountain of Jura is home to forty different grape varietals grown in vineyards planted on slopes at varying altitudes and gradients. Winemaking styles vary enormously, and many of the wines in the Jura go through a traditional, intentional oxidation.

Like many of the world’s best vignerons, Jean-Francois Ganevat has re-discovered techniques and grape varieties from the past to make cutting edge wines. After training in Beaune and spending 9 years as the Maitre de Chai at Jean-Marc Morey in Chassagne-Montrachet, he returned to make wines at his family domain in 1998, the 14th generation of his family to do so since 1650. His objective was to make wines with the same philosophy as the best wines of Burgundy, aiming to lend greater lightness and elegance to his wines, using ouillage to top off barrels.

With 12 hectares under vine, the family had seventeen different local varietals planted of both red and white grapes—an incredible amount of variation to consider for holdings of such small size. He was fortunate that his father had preserved the ancient, yet outlawed, Jura varieties including Petit Béclan, Gros Béclan, Gueuche (white and red), Seyve-Villard, Corbeau, Portugais Bleu, Enfariné, Argant, Poulsard Blanc. Ganevat finds these varieties interesting because they are easily drinkable with a low alcohol content. They are all inter-planted, like in other ancient vineyard sites across France. For such a fervent perfectionist and insatiable lover of details as Jean-François, the decision to have the domaine certified as biodynamic was a natural choice.

Jean-François creates a stunning number of cuvées, ranging between thirty-five and forty every year! His methodology goes far beyond the details of the average vigneron. For some, his process would be maddening, as each cuvée calls for a highly individualized élévage. All his wines are de-stemmed by hand, each cluster carefully trimmed with scissors.