Marnes Blanches "Les Molates"
Regular price $70.00
Unit price per
Grapes: Chardonnay
Region: Jura, France
Vintage: 2022
Viticulture: Organic
Soils: Red Marl under Limestone
Vinification: Direct press
Aging: 18 months in neutral oak
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: Minimal added
Notes from the Importer: Natives of the Jura, both Pauline and Géraud’s families owned tiny plots (used to make wine for home consumption) and spending time in the vines in their childhood was enough to give them the wine bug. They met while studying winemaking in Dijon and created Domaine des Marnes Blanches when they returned to the Jura in 2006.
They farmed organically from the word go and have added (some planted) parcels along the way to reach a total of 12ha today, spread across three towns in the Sud-Revermont (south of the Côtes-du-Jura AC). Cesancey, their first acquisition, is home to the white marl after which the domaine is named, while Gevingey, Vincelles and Ste-Agnès have more varied soil types, the majority being red marl and gryphées (limestone rich in fossils).
They recently built a new winery off the main road in Ste-Agnès which gives them plenty of space and allows them to vinify and age every parcel separately. Wild yeast fermentation is the norm, wines are fermented in stainless steel and then aged in minimum 5yo 228 to 600ltr barrels. Sulphur is used sparsely for the whites or not at all for the reds.
Their range concentrates on topped up chardonnay and savagnin, but they also offer a very useful Vin Jaune and tiny quantities of pinot noir, trousseau and poulsard usually vinified through semi-carbo with whole bunches.
It is also worth adding that Géraud responded to the loss to frost of 90% of their 2017 production by setting up a micro-brewery along with another of our suppliers Guillaume Overnoy. This will help the domaine to make ends meet when weather intervenes adversely in the future.
Les Molates
An assemblage of different parcels on marl and limestone soils in Gevingey, 35yo vines on average, facing west. Vinified and aged in foudres with no bâtonnage, the wine was bottled in July the following year. This is a very well-balanced wine, with zesty lemony fruit and is the first of the Marnes Blanches chardonnays to open out. Low sulphur of around 20mg/l (similar to all their whites).