Jura Season: Les Granges Paquenesses, Domaine Courbet, & Stéphane Tissot

10/4/21 -

As Fall settles in, we find ourselves hankering for Jura wines here at Chambers Street; whites with character and texture, or oxidative expressions that pair so well with root veggies and cheese plates, and lithe reds that excite on their own, and offer perfect pairing potential with harvest time meals. Luckily, we have tasted a bunch of great Jura wines from several producers, known and new to the US market, and we realized we had a pretty fun lineup to highlight!

First off, we are beyond elated to have "la gamme" of Loreline Laborde's offerings frrom Les Granges Paquenesses. After completing her formal studies in viticulture, Loreline left the bustling city of Montpellier to make wine in the undulating foothills of Tourmont, a village near Poligny. She established Les Granges Paquenesses in 2010 with almost 2 hectares planted to Savagnin, Chardonnay, Ploussard, and Trousseau averaging 30 to 60 years-old. Today she has pieced together a total of 3.5 hectares, which she have been certified organic since 2018. Although she is not native to the Jura, her wines convey a deep understanding of the varied soils and climate. Her Savagnins are not to be missed!

In addition to the empicable wines of Les Granges Paquenesses, we're happy to offer more whites and bubbles from a few other exceptional Jura estates and vignerons. Domaine Courbet has been tending vines on treasured slopes for multiple generations, beginning 1869. Damien Courbet meticulously farms the family's 7.5 hectares (a good part of which is located just under Chateau-Chalon). In 2005, the estate took the leap into organics, and is now seeking certification (while using using plenty of biodynamic methods in the vineyards). Non-interventional practices rule the cellar, with reliance on native yeasts and low levels of added sulfur. This is our first time carrying wines from this producer, and we're excited! Clean and focused, there is nothing but pure Jura flavor in these bottles - complexity without anything wacky or difficult. They're sure to be a staple on our shelves! Also, and these wines surely don't need an introduction, is a small cache of Tissot! Just in time for cold weather celebrations, we've stocked up on two sparklings, the Crémant du Jura Extra Brut, as well as the Crémant du Jura Indigène. And don't miss out on the Chardonnay Patchwork 2018, which is showing beautifully after over a year in barrel, and nearly two in bottle!