Jura NO SO2

Domaine L’Octavin is the wine behind Alice Bouvot which farms 5 hectares of vines in Arbois in the Jura,  she started in 2005 with just 2 hectares she increased the production over the years. Currently is a Demeter certified all her works in the vineyard consist in growing wild grasses and weeds so all the insects and animals creating a true ecosystem which generates a healthy balanced life for the grapes. Harvest is done manually. The wines fermented and aged in fiber glass and steel tank with no temperature control considering are done in the caveau of the winery which is quite cold. There is a tendency to vinified single plot separately even blending white and red wine together. From 2009 sulphites has been not used at all. Alice works with Chardonnay, Savagnin, Poulsard, Trousseau and Pinot Noir, with holdings in some of the region’s very best lieu-dits like La Mailloche, En Curon, Les Nouvelles & Les Corvées. With just 5 hectares there are a tendency to make quite a number of different cuvee:
“POTION MAGIQUE” Chardonnay, Savagnin, Poulsard on white and gray marl soil with 8-month maceration.
“DORABELLA”  Poulsard which is destemmed, whole grape fermentation à l'ancienne, aging 12 months in Burgundy barrels. 
“COMMENDATORE”  Trousseau with 7 months maceration with native yeasts and aging 6 months in Foudres (A large wooden vat, popular in France's Rhône Valley, significantly larger than typical oak barrels, often with the capacity to hold more than a thousand liters of wine). 
"ELLE AIME" Pinot noir and Chardonnay 50% destemmed, 50% whole bunches over a month maceration , ageing in vats fiber glass 
"MONT D'ALICANTE " Alicante and Mondeuse on marl and limestone soil. 
“PAMINA” 2012 Chardonnay on white and gray marl soil, aging on the vines are 40 years old. Direct press and fermentation in old oak for 24 months. The wine show terrific minerality, salty oxidative notes with a fleur de sel taste. Acidity driving the palate crazy with sour apple notes and crunchy almond perception. Long finish, but refreshing with amazing drinkability. 
 “CORVÉE DE TROUSSEAU”
Trousseau 2014 on 2 hectares of vines. Limestone basalt with marl soil. Semi-carbonic maceration with partial whole bunch 9% alcohol a truly lambic wine. Sour red fruit hints of Volatile Acidity keep the palate super sour, driven by crisp acidity. 

Here a video of the husband of Alice from L'Octavin found in the Instagram page of Marcio Morelli  @marcio_morelli from San Paolo in Brasil an importer of Natural wines. Is a little interview of him, talking about his two wines his doing a red and a white. Short movie and very good. 

Domaine Hughes-Béguet

Patrice Béguet owned 4.5 hectares of vineyards with an average 40 years old. They owned some of the famous Les Corvees in Arbois and also the Cote de Feule in Pupillin a subzone in the Arbois AOC. He works his vineyards biodynamically, applying yarrow, nettle, dandelion and chamomile preparations. At the bottom of the vineyards, there are several fruits planted with beehives which surround the vineyards to create a balanced ecosystem. Patrice is a very meticulous producer, the vines are implemented with a different crop to commit a good lifestyle. In between the vines through the row, several wild weeds and flowers are let growing to feed the insect. Egg-shaped barrels are used for ageing and long maceration are done to extract the essence of the terroir. 
The wines complete their élevage in a mixture of stainless steel tank, eggs, and various aged old oak barrels. He has always used very little sulphur, if any, from the 2015 vintage he stopped to used SO2.




Cote de Feulè 2014 was a Poulsard in all is essence very pale colorour with stony minerality along red fruit character, spicy element as ginger and cardamon no hints of oak; with a nice refreshing palate. A must for Poulsard. 


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