About the Domaine
Just a few miles northeast of Château-Chalon is an old picturesque Jurassien farm named Les Granges-Bernard. Surrounded by pastures and old forests on the plateau behind the village of Menétru-le-Vignoble, it is quite secluded and makes one feel like they have stepped back in time a few generations. It is here that Marie-Pierre Chevassu-Fassenet was brought up working daily on the farm with her parents and three sisters. Her mother came from a family of vignerons and her father farmed and raised cattle for cheese. In the late 1980’s her father took on a couple hectares of vines, and Marie-Pierre instantly took to working in the vineyards. Over time more vineyards were added and her father started producing and selling wine under his own label.
Enjoying work in the vines and fascinated by the culture of traditional Jura wine, Marie-Pierre set out in her late teens to become a vigneronne. She studied viticulture and winemaking in Beaune and went on to receive an oenology degree at Dijon. Not yet ready to take over the family Domaine, Marie-Pierre spent several years making wine in New Zealand, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Champagne. In the early 2000s she returned to the Jura to work as the cellar manager at La Maison du Vigneron, one of the largest négociants in the Jura. In 2008 her father was ready to retire and handed over the reins of the Domaine to Marie-Pierre. Her father and mother still live in the old farmhouse above the cellar and continue to lend a hand in farming and producing wine. One of Marie-Pierre’s sisters has taken over the farming aspects of the family business. From 2008 onward all wines produced by the Domaine are bottled under the name Marie-Pierre Chevassu-Fassent.
Keen to keep the Domaine small and a lover of traditional Jura wine, Marie-Pierre has changed little at the Domaine since taking over. Marie-Pierre and one part time employee manually hoe and tend to the 4.5 hectares of vines. Farming has been converted to Organic, but Marie-Pierre has not sought certification. For 2.5 hectares she has introduced phytotherapy techniques – using fermented plant preparations rather than copper and sulfur for disease control
In the cellar, the whites are all fermented and aged in old barrels. Despite certain styles not being en vogue, Marie-Pierre continues to offer the full range of traditional Jura whites (Crémant, Vin de Paille, Macvin, Vin Jaune). Her Chardonnay is among the best value for money in the Jura, and the largest production wine of the Domaine. A small amount of Savagnin Ouillé is produced in good vintages, but Marie-Pierrre prefers traditional oxidative Savagnin.
The biggest change at the Domaine since taking over for her father has been with the three red wines. Pinot Noir, Poulsard, and Trousseau are all produced in the modern Jura style. The grapes are 100% de-stemmed and ferment whole berry in stainless-steel tanks. There is no oak ageing for the reds, and they are released 8-10 months after the harvest.
It’s hard to think of a producer who better exemplifies the enthusiastic pragmatism we so value in the producers we work with. Special wines and a special person, we are honored to bring these wines to the States.
View Label
Region: Jura
Appellation: Crémant du Jura AOP
Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
Average Vine Age: 30 years
Altitude: 1,280 feet (390m)
Soils/Terroir: From South facing parcels just below the plateau of Menétru-le-Vignoble, with soils of grey Liassic Marl (Marne Gris) covered in Bajocian Limestone scree.
Farming: Practicing Organic
Harvest: Hand harvested
Yield: 25 hl/ha
Winemaking: Direct pressing of the whole bunches is followed by one-night of lees settling, before transferring to neutral vats for fermentation. The fermentation begins naturally using only indigenous yeasts. A very low dose of sulfur is added after the completion of alcoholic fermentation and the Vin Clair does not go through malolactic fermentation. Aged 5 months in neutral vats, after which the Liqueur de Tirage is added to the Vin Clair to start the secondary fermentation. The wine is bottled under a crown cap and a second fermentation occurs in the bottle.
Maturation: Aged in bottle “sur latte” for 18 months. After 18 months each bottle is disgorged, removing the sediment from the second fermentation. No dosage is added at disgorgement.
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View Label
Region: Jura
Appellation: Crémant du Jura AOP
Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
Average Vine Age: 30 years
Altitude: 1,280 feet (390m)
Soils/Terroir: From South facing parcels just below the plateau of Menétru-le-Vignoble, with soils of grey Liassic Marl (Marne Gris) covered in Bajocian Limestone scree.
Farming: Practicing Organic
Harvest: Hand harvested
Yield: 25 hl/ha
Winemaking: The grapes were whole cluster pressed upon arrival in the cellar. A low dose of sulfur was added at the press. The juice undergoes 1 night of cold settling, before racking off the gross lees into used French oak Foudres and Demi-muids for fermentation. The fermentation began spontaneously using only the naturally occurring indigenous yeasts. No stirring of the lees and the wine completed malolactic fermentation.
Maturation: Aged in 18 months in used French oak Foudres and Demi-muids. One month before bottling a low dose of sulfur was added. Bottled, unfined and unfiltered.
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View Label
Region: Jura
Appellation: Côtes du Jura AOP
Grapes: 100% Savagnin
Average Vine Age: 30 years
Altitude: 1,250 feet (380m)
Soils/Terroir: From a South facing parcel below the plateau of Menétru-le-Vignoble, with soils of grey Liassic Marl (Marne Gris).
Farming: Practicing Organic
Harvest: Hand harvested
Yield: 25 hl/ha
Winemaking: The grapes were whole cluster pressed upon arrival in the cellar. A low dose of sulfur was added at the press. The juice undergoes 1 night of cold settling, before racking off the gross lees into used 600L French oak barrels. Fermentation began spontaneously using only the naturally occurring indigenous yeasts and done entirely in used 600L French oak barrels. After malolactic fermentation the wine was transferred to neutral vats.
Maturation: Aged 18 months in neutral vats. Bottled, unfined and unfiltered.
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View Label
Region: Jura
Appellation: Côtes du Jura AOP
Grapes: 100% Savagnin
Average Vine Age: 30 years
Altitude: 1,250 feet (380m)
Soils/Terroir: From a South facing parcel below the plateau of Menétru-le-Vignoble, with soils of grey Liassic Marl (Marne Gris).
Farming: Practicing Organic
Harvest: Hand harvested
Yield: 25 hl/ha
Winemaking: The grapes were whole cluster pressed upon arrival in the cellar. A low dose of sulfur was added at the press. The juice undergoes 1 night of cold settling, before racking off the gross lees into used French oak barrels of 228L and 600L. Fermentation began spontaneously using only the naturally occurring indigenous yeasts and done entirely in used 228L and 600L French oak barrels.
Maturation: Aged 36 months in used 228L and 600L French oak barrels with no topping up of the barrels. Bottled, unfined and unfiltered.
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View Label
Region: Jura
Appellation: Côtes du Jura AOP
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir
Average Vine Age: 30 years
Altitude: 1,312 feet (400m)
Soils/Terroir: From a Southwest facing plot, with soils of grey Liassic Marl (Marne Gris) and Bajocian Limestone.
Farming: Practicing Organic
Harvest: Hand harvested
Yield: 25 hl/ha
Winemaking: The grapes were destemmed by hand and the whole berries placed directly into CO2 filled stainless steel vats for maceration. Fermentation began spontaneously using only the naturally occurring indigenous yeasts. After 3 days the whole berries are lightly crushed by foot and the maceration continues for 9-10 days. The grapes are then pressed and the juice transferred back to stainless steel vats to compete fermentation. No sulfur additions were made during the vinification of this wine.
Maturation: Aged 9 months in stainless steel vats. Bottled, unfined and unfiltered.
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View Label
Region: Jura
Appellation: Côtes du Jura AOP
Grapes: 100% Poulsard
Average Vine Age: 30 years
Altitude: 1,312 feet (400m)
Soils/Terroir: From a Southwest facing plot, with soils of grey Liassic Marl (Marne Gris) and Bajocian Limestone.
Farming: Practicing Organic
Harvest: Hand harvested
Yield: 25 hl/ha
Winemaking: The grapes were destemmed by hand and the whole berries placed directly into CO2 filled stainless steel vats for maceration. Fermentation began spontaneously using only the naturally occurring indigenous yeasts. After 10 days of maceration the grapes were pressed and the juice transferred back to stainless steel vats to compete fermentation. No sulfur additions were made during the vinification of this wine.
Maturation: Aged 9 months in stainless steel vats. Bottled, unfined and unfiltered.
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View Label
Region: Jura
Appellation: Côtes du Jura AOP
Grapes: 100% Trousseau
Average Vine Age: 30 years
Altitude: 1,312 feet (400m)
Soils/Terroir: From a Southwest facing plot, with soils of red Liassic Marl (Marne Rouge) and Limestone.
Farming: Practicing Organic
Harvest: Hand harvested
Yield: 25 hl/ha
Winemaking: The grapes were destemmed by hand and the whole berries placed directly into CO2 filled stainless steel vats for maceration. Fermentation began spontaneously using only the naturally occurring indigenous yeasts. After 3 days the whole berries are lightly crushed by foot and the maceration continues for 12 days. The grapes are then pressed and the juice transferred back to stainless steel vats to compete fermentation. No sulfur additions were made during the vinification of this wine.
Maturation: Aged 9 months in stainless steel vats. Bottled, unfined and unfiltered.
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View Label
Region: Jura
Appellation: Macvin du Jura AOP
Grapes: 67% Chardonnay, 33% Marc du Jura (distilled from the grapes of the Domaine)
Average Vine Age: 30 years
Altitude: 1,280 feet (390m)
Soils/Terroir: From South facing parcels just below the plateau of Menétru-le-Vignoble, with soils of grey Liassic Marl (Marne Gris) covered in Bajocian Limestone scree.
Farming: Practicing Organic
Harvest: Hand harvested
Yield: 20 hl/ha
Winemaking: The grapes were whole cluster pressed upon arrival in the cellar. The juice undergoes 1 night of cold settling, before racking off the gross lees into used French oak Foudres and Demi-muids for fermentation. The fermentation began spontaneously using only the naturally occurring indigenous yeasts. As the fermenting juice approaches 1% alcohol it is blended with Marc (neutral grape spirit) produced from the grapes of the Domaine. The addition of the Marc stops the fermentation, and the blend is transferred to used French oak barrels of various sizes.
Maturation: Aged 36 to 48 months in used French oak barrels of various sizes. Bottled, unfined and unfiltered.
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View Label
Region: Jura
Appellation: Côtes du Jura AOP
Grapes: 40% Chardonnay, 40% Savagnin, 20% Poulsard
Average Vine Age: 30 years
Altitude: 1,280 feet (390m)
Soils/Terroir: From South facing parcels just below the plateau of Menétru-le-Vignoble, with soils of grey Liassic Marl (Marne Gris) covered in Bajocian Limestone scree.
Farming: Practicing Organic
Harvest: Hand harvested
Yield: 10 hl/ha
Winemaking: The grapes are handpicked in September and placed on racks in the cellar for 3-4 months to dry. During the drying period the grapes shrivel, losing up to half their volume and the sugar reaching a potential alcohol level of 19-22%. In early February the grapes were pressed and transferred to used French oak Foudres for fermentation. The fermentation began spontaneously using only the naturally occurring indigenous yeasts and takes 20-24 months to complete.
Maturation: Aged 36 months in used French oak Foudres. Bottled, unfined and unfiltered.
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View Label
Region: Jura
Appellation: Côtes du Jura AOP
Grapes: 100% Savagnin
Average Vine Age: 40 years
Altitude: 1,115 feet (340m)
Soils/Terroir: From a Southeast facing single parcel named En Beaumont, that sits below the plateau of Menétru-le-Vignoble. The soils are a mix of grey Liassic Marl (Marne Gris) and sedimentary Clay.
Farming: Practicing Organic
Harvest: Hand harvested
Yield: 15 hl/ha
Winemaking: The grapes were whole cluster pressed upon arrival in the cellar. The juice undergoes 1 night of cold settling, before racking off the gross lees into used French oak barrels of 228L and 600L. Fermentation began spontaneously using only the naturally occurring indigenous yeasts and done entirely in used 228L and 600L French oak barrels.
Maturation: For the first 8 months the barrels are regularly topped up and aged with minimal exposure to oxygen. After which the toping up of the barrels ceases and a thin layer of yeast, known as the veil, forms on the surface of the wines. The wines age for a minimum of 60 months “sous voile” (under the veil). The 2016 vintage aged 6 years in barrel “sous voile” and 2 years in bottle before release. Bottled, unfined and unfiltered.
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