Anne et Jean-Francois Ganevat Cotes du Jura Poulsard Les Chalasses Vieilles Vignes 2022
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The Land
Say Jura and most people picture Arbois. This wine comes from the opposite end of the region: La Combe de Rotalier, a small valley on the southern slopes of the Côtes du Jura just below Lons-le-Saunier, where the Ganevat family has worked vines since 1650. Les Chalasses is a named lieu-dit here, planted on grey Jurassic marl, a dense clay-and-limestone sediment that holds water through dry summers and gives up its yields grudgingly. The climate is sharply continental, with cold winters, a short growing season, and the Bresse plain falling away to the west. Geologically this is the same story as the Côte d'Or, one range over, which is why Burgundian grapes sit here beside the local ones.
The Wine
Poulsard, spelled Ploussard around Pupillin, is the palest red grape in France. The skins are thin and low in pigment, and a poured glass reads as dark rosé rather than red wine, which throws almost everyone the first time. The color has nothing to do with the intensity: cranberry, wild strawberry, dried rose, blood orange peel, black tea, and the damp forest-floor character old-vine Jura reds develop. The palate is light and nearly tannin-free, held up by sharp acidity, finishing dry and faintly saline. Serve it at 55 degrees. The 2022 season ran hot and dry across the Jura, with hail in late May and early June and a harvest that began around August 22, among the earliest on record. Poulsard swings from underripe to overripe in days, so picking dates decided this wine.
The People
The Ganevats farmed La Combe de Rotalier alongside a dairy, sending milk to the local Comté makers, until 1976. Jean-François worked for his father, then left for Domaine Jean-Marc Morey in Chassagne-Montrachet, and returned to the Jura in 1998 to take over the family estate. His sister Anne joined him, and the domaine now carries both their names. They farm roughly eight and a half hectares planted to seventeen local varieties, and from that small base Jean-François produces between thirty-five and forty cuvées a year, each given its own individual élevage. The vineyards are farmed biodynamically, and Kermit Lynch, one of his American importers, describes him as obsessed with using as little sulfur as possible.
Food Pairing
Chill it and treat it as a wine that belongs on a summer table. Roast chicken with lemon and tarragon works because the acidity handles the pan juices without fighting the herbs. A plate of saucisson sec, cornichons, and aged Comté is the local answer, and the Comté is a nod to where this family's money used to come from. Grilled trout or seared salmon with brown butter suits it, since there is no tannin to clash with fish. A mushroom and thyme tart picks up the forest-floor character directly. This is the bottle you open when it is 90 degrees outside and you still want red wine.
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Located in eastern France, the Jura wine region has emerged as a notable spot for natural winemaking, drawing attention for its minimal intervention practices. Despite its cooler climate, Jura is currently "hot" in the wine world, particularly for those valuing artisanal approaches. It's distinguished by unique soils like limestone and marl, enriching its wines with distinct minerality. The region champions native grapes such as Savagnin, Trousseau, Poulsard, and Chardonnay, which thrive here. Small-scale production is key, ensuring each bottle reflects Jura's unique terroir and winemaking philosophy, blending tradition with innovation.
