2021 Domaine Buronfosse Ephémère Chardonnay
WINEMAKER: Peggy & Jean-Pascal Buronfosse
REGION: Jura, FR
VARIETY: Chardonnay
VITICULTURE: Organic/Biodynamic
A pure chardonnay, a wine that hides its oxidative nature behind a trail of magnificent ephemeral elegance. Grey marl and limestone.
"I’ve known Peggy and Jean-Pascal since 2012, and have shared some great bottles with them, and danced many a long night away by the bonfire along with the revellers of Jura’s epic wine festivals. I’ll also never forget the night when, along with a few other local vignerons and a wedge of hard cheese, we shared a Magnum of 1982 Coulée de Serrant. I’m so happy to be finally, again, able to work with Peggy and Jean-Pascal’s wines, and to share them with you. They’re just awesome people, and the wines embody their passion for life." Charlie Simpson
Peggy and Jean-Pascal Buronfosse are Domaine Buronfosse, roughly 4 ha of vines with plantings dating back to 1948. A stunning two-tier terraced slope facing south, pretty much opposite Jean-Francois Ganevat who is a friend and mentor. Everything is farmed by hand or with the help of their draft horse and a mini ride-on farm buggy. Both Peggy and Jean-Pascal trained in agriculture, but it was Peggy who first realised it was through vines and viticulture that she would best be able to express her personality; vivacious and life-loving she is, in no uncertain terms!
The vineyards are certified organic, but the work is much more than that in reality. These are the fossil strewn, rugged yet green and inviting slopes of the southern-most part of the Jura wine growing region. Here, high cliffs tumble into tight gorge-like valleys leaving combes of limestone rubble and clay on the high slopes and deep grey, blue and red marls further down. This is white wine country for the most part, where an abundance of active limestone gives drive, length and purity (though a handful of vineyards on red marl work perfectly for reds).