"Acid dinner-jazz forever, nice!". Ah, The Fast Show. Now that was British comedy gold from the 90s. How clever the likes of Paul Whitehouse were. Though it must be said, John Thomson stole the show with his portrayal of self-satisfied jazz fan, Louis Balfour. We wonder if winemaker Cédric Motte was a fan before he established Domaine des Notes Bleues.
A relative newcomer on the highly sought after Jura wine scene, life didn't begin with a vineyard education. Instead, keen on his music studies and a desire to become a musician, this took centre stage in his teenage years. Cédric left home after school with a head full of jazz filled dreams, keen to pursue a life on the road performing music. Yet, despite no family connection to wine, he was always fascinated by the vineyards surrounding Arbois.
In 2016, having given professional music a good crack of the whip, he returned home after a few years away, enamoured with the beauty of vineyards in his homeland. This decision took him to Jean-Michel Petit of Domaine de la Renardière, where he worked under his wing for two vintages, alongside short apprenticeships at Domaine du Pélican. Soon, with a firmer grasp and understanding of biodynamic winemaking, Cédric purchased a small plot of vines from renowned Jura producer Stéphane Tissot in 2017, in addition to a further three hectares of old-vine parcels around Arbois and Mesnay the next year. Today, Domaine des Notes Bleues stands at six and a half hectares, having expanded parcels of Chardonnay and Savagnin.
Inspired by local winemakers, Cédric crafts tiny quantities of site-specific wines from organically farmed local varieties. For the most part the reds are bottled young after 8-10 months in stainless-steel, and the whites bottled after time in used oak barrels.
Like all musicians, he has adapted and innovated in the face of challenging vintages and demands. With each vintage, the wines have improved, becoming more precise and chiselled, with a wide range of styles and interpretations of Arbois. Representing the very best of jazz club (we mean, Jura). Grrrrreat!
