Now then, with a name that translates as 'pruners-pickers', it would be fair to say our interest was peaked. Throw in the region of Bugey and the pretty bottle labels, and we quickly became interested at a producer tasting.
This a small project based in the village of Saint-Jean-Ie-Vieux, on the northern side of Bugey, managed by Chloé and Jordan who met whilst working together in 2018. Today, they farm three small plots totalling a modest 4ha, spread across three distinct areas of Bugey: Varey, Poncieux and Dalivoy. Working with Chardonnay, Mondeuse, Gamay and Pinot Noir, their vineyard principles are in accordance to organic and biodynamic principles and it is aimed at nourishing plants and soils. Soils are not ploughed and grasses are allowed to grow wild, providing the right humidity to maintain the vineyards. In addition they have also started to plant fruit trees which contribute to enrich the already varied diversity of flora and fauna.
In the cellar, there is a consistency to their approach which keeps things simple. The grapes are de-stemmed, pressed and undergo different lengths of maceration depending on the cuvée. They steer clear from any SO2 usage, from the moment grapes are harvested to when the wines are bottled. Everything is aged in demi-muids for around 9 months and bottled without filtration, directly from barrel by gravity.
