This is a bright delicacy with freshness and a shocking, unparalleled mixture of cherry beside leather beside a kind of tart plummy structure from Alice Bouvot of Domaine de l’Octavin who tends five hectares of vines around Arbois in the Jura region of far eastern France.

This is a blend of Merlot, Molette, and Muscat hand-harvested from vines grown in clay and limestone soils. The grapes undergo a whole-cluster, 30-day maceration in tank with spontaneous fermentation otherwise (ambient yeasts, no temp. control). The wine ages for an extended period in tank before being bottled unfined, unfiltered, with no additional SO2.

Octavin

Alice Bouvot is the proud proprietor of 5 hectares of vines in the Arbois region of the Jura. Alice started her domaine in 2005 with just 2 hectares and over the years have bought small plots and slowly increased their production. Some of our favorite winery visits are with Alice and her adorable sons. On top of her warmth, the vineyards are equally as vibrant. L’Octavin is now Demeter biodynamic certified and she works to convey this message to the fullest. Wild grasses, weeds, insects, and animals all have a place in their vines creating a true ecosystem that gives a deeper meaning to each glass of her wine.

Since 2009 all L’Octavin wines are “pur jus”, with no additives whatsoever. The grapes are destemmed by hand and fermented without the use of SO2, cultured yeasts, or other additives. Most of the wines are fermented and aged in fiberglass or steel tanks, but only at the ambient temperature of the cave. Most of L’Octavin wines are made to reflect single plot expression. The Don Giovanni, for instance, is from a very old plot of Pinot Noir with some old Chardonnay vines as well, so the two grapes come together in the cuvée.