Les Dolomies La Chaux Chardonnay 2018 Greg Murphy Wine Imports

Céline Gormally, who created her domain in 2008, lives by the saying from Saint Exupery ‘The earth is not ours; but lent to us by our children. “This rings true in all facets of how she manages her land. A woman with a spring in her step, she manages around 5ha of vines with the help of her husband Steve. The fields, as she calls them, are maintained without herbicides or pesticides. Using biodynamic principles and compost as fertilizer she eschews mechanised methods and distributes it all with donkeys between the vines. As former vice president and current member of ‘Le Nez Dans Le Vert’, she is committed to the organic lifestyle.

Les Dolomies takes its name from the magnesium limestone found in the area. The iridescent marls and limestone outcrops can be found extensively throughout the vineyards. They are one of the best geological soils for Jura grape varieties with their ability to disintegrate, allowing good penetration of the root network and make for an excellent water tank.

Celine is a fighter and has a real belief in the beauty of wines from this region. She was assisted by Earth Links (an organisation helping organic farmers) to initially acquire the vineyards. After several years of work in the vineyard with the purest respect for nature, she gradually began to sell their wine, which is now sought after by many countries around the world including top restaurants like Noma in Copenhagen. She believes in the strength of each of their plots, bottling separately which is not the norm in the Jura. This perseverance has allowed Céline to lease and develop new parcels of 0.28ha Savagnin Château-Chalon, and two other vineyards in Nervy and Passenans.

All wines use wild fermentation with very little sulphur, if any. Some whole bunch pressing for the whites and fully de-stemmed treatment for the reds. Whites sit on their fine lees in old Meursault barrels from Burgundy with a scattering of demi-muid, usually for the more delicate wines. Production is around only 10,000 bottles a year!

– Importer Note