Marnes Blanches Savagnin Aux Bois Magnum

About Marnes Blanches Savagnin Aux Bois Magnum

Marnes Blanches Savagnin Aux Bois Magnum is a pristine, powerful wine with a strong mineral core supported by tropical fruits and citrus. The grapes are pressed into neutral barrique, where they age for about 2 years. There is no added SO2 to this bottling. The wine is a pretty lemon on the nose. Half an hour into the opening, the wine is bitter lemon, herbs, and unripe yellow apples on the palate. The nose is lemon meringue and salt. In the end, the palate fattens up.

About Marnes Blanches

Natives of the Jura, but from farming rather than winemaking backgrounds, Géraud and Pauline Fromont began this Domaine when they were in their mid-20s, and are ambitious, talented young winemakers. They share all vineyard, cellar, and sales duties, and are rising stars in the region. The Marnes Blanches vineyards are divided between three towns: Cesancey, Vincelles, and Ste-Agnès. The Fromonts acquired their Cesancey vineyards first, and those feature the “white marl” soil that gives the Domaine its name, with the topsoil of limestone. The vineyards in Ste-Agnès and Vincelles are primarily red marl, with fossilized limestone. With vines up to 100 years old and interesting local strains such as Melon-Queue-Rouge and Savagnin Muscaté, the Fromonts have excellent material to work within the cellar. They began farming organically immediately upon beginning the Domaine in 2006 and are now Ecocert certified, with plowing between rows.

As with most Jura producers, the Fromonts make a variety of cuvées ranging from ouillé whites to sous-voile whites, to Crémants white and rosé, single variety reds, and a delicious vin de paille. They work with all native yeast. Parcels are vinified separately and aged in either stainless steel or neutral cask. Sulfuring is minimal, and they’ve begun tentatively to experiment with sans soufre winemaking.

The Fromont’s ouillé white wines are labeled “Reflet” and their sous-voile whites “Empreinte” to indicate which wines are purely reflective of terroir, and which are “imprinted” by winemaking style. Of particular note amongst their collection of topped-up wines is Savagnin Muscaté “Le Jensillard” and Chardonnay “Le Levrette” from old vines on fossilized limestone. The reds are typically delicate and elegant, with Poulsard showing the zesty, high-toned notes of pomegranate and blood orange that make us love the grape. These are clean, pure, vibrant wines with all styles well-executed and delicious.