Readers of these emails are well aware of our love of D'Angerville. And Guillaume D'Angerville's most recent project in the Jura is no exception.
Last winter, I was among the first people to taste the Domaine du Pélican wines, D'Angerville's new Jura estate, and was blown away by the wines.
I've been waiting to offer these wines out ever since. They just arrived and I'm excited to offer the entire range: a Chardonnay, a Savagnin and a red blend of Pinot, Ploussard and Trousseau.
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Guillaume D'Angerville became obsessed with the Jura after a sommelier in Paris poured him a glass of Chardonnay blind and he was very impressed, believing that it was a Burgundy.
This sent him off on a five year search to find a choice location in the Jura. He consulted with a well-known geologist to find ideal vineyards. In the end, he purchased two domaines, one with well tended vines and another where the vineyards were in need of some rehabilitation. He named it Domaine du Pélican, a reference to the pelican on the crest of the city of Arbois.
Pélican's debut vintage really impressed me with its purity and mineral focus. All of Pélican's wines are currently made in a topped up, non-oxidative style. Producers like Ganevat, Labet and Stephane Tissot have demonstrated how successful non-oxidative Jura whites can be. And Domaine du Pélican seems destined to join ranks with the best.
For fans of the Jura or D'Angerville's Burgundies, this is something that you have to check out. Whether red or white, the Pélican wines are already teeming with D'Angerville's signatures of sophisticated elegance, impeccable detail and beautiful transparency.
Château de Chavannes, one of the domaines that D'Angerville bought, is located in Montigny-les-Arsures, the same village where Puffeney and Stephane Tissot are located. Needless to say, there's some serious terroir here. The vines here were treated very, very well and farmed biodynamically. The other estate was owned by the natural winemaker Jean-Marc Brignot and is situated in a famous terroir with some old vines. D'Angerville is focusing on rehabilitating some of the vines and grubbing and replanting others.
In the past decade, the wines of the Jura have quickly gone from curiosity to wine-geek essentials and now seem poised to become important wines in a much wider circle. The number of serious collectors who have spoken to me about Ganevat, Houillon/Overnoy and Macle is pretty shocking. D'Angerville's arrival in the Jura undoubtedly marks a new high point in its recognition.
As the Jura's reputation spreads and its circle of fans grows larger, I can't think of a better ambassador for the region. D'Angerville has approached the Jura with such sincerity and a deep love for its wines. The domaine's skill and resources will really begin to show themselves over the years. The 2012s are great, but there's still a lot to be excited about down the road.
I need to close with a disclaimer: these are seriously limited. Please give us your ideal order and we'll do our best.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits