PRODUCER: Domaine Overnoy-Crinquand
REGION: Pupillin, Arbois, Jura, France
WINEMAKERS: Mickaël Crinquand
The Jura is one of France’s ‘lost’ wine regions. Having been decimated by Phylloxera, the land under vine has shrunk from 20,000ha at the end of the 19th century to just 2,000ha in the modern day. However, those that continue to farm in this small region - sandwiched in between Switzerland and Burgundy - are reaping the rewards of this viticulturally dynamic area
WINERY HISTORY
One such collection of vignerons is the Overnoy family, whose name has long occupied a pre-eminent place in this region of France. One branch of the family has been working the same strip of land for over a century, with Mickaël Crinquand being the third generation to carry on the name. Since taking control of the family’s 5.5ha of vineyards near the town of Pupillin, Mickaël has elevated the domaine to new heights. Organic since the 1990s – well before the norm – the family practice polyculture, raising cattle (whose milk is destined to become Comté) and harvesting cereals alongside their vines. With over 90% of the wine being sold from the cellar door or to private clients, this branch of the family is slightly less well-known, though every bit as impressive.
VITICULTURE & WINEMAKING
Located in a small village in the middle of the Arbois – the first region in the Jura to receive the AOC label - Mickaël's old vines are planted on the steep clay-limestone soils of La Bidode. Focusing on the production of traditional Jura varietals including Savagnin, Ploussard, and Trousseau, alongside limited quantities of Chardonnay, Mickaël's methodology reveals the unique minerality of the terroir. Deeply traditional with minimal sulphites used, handpicking, mechanical pressing, and natural yeast ferments, the wines of Overnoy-Crinquand are revelatory of this increasingly popular region. Crafted in a 17th-century cellar, all wines ferment spontaneously in neutral oak foudre, with the reds receiving total destemming and whites undergoing whole-cluster fermentation. More tempered and subtle than many of their competitors, the depth and vitality of Mickaël's wines make them the perfect gateway to the Jura.
A range of authentic wines for a small winegrower who deserves a taste. This natural and undeniable signature makes it possible to rediscover family tradition and typicity of the Jura. Offering a wonderful vision of the region that is to be enjoyed around the amazing regional cheese.
