Given how much imported wine we offer on this site, you may be wondering: “Do they go to all these places to buy these wines and bring them back?” In an ideal world, yes: A few months ago, my business partner and I made a brief visit to the Jura region of France, where we ‘discovered’ the wines of Domaine Désiré Petit; while tasting this wine at the property, we learned that they have a US importer, who we emailed right then and there to acquire as much as possible.
To be honest, we don’t have the luxury of selecting every wine this way—a lot of very far-flung stuff rolls through our front door in a sales rep’s bag, which is obviously not as sexy as knocking on a cellar door in one of the world’s most historic wine regions. I travel as much as I possibly can—there is no substitute for experiencing wine in the place where it is made—and I love to hear stories from importers as to how they meet the producers they represent. Sometimes, it’s a chance encounter at a local restaurant, or a well-placed friend, or, as in our case with Désiré Petit, an old-fashioned ‘cold call’ while rolling through the tiny village of Pupillin (eating 24-month-old Comté). If you love the delicacy and texture of mature red Burgundy, this wine will take you to a similar place. It is soft, fragrant, soulful, and perfectly proportioned for Summer. If you are curious why the wine world is starting to pay serious attention to the Jura, this red is a perfect introduction.
The Jura really puts the “country” in “wine country.” Located about an hour east of Beaune (the center of Burgundy), it is remote, sparsely populated, and resolutely rural. It is about as far as one can get from the opulence of places like Bordeaux or Champagne, and lately, the focus of a lot of attention from authenticity-seeking wine geeks. The Désiré Petit property is in the Arbois, and more specifically the tiny town of Pupillin—a hilltop village whose vineyards are given their own AOC designation. Situated between Burgundy and Switzerland, the Jura’s terroir bears a fairly strong resemblance to Burgundy’s—limestone/clay soils, continental climate—and there is indeed a good amount of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir here. Poulsard (or Ploussard, as it’s known in Pupillin) is a red variety known for its thin-skinned fragility, producing lightweight reds that often look more like dark rosés, but on the south-facing slopes of Pupillin it achieves more depth. Nevertheless, Poulsard/Ploussard is not for the lover of dark, extracted, powerhouse wines—it is more in the increasingly popular category of vins de soif (“wines for thirst”), an ethereal and aromatic red that bears a slight resemblance to Gamay and Pinot Noir. It’s often blended with Pinot Noir in the Jura, but I love it on its own—it’s an incredibly lightweight red that makes a big impact. The problem is, there isn’t a lot of it made; not much makes it to the US.
The Petit family has winemaking roots in the Jura going back centuries. Désiré Petit created the modern estate in Pupillin in 1932, and was succeeded by his two sons, Gérard and Marcel, in 1970. Now the property is overseen by Marcel’s son, Damien, who farms their 27 hectares organically. As we learned from Damien during our visit, a good 70% of the Petit wines are sold locally, and less than 10% of their production is exported. As you can imagine, “Ploussard de Feule” is not something you’re likely to see on your local store shelf, and, given its rarity, I’m surprised the price is so reasonable.
“Ploussard de Feule” is effectively a vineyard designation for this wine, referring to a south-facing slope in Pupillin called Côte de Feule, from which a number of producers bottle a Ploussard. In the 2015 vintage—a banner year all across Europe—the site delivered a lush, supple wine that’s loaded with aromatic intrigue. In the glass, Petit’s 2015 is a pale ruby-red with intense pink reflections at the rim, but the rather light color doesn’t do the wine justice. The aromatics are a mix of ripe, purple-tinted plums and wild berries mixed with a hint of forest floor, baking spices, and a potpourri of summer florals, including violet, lavender, and lilacs. The palate is soft, with ultra-fine tannins (another by-product of thin skins) and moderate acidity. It takes beautifully to a slight chill—briefly decant for 20-30 minutes and serve it in the neighborhood of 55 degrees in Burgundy stems, and don’t be surprised if the bottle disappears almost instantly (it is almost too easy to drink!). Its mixture of high-toned aromatics, earthy spice, and light weight make it a red-wine-for-seafood candidate—it’d make an amazing ‘brunch wine’, or a perfect picnic wine alongside something freshly caught (attached is a recipe for trout almondine to provide added inspiration). If you’re a Pinot Noir lover, you need to check this stuff out—it will not disappoint. Cheers!
