Jean-François Ganevat, “Les Dentelles”
Southern Rhône Valley, France 2017 (750mL)
Regular price$36.00
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Jean-François Ganevat, “Les Dentelles”
Ganevat? Wait, that Ganevat? Oh yes. If your heart’s not racing, it should be: Jean-François’ dizzying lineup of micro-batch Jura bottlings have rapidly gained a massive cult following in the buzzing world of natural wine. While everyone in the wine industry has heard of Ganevat, only a fraction have actually tasted his wines because they are nearly impossible to acquire. Case in point: We’ve offered Ganevat a grand total of zero times over the past 5+ years. Seriously, today is our first-ever opportunity. That’s why I’ll be turning off my phone for the next 24 hours because the number of calls and texts that are about to pour in will be too numerous to deal with.
For the uninitiated, let me break down why these all-natural cult gems are so fiercely scrapped over: Firstly, Jean-François represents the 14th generation of Jura winegrowers in his family, a legacy that dates back 370 years. And still, he and his small team only manage a small number of hectares. There’s a reason: Jean-François is a hyper-fanatical farmer and winemaker who controls the micro-production of 40+ different cuvées. Every single wine is crafted with exceedingly painstaking detail and made 100% naturally. No chemicals, no additives, no sulfur. Though most of his production is dedicated to his own vines in Jura, today’s extraordinary “Les Dentelles” is his first venture into the Southern Rhône. An equal blend of Syrah and Grenache, it aged one year in amphora and was bottled without a trace of manipulation. I guarantee its mind-blowing purity and grace will hypnotize those who have never tasted Ganevat. This is as rare and limited as it gets, folks, and there isn’t much to go around.
For the uninitiated, let me break down why these all-natural cult gems are so fiercely scrapped over: Firstly, Jean-François represents the 14th generation of Jura winegrowers in his family, a legacy that dates back 370 years. And still, he and his small team only manage a small number of hectares. There’s a reason: Jean-François is a hyper-fanatical farmer and winemaker who controls the micro-production of 40+ different cuvées. Every single wine is crafted with exceedingly painstaking detail and made 100% naturally. No chemicals, no additives, no sulfur. Though most of his production is dedicated to his own vines in Jura, today’s extraordinary “Les Dentelles” is his first venture into the Southern Rhône. An equal blend of Syrah and Grenache, it aged one year in amphora and was bottled without a trace of manipulation. I guarantee its mind-blowing purity and grace will hypnotize those who have never tasted Ganevat. This is as rare and limited as it gets, folks, and there isn’t much to go around.
Jean-François—colloquially known as “Fanfan”—started his humble career alongside his father in the 1980s. With nearly 400 years of continuous family history here, he was next in line to the winemaking throne, but even that couldn’t stop him from succumbing to the magnetic allure of neighboring Burgundy (only an hour’s drive). So, in 1989, he packed up and went to work for the legendary Domaine Jean-Marc Morey. For nine years, he resided in their cellar, learning the invaluable nuances of Burgundian winemaking, which then inspired him to return to Jura and continue his family’s time-honored tradition.
What he brought back wasn’t just Burgundian techniques (e.g. topping off the wines to avoid excess oxidation), but a fanatical devotion to biodynamic farming and the craftsmanship of individually unique, wholly expressive natural wines. And he crafts lots of them: In any given year, the number of cuvées can surpass 40—which is insane, by the way. With each distinct wine comes a distinct upbringing that is tweaked depending on the terroir, the blend, the age of vines, etc. Essentially, he factors in all influential aspects and accordingly devises a unique upbringing for each cuvée, as if it’s an independent entity. And somehow, despite the maze of cellars and various aging vessels—it’s a veritable mad scientist lab—every idiosyncratic natural wine produced here is an exquisite, utterly flawless masterpiece.
Today’s wine is aptly named after the Dentelles de Montmirail, a small mountain chain that runs through southern France. It’s an equal blend of organically farmed Syrah and Grenache that Ganevat selected and shuttled up to his home base in Jura’s southern hamlet of Rotalier. The grapes were manually de-stemmed and fermentation/aging occurred in clay amphorae. After one year, the wine was bottled without fining, filtering, or any sulfur additions.
In the glass Ganevat’s “Les Dentelles” is translucent with hazy hints of dull ruby. It looks so strikingly different than your typical Syrah/Grenache blend that some of you will be looking around wondering if this is some sort of prank. I assure you it isn’t! Further, don’t mistake the light color for a light wine: This holds 14% alcohol and marvelously subtle complexities that build into a broad, deeply layered finish. Pulverized raspberries, black cherries, red plums, cranberries, and wild strawberries surge onto the palate with invigorating freshness, followed by crushed stones, wet clay, garrigue, olive pit, dewy rose petals, and freshly plucked violets.
I think Ganevat’s most impressive feat is his ability to consistently avoid every single natural winemaking fault: Throughout the decades, his wines have always remained a paragon of harmony, cleanliness, and purity. You’ll never find anything “fuzzy” or “mousy” in his wines—he’s just too skilled to fall victim to that. So, if it’s a profoundly delicious, mineral-stamped red you’re after, this is it. “Les Dentelles” glides across your palate without a hiccup and leaves long-lasting savory notes tingling throughout. Decant for 15-30 minutes, serve in Burgundy stems, and revel in Ganevat’s supernatural ability. Again, this is your one and only chance to acquire a few bottles, and I’m not about to beg you. The wine is sensational and will disappear quickly—the choice is all yours!
