Valentin Morel, Les Mains dans le Cambouis mais pas un Genou a Terre 2021

Plantet Rouge, Seyve-Villard B, Rayon d'Or B, Souvignier Gris B, and Sauvignac

Jura, France

Hommage à La Canaille ! This blend comes from Les Boutasses, a terroir of iridescent Triassic marl in Poligny. It is made from a certified organic vineyard planted in 2016. All resistant hybrid PiWi grape varieties, destemmed, skin macerated for 3 days with malolactic fermentation. Aged in stainless steel. VEGAN, NO ADDED SULFUR.

Valentin Morel’s grandfather operated a sawmill in Poligny, one of the traditional “metiers” in this forested region. After retirement in 1978, he decided to plant 10 hectares of vineyards with his son Jean-Luc. From 1978 to 1985, they sold off grapes to the local co-op, and in 1985 they began bottling their own wines. Jean-Luc had long involved with the local “Confederation Paysan”, and in 1999 stopped using herbicide and began plowing all of the vineyards. After earning a masters degree in international law, Valentin decided he would prefer making wines, and joined the family domaine in 2014. He is biodynamic visionary Rudolph Steiner. Valentin studied winemaking in Alsace, where he was introduced and influenced by natural winemakers like Pierre Frick and Bruno Schueller.

All wines are produced on the estate. The harvest is entirely manual, and fermentation is carried out using indigenous yeasts. The winemaking is low intervention. Oenological additives are never used. Sulfites are only used to create a starter culture at the beginning of the harvest, with all wines containing less than 20 mg/l of SO2.

Valentin's philosophical reflections and active work as a militant and engaged paysan are an integral part of his domaine. He is engaged with the conventional farmers and has asked the AOC to be more accepting of natural wines. He works to encourage young organic producers to plant more vines to create more of a community of like-minded producers, and has planted an experimental block of resistant hybrids to be able to produce wines with no treatment whatsoever.