JF Ganevat Cuvee Marguerite Cote de Jura Chardonnay 2018 - 150cl

Few growers cause the scramble that Jean-François Ganevat does. From a small domaine in Rotalier, in the south of the Jura, he makes tiny quantities of wine that vanish on release — and this is one of the reasons why. Cuvée Marguerite is Chardonnay from old vines, made in the ouillé (topped-up) style, so there is none of the Jura's famous nuttiness getting in the way. It is pure, taut and unmistakably serious.

Ganevat farms without shortcuts — organic and biodynamic in the vineyard, minimal in the cellar, long ageing on the lees — and the results have earned him comparisons to top white Burgundy. What you get is a Chardonnay of real tension and detail rather than weight.

2018 was a warm, ripe year in the Jura, and there is generosity here to match the cut. White peach and ripe citrus come first, then a twist of hazelnut and something distinctly chalky and saline underneath. The lees ageing gives it a creamy hum through the middle, but the acidity holds it dead straight, and the finish lingers on stony, savoury notes. This is a magnum too — 150cl — built for a table of people and a wine that will keep evolving for a decade or more.

How to Serve

Don't over-chill it. Around 10–12°C in a proper white-wine glass, not a narrow flute — this wine needs room to show its detail. Open it a little ahead of pouring.

Where to Drink It

Noble Rot, which lives for wines like this. Dandy on Maltby Street for something low-key and delicious. Brat in Shoreditch if there's fish over fire on the go.

Food Pairings

Comté, obviously — Jura Chardonnay and mountain cheese grew up together. Beyond that, a roast chicken with butter and herbs, or turbot in a rich sauce. It has the acidity to handle cream and the depth to stand up to it.