l'Octavin

The l'Octavin wines are lovingly crafted by Alice Bouvot in her Arbois winery using organic grapes from her 3.5 hectares of vineyards scattered around the outskirts of that beautiful town.

The vineyards, which include some of the best lieu dits (a lieu dit is a named place that has official recognition in France) available including En Curon, La Mailloche, Les Nouvelles and Les Corvées are certified organic by Demeter as are her winemaking methods.

There are absolutely no additions to the wines. It is fermented grape juice with the fermentation carried out by the indigenous yeasts. She does not add  sulphur at any stage nor do they filter or fine the wines. Octavin are also certified biodynamic by Demeter.

Octavin produces a bewildering array of wines in the tiny winery. Some are classical Jura wines such as the Pamina Chardonnay or the Dorabella Poulsard, while others are fascinating wines with a ‘twist’ such as the Culrond Poulsard which is vinified as a white wine even though the grapes are red or the Zerlina which is a blend of Trousseau with Pinot Noir. Octavin also makes a stunning non-appellated Vin Jaune (called Cherubin) of which we have been lucky enough to receive a small allocation. The label is very non-Jura!

L'OCTAVIN VIN DE FRANCE CUL ROND 2014

The Cul Rond is an interesting wine because it falls into the category of wines that the French call "Blanc de la Rouge" - that is a white wine made from red grapes. The technique and background is very simple. Nearly all red grapes have white juice. Only those which are in the tiny category of teinturier grapes have red juice (such as Gamay de Bouze which is found in the Loire Valley in tiny quantities and Saperavi from Georgia, for example). These grapes have the anthocyanins which provide the colour in the pulp of the grape whereas with all other red grapes they are only found in the skin. So the red colour comes from extended contact of the skins with the juice after pressing.

Therefore if you press most red grapes to extract the juice and immediately separate the juice from the skins you will be left with clear juice. And that is exactly what Alice has done with this wine. The Ploussard grapes were pressed and the juice was separated from the must to create a white wine rather than a red wine.

And an interesting white wine it is. It has the aroma of a Ploussard and even the texture of a red wine but is actually white. This wine is only available in small quantities.

RRP: SOLD OUT

l’Octavin Vin de France Chardonnay Pamina 2014

This wine is 100% Chardonnay made from biodynamic grapes sourced from 40 year old vines in the «La Mailloche» vineyard. The name comes from the lovers Pamina and Tamino in Mozart's rationalist enlightenment opera The Magic Flute.

The wine is matured in old oak barrels for 18 months prior to bottling.

There is a pleasant level of oxidative quality in this beautifully balanced wine that displays hazelnuts and sherry aromas alongside a zing of citrus and vibrant minerality.

This is a lively wine that begs to be served with just about any food you like! It is 12% alcohol.

RRP: SOLD OUT

 l’Octavin Vin de France Zest de Savagnin 2013

The grapes used in the cuvée are Savagnin sourced from the «Les Nouvelles» vineyard in which the soil  is composed of grey marl and limestone which gives the interesting minerality notes to this wine. The vines are over 70 years old.

Zest de Savagnin underwent 7 months of skin maceration and was then transferred to old barrels for approximately 10 months. It has beautiful texture derived from the extended skin contact and a bracing core of acidity that gives life to the wine.

RRP 750ml: $119

 l’Octavin Vin de France ULM 2013

The grapes used in the cuvée are Pinot Noir sourced from vineyards in which the soil  is composed of grey marl and limestone which gives the interesting minerality notes to this wine.

ULM underwent 7 months of carbonic maceration and was then transferred to old barrels for approximately 10 months. It has beautiful texture derived from the extended skin contact and a bracing core of acidity that gives life to the wine.

RRP 750ml: $77

l’Octavin Vin de France Tour de france 2015

This is a wine that was not made from grapes from the Jura. Recently, Alice has been sourcing grapes as an economic necessity from other parts of France to supplement the meagre harvest she gets from her 3.5 hectares of vines around Arbois in the Jura.

This one comes from a blend of either 14 different red grape varieties from around France (hence the name) which were layered in the tank. For example she bought five cases of Merlot and five cases of Mondeuse and five cases of Jacquère and so on. Also included were Trousseau, Ploussard, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Savagnin, Gamay, Grenache Noir, Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc! And there must be two others we forgot to write down when Alice was explaining it all to us.

RRP 750ml: $64

l’Octavin Vin de France Mayga-Gamay 2015

This is a wine that was not made from grapes from the Jura. Recently, Alice has been sourcing grapes as an economic necessity from other parts of France to supplement the meagre harvest she gets from her 3.5 hectares of vines around Arbois in the Jura.

These Gamay grapes were sourced from Domaine Le Picatier in the Côte Roannaise area around the city of Roanne. The result is a lively and delicious expression of Gamay that is drinking very nicely.

RRP 750ml: $64

l’Octavin Vin de France Jaker 2015

This is a wine that was not made from grapes from the Jura. Recently, Alice has been sourcing grapes as an economic necessity from other parts of France to supplement the meagre harvest she gets from her 3.5 hectares of vines around Arbois in the Jura.

This wine made from the Jacquère grape variety sourced from Chignin, an appellation in the Savoie, named for the commune of Chignan. where it is traditionally used to make crisp, white wines. To make Jaker, however, the whole bunches had 2 months’ skin contact so is an orange wine. It still has the lightness associated with Jacquère but with a much richer mouthfeel and evidence of soft tannins from the skin contact.

RRP 750ml: SOLD OUT

l’Octavin Vin de France Poulsard Dorabella 2014

This wine is made from Poulsard grapes from fifty year old vines sourced from the « La Mailloche » vineyard with a little from the «En Curon»  vineyard. The wine is named after one of the sisters from the opera Cosi Fan Tutte. We particularly like the mouth-feel of this wine with its generous texture and lovely acidity backed by very subtle tannins. As you would expect from a wine made from the Poulsard grape there are lovely notes of strawberries and cherries, but there is also a lingering herbal note that reminds us of marjoram or oregano. There is also some beautiful spices and pronounced minerality shining through. It is fresh, juicy and light - just what you expect a good Jura red wine to be.

Some carbon dioxide remains in this wine to enhance its freshness, but these bubbles soon disappear in the glass. It is only 10.7% alcohol.

RRP 750ml: SOLD OUT

 l’Octavin Vin de France Trousseau Commendatore 2013

This is a Trousseau from the « les Corvées » vineyard which lies close to the village of Montigny les Arsures where the terroir is considered to be perfect for the sensitive grape variety. It is here that Puffeney and Michel Gahier tend their acclaimed vineyards of the Trousseau grape.

This lighter style of red wine has aromas of fresh strawberries, cinnamon and Sichuan pepper.

The grapes were 90% destemmed for this vintage and neither pigeage (stomping the cap down) or remontage (pumping over) were performed during the 7 months of maceration.

This wine clearly displays the minerality of the Jura soil.

Here is what the famous Chambers Street Wines said about this wine recently:

This cuvee is 100% Trousseau from the Les Corvées vineyard not far from the village of Montigny-lès-Arsures. The grapes are partially destemmed and see seven months of skin maceration during which there is no pigeage or remontage. It is incredibly fresh with strawberries, rose petals, cinnamon, and delicate notes of spicy peppers on the nose. The palate is bright with minerals and lifted fruit, making this this wine a perfect companion to fattier foods.

RRP: SOLD OUT