It's not often that we don't have much to say when we welcome a new producer to our portfolio. But with Jura-based Les Granges Paquenesses, it looks like we're going to have to let the wines do the talking.

The fact is, the wines of Les Granges Paquenesses are so under the radar that only a fortunate sliver of the French wine world even knows they exist. So if you're scouring the French wine press for accolades or glowing reviews, mum's the word.

That's in part due to the fact that Jura itself--tucked between Burgundy and the Swiss border--has only recently received the credit it deserves as a wine region. Not counted among France's ten major wine-producing regions, Jura has begun to develop a reputation for being home to some of the best small-scale, biodynamic winemakers in the country, who grow unique varietals and employ sometimes quirky methods but nevertheless produce consistently excellent and distinctive wines.

The unassuming environs of Les Grange Paquenesses.

In addition, it doesn't help that Loreline Laborde--the winemaker at Les Granges Paquenesses--is so humble. Loreline specifically moved to Jura to take advantage of a wine region whose low rents and ideological adherence to traditional methods are partly a result of its place on the periphery of French wine. For her, Jura was the perfect place to pursue a simple farm life (complete with chickens, a horse and her vegetable gardens), apart from the hubbub of Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Rhone.

Working with a traditional Jura line-up of Savagnin, Poulsard, Trousseau and Chardonnay, Loreline employs a pure and rustic approach to winemaking, working everything with her hands and her horse at the utmost respect for nature.

But if Loreline has actively avoided the spotlight to this point, it may be about to catch up with her. And as soon as you taste what she has to offer, that message will be loud and clear--you'll be as ready as we are to sing the praises of the wines of both Jura and Les Granges Paquenesses.
 

Loreline Laborde, Les Granges Paquenesses' humble but passionate winemaker.

We feel extremely lucky to be able to welcome Les Granges Paquenesses into the Weygandt fold, and to carry the winery's three cuv�es: its Brut Cremant du Jura (the most rustic and earthy of the lot), its Chardonnay La Mamette (a wine that shows more mineral than most Jura Chardonnays) and its Savagnin La Pierre (a true treat of a wine; rich, round and full of minerals). These are each incredible wines in their own right--but at their low price points, they're a revelation.

This Friday and Saturday, we'll be pouring samples of our new Les Granges Paquenesses arrivals, so swing by the store to taste them for yourself (or contact us to place an order). The buzz about Les Granges Paquenesses may only be a whisper at this point, but when you see what they have to offer, we're sure it'll be the talk of the town. -- Sam Mitchell | Wine Consultant, Weygandt Wines