The Elusive Wines of Jean-Marc Brignot!
Do some heavy internet searching and you will come up with very (very) little information about the quasi-mythical wines of Jean-Marc Brignot. It seems that Brignot is one of those reclusive French vignerons that has a nack for putting out some of the most breathtaking wines, of which he produces mere drops that the cognoscenti scoop up long before you can get your hands on them. I came across these rare little oddities a couple years back when a good friend (and fellow Jura geek) returned from a trip to Paris. He had an unmarked bottle that had been open for two days and poured me out a glass; my jaw dropped. A year later I found myself on a trip through Paris and the Loire. I had been on the hunt for some of the other rare birds that geeks might seek out while the greatest (?) natural wine shops/bars are at your fingertips (read: Overnoy, Metras, Truchot, etc). I ordered a bottle while settling in for a nice dinner and was quickly informed that they were, of course, out of my selection (I probably wasn’t cool enough to be ordering that, no not with my terrible French accent). I glanced again at the chalkboard wine list and spotted Brignot hidden in the corner…that was it. It was served straight from the fridge (a red wine mind you) and even at that cold temperature pure red fruits and flowers blasted from the glass. Life altering wine.
So here we are year and a half later. A little bird (named Zev Rovine) enticed me early last year with word that he would be bringing another producer from the Jura;”Brignot”, he wispered. I was ecstatic. Well, at long last we finally have a small quantity to offer at the shop. These wines are available in exceedingly limited quantities so please act quickly to reserve your wines!
A couple more notes on Jean-Marc Brignot and the wines on offer:
Brignot’s tiny domaine is actually located in the village of Malamboz in the central Jura. He is working as a “petit negoce”, in other words sourcing grapes from very well trusted organic and biodynamic grape growers. Though Brignot once made wines in the Jura, his tiny parcel has fallen into disrepair and he is working on converting it into a kind of biodynamic garden simply to feed his family. Today Brignot’s wines come from the Beaujolais, a small parcel from Saint-Romain to the north and even as far afield as the Alsace and Ardeche. All his wines are made without any additives, free of commercial yeasts and zero added sulfur. If you speak French (or Japanese, as his wife does) you may or may not find more information embedded on Jean-Marc’s blog; Vinibrato. Otherwise read more about them here, on our friends blog down in NYC.
A special thanks to Oscar over at Olmstead Wine Co. for bringing us these truly rare and amazing wines, especially in the heart of the winter. Do not miss these!
2010 Brignot, “Sun of a Beach”, Vin de France (Saint-Romain, Burgundy) $27
This is pure, unsulfured pinot noir that beams from the glass. The grapes are sourced from grower Renaud Boyer in the village of Saint-Romain in the Cote du Beaune. All of Brignot’s wines achieve a purity and elegance that few truly “natural” winemakers understand, but the “Sun of a Beach” is almost too easy to drink in its elegance and grace. At a whopping 10% alcohol you can certainly put a few bottles down easily with friends (or alone). This wine defines “Glou-glou”.
2010 Brignot, “Vin d’etable Rouge”, Vin de France (Chiroubles, Beaujolais) $27
“Etable” translates roughly as “barn” or “stable”, so this is “barn wine”-perfect! From a tiny parcel of old vine gamay grown by Jean-Luc and Cathy Gauthier in Chiroubles, the highest elevation cru village in the Beaujolais. This wine is more muscular, structured and deeper (still only clocking in at 11% alcohol!) than the pinot noir and has a mineral streak that makes it the perfect accompanyment to a hearty winter dinner. We’ve been after this one for quite some time and we are proud to offer this coveted cuvee exclusively here at the shop. Hurry!
2010 Brignot, “Envol de la fille”, Vin de France (Morgon, Beaujolais) $35
An underground, completely natural “Morgon” made in the Jura? How could we resist! Look at our cru Beaujolais section in the shop and only one village often has more than a couple producers representing it, and that village is Morgon. Like the “Vin d’etable” this too is made from old vine gamay sourced from the Gauthier farming duo. Powerful and beefy with a little reminder that, yes, Morgon is a Rhone appellation! Drink now or over the next 5-8 years.