François Rousset-Martin is a wizard making magic happen in Jura.

While the region’s quantities continue to dwindle and the names continue to reach (often unattainable) cult status – François has been quietly doing his thing in the tiny village of Nevy-sur-Seille, a wild frontier rich with nature tucked away in the Vallée des Reculées.

Nevy-sur-Seille, photo via Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant

Now, if you’re lucky enough to find yourself in Paris, Tokyo, or NYC holding one of the great wine lists of the world, it’s a name that’s popping up. These are truly natural wines, complex and elongated, almost haunting in expression of terroir. The labels are outside the formal AOC, since Château-Chalon requires an oxidative style and (in true progressive form) François is redefining the area with his vins ouillés (topped-up).

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While his father was a micro-biologist for the Hospices de Beaune, much of Francois’ childhood was spent in Jura, learning his way around the family climats once vinified by his great grandfather.

After his own journey in oenology, Francois ended up in this ancestral home making wine for the local Château-Chalon co-op, with a few bottlings set aside in his name; and later moved on to exclusively farming and vinifying the family parcels, alongside some newer acquisitions.

The wines are vinified and bottled by climat, in four (!) different cellars adjusted to specific climactic and microbial needs. Grapes are destemmed, and the wines are delicately macerated, aged on the lees until the next vintage in old oak, and then bottled unfined, unfiltered, and unsulfured.

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