A better mousetrap: Ganevat, Overnoy, Metras & Dutraive

My first introduction to natural wines (since I didn’t know what I was doing) was filled with mousy garbage but I have certain fellow Berserkers to thank for reintroducing me to the category with some life-changingly good examples. And so it was that a few weeks ago a few random texts coalesced, unexpectedly, into a plan to check some natural wines off our bucket lists. They were accompanied by a capable supporting cast of un-natural wines in half bottles, and led us to the promised land if only for a couple of hours. The next morning we awoke mercifully hangover free, despite having imbibed an unwise amount of wine, and so powered by the lingering grace of that miracle, I have written these notes:

MV Krug Rose
ID = 415063; base year 2011; from 375; round and rich with heavier red fruit and a touch of spice to lend complexity; very gourmand on the palate and perhaps a touch sweet; gets even fuller and weightier with air, positively Rubenesque; a pleasure to drink but it does leave you wanting for a bit more cut; good plus

2007 Jean-François Ganevat Côtes du Jura 'Les Vignes de Mon Père’
There’s a light veil of reduction to start, which smells like shrinkwrap that’s been left in the sun, though it quickly blows off and some careful coaxing reveals the fruit signature I’ve learned to associate with Ganevat’s VdmP - a cross between a pomelo and a mandarin orange, with a cidery twist at the end - and a layered mineral/savory complexity; there’s even a hint of floral that reveals itself with lots of air; these complexities are brutally drowned out the moment the wine hits your palate, where it is puckeringly, almost punishingly tart; it does get a bit of help from the food - conservas, Comte cheese, preserved meats - which in their own way primp this into marginal accessibility; there is tremendous class here, and potential, but for now this is tightly wound and surly - very much, as Andy remarked, a cerebral wine that demands contemplation; we were emboldened to open this 2007 at age 15 by encounters with the 2003 earlier this year, and a 2004 magnum last year, both of which were open and giving, revelatory introductions to the magic of Savagnin, so there is a little regret I feel; though this surely does not lose out to either in terms of absolute quality, it is grounded where the 2004 is aerian and playful, and stern where the 2003 is louche and fleshy - a vintage for acid freaks and rockheads with more fortitude than me; I have no idea about the aging curve for VdmP but would like to revisit this with some years on it; today it is a little overwhelming for me; good plus plus with upside

2008 Emmanuel Houillon (Maison Pierre Overnoy) Chardonnay Arbois Pupillin
Now this is as opposite to the Ganevat as it seems possible for wines to be; this is immediate and accessible, the wine fanning out kaleidoscopically on the palate to offer up pleasures of all description; it reminds me of a really good oxidative Champagne, but is in no way oxidized or tired - there is no bruised apple for instance; in fact, this is very much like Selosse’s Substance cuvee, just 3-5 years post-disgorgement and with no bubbles; what puts this in contention for wine of the night, for me at least, is its delicious balance and lightness; the contrast with the Krug is interesting for they are in the same register of flavors, but the Krug shows itself to be a tad sugary and plodding in comparison; in the end, this vanishes the fastest of all the wines on the table and leaves me with the faintly unsettling prospect of having to source more Overnoy; very good

2011 Yvon Métras Fleurie 'L’Ultime’
It is rare that a wine instantly evokes memories & mental images, but the Metras - my first Ultime - joins an exclusive club; in this memory I’m a Boy Scout and have gone camping in the woods; I have just emerged from my tent at some ungodly morning hour, groggy (no not literally, I was too young to drink) and unhappily uncaffeinated; in front of me are the remains of last night’s campfire, the cold ashy and sooty smells mingling with the scent of the trees carried on the breeze; and the breeze and the smells bring me to myself, reminding me that I’m glad to be there, glad to be alive at that moment; what else is there to say about this? It is utterly suave, integrated, and in balance on the palate, a graceful mix of red and black fruit, the fruit perfectly in proportion to the tertiary nuances that are starting to emerge; the fruit expression is “cooling” (to use Charlie’s expression) and Pinot-like as opposed to warm cherry liqueur-ish and Grenache-like, and the overall effect is subtly but ineluctably bewitching; this must be close to the pinnacle of what is possible with Gamay; given the reputed variability and the difficulty of sourcing this cuvee, I feel very privileged to have had this experience; very good plus

2019 Jean-Louis Dutraive (Domaine de la Grand’Cour) Fleurie 'Le Clos’
My first Dutraive ever; this wine had a tough job, coming after the stunning beauty of the Metras, and expectations were low; but it did bear a real resemblance to the Metras, with the same funky smokiness and red/black fruit mix; as expected given the youthfulness it was much more fruit-forward, but with the acidity dialed up noticeably to match, giving a pleasing freshness; while lacking the fullness and spherical ease of the Metras, this is still a tremendous value for $37 per - glad to have more bottles (including the Champagne cuvee!); good plus

2004 Yquem
At an interesting point in its evolution: still with that coconutty / exotic fruited young Yquem signature in evidence but noticeably fading, without having quite reached the 2nd plateau of maturity where thundering herds of apricot come out to play; the effect is displeasing as, without the exuberant fruit of its youth or the peacock’s tail complexity of its foregone maturity, the wine ends up being dominated by its sugar, and a shadow of what it could have been; which is still pretty damn tasty, mind you, but this is a lesson about waiting for the right time; good minus, but probably at its nadir

Some of the bottles…
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I find that great natural wines (and, yes, there are plenty of horrible natural wines) consistently give me more pleasure than their non-natural variety. That’s probably just a bias I have.

Some comments on your notes:

  • The Ganevat spends something like 12 years in barrel (topped up), so the 2007 is still in its grumpy youth. Some say that wine should spend as long in bottle as in barrel;
  • Chez Overnoy, the Chard is (to me) the least interesting cuvee. The Poulsard, with age, is my favourite.
  • Aged Ultime is a thing of beauty. Shame about current prices. If you find some, pre-2010 Lapierre (cuvee “N”, as in “no sulfites”) is surprisingly good and generally less expensive;
  • In the same vein, do try the special cuvees chez Valette (“Noly”, “Reyssie”). They’re amazing.
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Nice notes!

Yea, that Metras l’Ultime is a gorgeous, unique Beaujolais. Damn, though, pricing has gone whacked. Crush just offered it a day or so ago at $285! The 2014 is incredible. I have not bought since the 2015 vintage.

Love the rhapsodic prose

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Gee, you’ve been schooled well!

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Schooled well and on the fast-track to a PhD! :+1:
Good wines!

It’s been 7 years since a few of us locals indulged in a slew of Overnoy-Houillon dinner at Racines and although we did not have the 2008 Chardonnay, I tend to agree with the earlier comment with my slight preference for the Poulsard and, more appropriately in this thread, the Savagnin (and mixed Sav/Chard). These natural wines clearly widened my appreciation for very good natural wines.

My last Metras Ultime was the 2009, in what seems like eons ago. Stupid good bottle. Good bottles of Metras, whether Fleurie and M-a-V, when properly aged definitely amped up my limited Beaujolais experiences.

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Delightful notes, Yao. I’m trying to envision you in Boy Scout garb!

Mike

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Damn. From doghouse to penthouse! That’s a nice display of natty wines!

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Here are my notes on these wines :slight_smile:

All wines showed really well, but I have a soft spot for the Ganevat. I agree it was not the easiest to drink today, but to me clearly the wine with the highest potential. The Metras was fantastic as well. Probably the best Beaujolais I’ve had (maybe along with the 2007 Foillard 3.14). I know these can be variable, but when on, they tend to be very aromatic, Burgundy like, and very complex. I had a similar experience recently with the “normal” 2009 Fleurie.


2008 Emmanuel Houillon (Maison Pierre Overnoy) Chardonnay Arbois Pupillin - France, Jura, Arbois Pupillin (8/6/2022)
Tasted alongside the 2007 Ganevat Vignes de Mon Pere. What a contrast. The Overnoy is all about delicacy and nuance. Very pretty nose with lemon, minerals, and an interesting flinty quality. The palate is perfectly balanced and shows a bit more depth and complexity than the nose. More lemon, lime zest, green apple, and mineral notes follow. Very long finish. A fantastic wine that’s all about the interplay of flavors. Not nearly as powerful as the Ganevat, but has enough weight on the palate. This will continue to evolve and probably improve for years to come. (95 pts.)


2007 Jean-François Ganevat Côtes du Jura Les Vignes de Mon Père - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (8/6/2022)
Tasted next to the 2008 Overnoy Chardonnay. Wow, the first whiff was already redeeming! Very powerful on the nose with so much going on, but not losing focus. Flavors are of lemon, orange, apple, minerals, and crushed rocks. The palate has a TON of acidity, notes of meyer lemon, lime, grapefruit, and green apple. It appears a bit more backwards than the nose. Long finish. This is outstanding, but really all about potential today. I’d wait at least 7-10 years before opening another one. The Overnoy may have been slightly more enjoyable to drink, but this wine has it all (and maybe too much so right now). 96-97+ (97 pts.)


2011 Yvon Métras Fleurie L’Ultime - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (8/6/2022)
Gorgeous nose, similarly to the Ganevat Mon Pere next to it, the first whiff is all you need! All of the wild berries one can think of, forest floor, dark cherry, and generally very Pinot-like on the nose. The palate has nice acidity with more cherries, wild strawberries, underwood, and a bit of candied fruit. Long finish. Excellent wine, even better than last time I had it. If someone blinded me and told me this was a young Grand Cru Burgundy from a natural producer, I would believe them. (96 pts.)


2019 Jean-Louis Dutraive (Domaine de la Grand’Cour) Fleurie Le Clos Cuvée Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (8/7/2022)
Bright red fruit, cherries, slight candied aromas, and a lovely spice note on the nose. High acidity with tart red berries, cocoa like flavors (but not oak), cranberrries, and orange peel on the palate. Nice finish. Really delicious. (92 pts.)

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I feel the same way. I enjoy a pretty wide variety of wines, from traditional to natural and I have a reasonably high tolerance for oak (but I despise high alcohol fruit bombs). But I find that high quality natural wines evoke the strongest positive emotions, even though objectively may not always be the “best” wines.

There may be something to that! The 2003 Ganevat VdmP is on pace to be my WOTY despite stiff competition

Thanks for these recs! Very timely as I’ll be in France soon and will make an effort to seek them out

The pricing is annoying indeed. Thankfully we have Foillard 3.14 as an alternative

I put this 2011 Ultime just a step above that bottle of 2007 3.14, but to your point about emotion they were both very joyful experiences [cheers.gif]

Great notes. Great wines.

I drink a lot of low sulfites/environmental focused wines (i don’t really like the natural wine term). A lot of the best wines I had has been in this category. It feels a bit like drinking “on the edge” at times when there are so many faulty wines out there… but i use a strict “two and your out” rule for winemakers with mousy wines or certain cuvees from some winemakers. Slowly you get to know the great winemakers that are less likely to make faulty wines. I will keep drinking in this category because I had so many amazing wines in it. I also feel like winemakers in this category often try to make higher acidity lower alchol wines which i appreciate a lot. For parts of the new generation of winemakers around Europe there also seem to be a movement towards a more pragmatic approach where small amounts of sulfites is added to better prevent issues (often around 20mg/l added). I welcome that a lot.

Jura is my favourite area for dry whites in the world. And a 2003 Les Vignes de Mon Père a few years back is my all time favourite white. Overall i prefer Savagnin to Chardonnay in Jura, but both can be amazing.

I also love Dutraive when the wines are on. But I had so many faulty bottles in the past few vintages that i just sold my last few 17 and 18 “Champagne” bottles. Not worth the gamble for me anymore.

Haven’t had an Overnoy in a while. Very jealous!

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I wish other producers in the area made Poulsard like Overnoy does. Only producer I’m not afraid of the red wines going mousy hence ok with aging em

A group of us, including AndyK and Justin Rutherford, did a wine dinner last week at Great China with 11 different wines from Domaines des Cavarodes. Both '09 and '10 Poulsard des Gruyères showed very well, with the '10 possibly being the WOTN. There’s still some upside to the '10. Nothing mousy about those wines.

This is a hell of a lineup. I’m partial to all of these wines and am happy they all showed so well.

To me, drinking Ganevat, Overnoy, or Metras is the pinnacle of a wonderful bistro experience. With these, I don’t want formal food, I want informal, elevated cuisine, and a great conversation to boot.
Not to denigrate the quality (which sadly the price is catching up to) but to express the magic and mystique rather than the pretention of something more classified.

I wholeheartedly agree! I baked a sourdough country loaf, which we ate with some charcuterie, pate, and comte. Anything fancier would have taken away from the wine. Frankly, I believe these types of wines are best enjoyed at home over the course of hours, rather than at a restaurant or tasting…

And I wish I could taste Overnoy’s Poulsard some day, seeing the praise it gets.

Poulsard should be a variety I love, making light and delicate reds with often modest alcohol and playful fruit - yet often my reaction to Poulsard is just “…meh”.

The wines are almost always just simple and straightforward, lacking the depth and character many Jura Pinots and Trousseaus show.

When it comes to mousiness, I’ve understood aging doesn’t really have to do anything with it - THP appears during or after MLF, not in the bottle. On the contrary, some anocdotes say that brettanomyces can metabolize THP, so if your wine happens to be both bretty and mousy, the mousiness might actually disappear from the wine with age.

I’ve learned something new & welcome, as a fan of brett (in moderation)! Thanks Otto [cheers.gif]

I still have to remind, that this is only an anecdote based on observation! [foilhat.gif] I have yet to read an actual scientific article on the subject. Nevertheless, it’s a phenomenon several different sources have claimed to verify.

All the natural wine growers I’ve visited made the same point: mousiness is, for the most part, a temporary phenomenon that tends to go away. Some of them had experience with wines that were badly affected in barrel and grew out of it. But some wines don’t seem to be able to shake it away… Belluard’s 2017s being a prime example (tried another bottle last week and it was still there!).

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