Domaine des Cavarodes – Introduction
Etienne Thiebaud commenced making his own wine at Domaine des Cavarodes in the village of Cramans in the northern part of the Jura in 2007. He makes wines of amazing purity which reflect the terroir from which they come on either side of the Loue River and across to Arbois.
He only has 4.5 hectares of vines (ranging in age from 15 to 115 years old) which he farms organically but produces many cuvees from these small holdings. The wines are made as naturally as possible with the reds undergoing semi-carbonic maceration following careful de-stemming and maturation in old barrels.
Key vineyards are Lumachelles which is in the commune of Mouchard just north of Arbois (where he has Chardonnay and Trousseau), Guille Bouton in Arbois (where he has Chardonnay) and Les Messagelins which is also in Arbois (where he has Trousseau).
You can find the wines from Cavarodes that are currently available by checking the list of available wines on this site here.
You can read a bit more about the Jura and see what other producers we have in this region here.
Les Cavarodes Meandres Blanc 2018
From Etienne we have a cuvée called Méandres, from the 2018 vintage, with a beautiful label (above) depicting the “guêpier d’europe” (in English the European bee-eater) which nests in the banks of the river below his vineyards.
Méandres is the word “meander” in English. It is a very deliberate choice, reflecting the complex route this wine took to reach fruition and also the sinuous path of the Loue river which skirts the village of Cramans.
The wine is what would otherwise have been the 2018 Chardonnay Lumachelles but has been declassified. Like many white wines from the 2018 vintage fermentation was long and difficult.
To finish it, Etienne macerated it with the grapes from the 2020 vintage of the same wine. This process enable the wine to ferment until dry. As usual, the aging was in 45 hl foudres. Etienne has waited a long time for this to be ready to release and we were lucky enough to be shipping some wine at the time it and the labels were ready so we received an unexpected allocation which, as well as boosting the total number of bottles helped to reduce the freight cost per bottle for all of the wines.
The wine, with its extended aging in older foudre has a Jura oxidative quality but is still fresh and lifted with savoury notes that make it a wonderful wine with food. Because it has been declassified its price is slightly more bearable as well.
RRP: $53 (SOLD OUT)
Domaine des Cavarodes AOP Côtes du Jura Savagnin Pressé 2020
This is an amazing wine from Etienne Thiebaud made entirely from pressed Savagnin grapes using only indigenous yeasts. The grapes were directly pressed and then the juice was aged in old French oak foudres until judged ready to bottle.
The wine was bottled without any added sulphites, it was also unfined and unflitered.
The resultant wine has an incredibly deep flavour and shows great energy, a beautiful roundness in the mouth and long, long persistence.
It has been released under the Côtes du Jura appellation which is the broadest appellation in the Jura region. The main white grapes allowed are Chardonnay and Savagnin although a range of other grapes can be used provided the main two comprise at least 80% of the mix. In this case, there are no issues as the Savagnin is the only grape used.
Price: SOLD OUT
Domaine des Cavarodes AOP Côtes du Jura Chardonnay Les Lumachelles 2018
This lovely Domaine des Cavarodes wine is made from Chardonnay which was regularly topped up to prevent excessive oxidation (the French use the term ouillé, to describe this topping up process).
A large foudre was used for both the slow, natural fermentation and maturation on the lees. The resulting wine was bottled without the addition of any sulphites to retain the freshness and typicity.
(Adding sulphites at bottling tends to “deaden” the wine so that it remains trapped at that point in time.)
The village closest to the vineyard is Mouchard, which is just north of Arbois and just south of Cramans.
The wine exhibits a strong mineral quality suggesting good biodynamic practices in the vineyard which Etienne has long implemented with a distinct lemon peel vibe on the palate.
Price: $45 – SOLD OUT
Domaine des Cavarodes AOP Côtes du Jura Trousseau Les Lumachelles 2018
This Domaine des Cavarodes wine was also made from grapes picked from the Lumachelles vineyard as described for the Chardonnay above. The village closest to the vineyard is Mouchard, which is just north of Arbois and just south of Cramans.
This light red wine is made from the Trousseau grape variety which is thought to be native to the Jura but which can now be found in Spain and Australia under the name of Bastardo.
It was bottled without being fined or filtered and no sulphites were added at any stage.
This is a very good example of a Jura red wine which is a light, delicate red which has elegance and very good structure.
In the Jura it is common for winemakers to serve the red wines first in a tasting as they are often light and ethereal (like this one) whereas the whites are much stronger.
Price: $72 (SOLD OUT)
Domaine des Cavarodes AOP Arbois Chardonnay Guille Bouton 2020
The Guille Bouton vineyard lies within the Arbois appellation close to the village of Arbois.
The vineyard has the very common combination of limestone clay over grey and blue marls. This is a combination that is sought after because the combination of limestone and different types of marl adds complexity to the wine.
This Domaine des Cavarodes wine was made from 100% Chardonnay grapes from the Guille Bouton vineyard.
These are the traditional Chardonnay grapes.
This wine was fermented with native yeasts and was aged in old oak barrels. It was bottled without being fined or filtered.
This is quite a special wine as it displays richness, tension and energy leading to a long, long finish. A lovely wine!
Price: $66 (SOLD OUT)
Domaine des Cavarodes AOP Côtes du Jura Savagnin Ostrea Virgula 2017
The Ostrea Virgula is Domaine des Cavarodes most exciting wine. This beautiful, topped-up Savagnin was fermented and aged in a vat for one year before being transferred to old barrels to further develop the wonderful aromas and flavours that typify this wine.
The process of topping up is relatively new in the Jura. Normally, wines were left in the barrel and as evaporation occurred, a veil of yeast would form, thus protecting the wine from excessive oxidation.
Now, however, in order to create fresher, less oxidative wines, the barrels are often topped up using some of the same wine that has been kept in either a fibreglass or steel tank with an adjustable lid that is kept in contact with the top of the wine.
You will notice the stone fruit, kumquat, orange and herb aromas and the very long, lingering finish of this wine.
The name of the cuvée, Ostrea Virgula, is a nod to the Jurassic marine shell fossil component of the soil in this vineyard.
It was bottled without being fined or filtered.
Price: $79 (SOLD OUT)
Domaine des Cavarodes AOP Arbois Poulsard Chemenot 2018
This Domaine des Cavarodes wine is made from grapes grown in the Chemenot vineyard near Arbois.
It has overtones of all sorts of berry fruit including blackberries, strawberries and raspberries and a colour to match. There is also a hint of pomegranate at the end which gives a sensation of mild bitterness that we crave.
It displays good minerality and vibrant energy which is a result of the organic and biodynamic treatment of the soils.
This is a lovely wine that can be enjoyed by itself but which will not overpower delicate foods. We think it is best to serve this wine just slightly chilled to highlight both the texture and flavour of the wine.
This wine was bottled without being fined or filtered or having any sulphites added.
Price: $54 (SOLD OUT)
Domaine des Cavarodes AOP Arbois Trousseau Les Messagelin 2019
Another beautiful Domaine des Cavarodes Trousseau from very old vines in the Messagelin vineyard in the commune of Arbois close to the village of Montigny les Arsures where iron rich, red marl soils add to the complexity of the wines produced from this vineyard. Coincidentally, this vineyard is right next to the Vigne de Louis vineyard of Michel Gahier who we also import.
It was bottled without being fined or filtered and no sulphites were added at any stage.
Price: $91 (SOLD OUT)
Domaine des Cavarodes IGP Franche Comté Rouge 2018
This delicious Domaine des Cavarodes wine demonstrates Etienne’s remarkable capacity for making great wines even if they are field blends. This wine is made from very old vines (well over 100 years old) from a plot that Etienne bought on the western side of the Loue river and hence outside the Arbois appellation system.
Therefore the wine is classified under the IGP system which is used to replace the old Vin de Pays classification. It sits above Vin de France but below the new AoP appellations.
It is designed to provide a classification that gives a regional focus to the wine – in this case the region of Franche Comté which consists of the départments of Haute-Saone, Doubs and the Jura.
This wine comprises many different grape varieties including the common Jura reds Trousseau, Gamay, Poulsard (Ploussard) and Pinot Noir along with much rarer varieties which according to French wine retailer “Les Passionnes du Vin” include Pinot Meunier, Argant, Portugais Bleu, Enfariné, and Mézy. We also think that there might be some Gueuche Noir in the field blend as well.
Price: $72 (SOLD OUT)
Domaine des Cavarodes IGP Franche Comté Blanc 2020
This is the first time we have been able to get our hands on a small allocation of this Domaine des Cavarodes white wine made from a plot of Chardonnay that Etienne bought on the other side of the Loue river and hence outside the Arbois appellation system.
It is one of the first white wines released by Etienne from the 2020 harvest due to the slow fermentations experienced in that year.
Therefore the wine is classified under the IGP system which is used to replace the old Vin de Pays classification. It sits above Vin de France but below the new AoP appellations. It is designed to provide a classification that gives a regional focus to the wine – in this case the region of Franche Comté which consists of the départments of Haute-Saone, Doubs and the Jura.
This wine, which was aged for 10 months in old wooden barrels, is a delight. It is complex, it lingers in the mouth for a long time, it has gorgeous minerality, it is savoury and it is strong!
It is the epitome of a Jura wine, even though it is from outside the Jura geographic area (just).
Note that this wine is mainly made from Chardonnay but may have other ancient varieties that are present in this very special vineyard. Not all of the vine varieties have been documented, but we know that in addition to Chardonnay there is likely to be Savagnin, Savagnin Rose and Sauvignonasse among others.
Price: $ (SOLD OUT)
Domaine des Cavarodes AOP Côtes du Jura Vin Jaune 2015
Unfortunately, many of the wines of Domaine des Cavarodes are sold through allocation prior to arrival in Australia such is the popularity of Jura wines these days.
We recently enjoyed a 2011 vintage of one of Etienne’s early Vin Jaune wines with some firends and it was a beautiful, mellow, exciting experience – just as we would expect from such a wine. These Vin Jaune wines are truly special – it is one of the world’s great wine experiences.
So what is a Vin Jaune and what makes it so special? First of all it is a highly controlled product that must conform to a number of very tight rules set down by the appellation authorities. Let’s explain!
We will summarise the rules pertaining to Vin Jaune to give you an idea of why it is so special.
- Vin Jaune can only be made from the Savagnin grape variety;
- The grapes must be grown in designated communes in the Jura region of France;
- The juice from the grapes must be matured in wooden barrels which are not “topped up”;
- A veil will form on the surface of the wine to protect it from excess oxygen;
- The wine must be left to mature for 6 years and 3 months;
- The alcohol level should be between 13% and 15%;
- The wine must be bottled in a 620 ml bottle which is called a clavelin;
- The wine must qualify for one of the appellation labels which are Arbois Vin Jaune, Cotes du Jura Vin Jaune, Château-Chalon and Vin Jaune de l’Etoile;
- The producer must allow the wine to be tested at various times, but particularly just before bottling where permission will be granted or not for it to be classified as Vin Jaune.
The formation of a chemical called sotolon gives Vin Jaune its distinctive taste. It truly is an amazing wine.
RRP: SOLD OUT
You can read an interesting article from Les Caves de Pyrene in London about Etienne here.
