Les Granges Paquenesses

History of Domaine Les Granges Paquenesses

The adventure of Les Granges Paquenesses began in 2010, when Loreline Laborde, originally from Montpellier, chose to establish herself as a winemaker in the Jura, in Tourmont. Far from her native Languedoc, she took over a dilapidated seventeenth-century farmhouse and started out with just 1.7 hectares of vines, under extremely precarious material conditions. The very first vinifications, in 2010, were carried out without an operational cellar, already bearing witness to the determination and personal commitment of this self-taught winemaker.

Over the years, Loreline Laborde has gradually built up a vineyard of 3.5 hectares, which she manages entirely on her own, from work in the vines to ageing and bottling. Her philosophy is rooted in respect for living things, animal traction, and certified organic viticulture. Now a recognised signature, Les Granges Paquenesses features on the wine lists of the finest restaurants and wine bars in the Jura, Paris, New York, Stockholm, and Brussels — a testament to the singularity of this understated estate.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine Les Granges Paquenesses

The estate extends over 3.5 hectares classified under the Côtes du Jura appellation, complemented by a few plots in Arbois. The vines, spread across several named plots around Tourmont, benefit from a particularly rich and nuanced geology, made up of blue, grey, and red marls from the Lias and Trias, alternating with limestone outcrops. This geological diversity offers an extraordinary palette for expressing each grape variety with finesse and precision.

The grape varieties are emblematic of the Jura: Savagnin, Chardonnay, Poulsard (or Ploussard), and Trousseau share the plots. All work in the vineyard is carried out entirely by hand and with animal traction, thanks to the Comtois mare Amazone, the winemaker's faithful companion. This approach maintains an intense microbial life in the soils, encourages deep root development in the vines, and preserves the surrounding biodiversity. The estate, certified organic, implements demanding practices (natural preparations, homemade compost, strict yield control) to magnify the extraordinary Jurassian terroir.

Vinifications at Domaine Les Granges Paquenesses

In the cellar, Loreline Laborde practises an artisanal and low-interventionist winemaking approach, faithful to the spirit of the great natural wines of the Jura. Harvesting is done by hand, pressing is slow and gentle, and fermentations are spontaneous, thanks to the indigenous yeasts naturally present on the grapes. The addition of sulphur is minimal, or even entirely absent in certain cuvées.

The ageing is conducted with great patience, most often in old oak barrels, over a period ranging from twelve to twenty-four months for the ouillé whites, and several years for the sous voile cuvées and the Vin Jaune. Each wine is built slowly, without fining or filtration at bottling. This discipline gives birth to pure, taut, and profound wines endowed with great mineral energy, which is the hallmark of the estate's style.

The Cuvées of Domaine Les Granges Paquenesses

La Mamette: the flagship cuvée in ouillé Chardonnay, aged for approximately twelve to eighteen months in oak barrels with regular topping up. The nose blends citrus, candied lemon, white flowers, and notes of fresh hazelnuts; the palate unfolds a concentrated, dense, and juicy texture, supported by superb acidity and delicate bitter notes of lime zest. A chiselled and pure Chardonnay that flourishes with a few years of cellaring.

La Pierre (ouillé Savagnin): a great expression of Jura Savagnin with ouillé ageing, long-matured in oak barrels. The nose opens on notes of great purity — lime, peach, almond, and pistachio — with a floral and airy dimension. The palate, taut as a bowstring, displays remarkable precision and a long, saline finish. A great white for ageing.

La Pierre Sous Voile (or Renaissance): the sous voile version of the La Pierre cuvée, aged for several years in barrel without topping up, in the great Jurassian tradition. Golden colour, nose of walnut, reinette apple, curry, and white flowers; a structured and complex palate with a long, iodine-tinged finish. A deep and singular interpretation of terroir-driven Savagnin.

Les Trouillots: a single-plot cuvée in Savagnin from the lieu-dit Les Trouillots, aged in oak barrels. A precise, upright, saline wine with dense texture and impressive length. A sought-after cuvée among enthusiasts for its assertive character and single-plot singularity.

Les Fées Papillons: a poetic and confidential cuvée that has become a cult favourite on the wine lists of the world's finest restaurants. Produced in very limited quantities, it captivates with its purity, floral freshness, and aromatic depth, in a style that is distinctly Granges Paquenesses.

Le Plou: Côtes du Jura rouge or Arbois depending on the vintage, crafted from Ploussard (or Poulsard), the native grape variety and king of the Jura's lighter wines. A clear and luminous colour, nose of fresh red fruits and soft spices, an easy-drinking, lively, original, naturally styled palate. Ideal with smoked charcuterie, raclette, or a well-aged Comté.

Les Libellules: a cuvée in Trousseau, the native red grape variety of the Jura that accounts for barely more than 5% of the region's vineyard area. Loreline Laborde here gives it its full expression, in a structured, fruity, and spicy wine with fine texture and great sapidity. A remarkable expression of Jurassian Trousseau.

Métamorphose: a more recent cuvée in Chardonnay, aged twenty-four months in barrel. A wine of great energy, simultaneously taut, complex, and deep, demonstrating the estate's ability to reveal new facets of Côtes du Jura Chardonnay.

L'Éphémère: a cuvée in ouillé Chardonnay, barrel-aged, produced in very small quantities. A precise, fresh, and upright wine, with citrus and flint character, and a saline finish. A sought-after cuvée for its delicacy and expressive character.

Vin Jaune: the estate's great traditional cuvée, in Côtes du Jura, crafted from Savagnin aged sous voile for six years and three months in oak barrels without topping up. Deep golden colour, complex nose of green walnut, curry, reinette apple, and white flowers; a balanced, structured palate of remarkable aromatic complexity and virtually infinite ageing potential.