Les Dolomies

History of Domaine Les Dolomies

The story begins with Céline Gormally. In 2004, she discovered vineyard work alongside Fabrice Dodane at Domaine de Saint-Pierre, then continued learning from other leading Jura producers, including Labet and Badoz. She initially rented a modest half-hectare parcel in Passenans. The turning point came in 2008: with support from Terre de Liens, a community-backed land organization that helps farmers establish organic operations, and thanks to its investors, she acquired the Les Combes vineyard—1.44 hectares of old vines planted in the early 1950s. The estate was born. It takes its name from dolomite, the magnesium-rich limestone that crops out in its best parcels.

In 2010, the move became permanent, with just over three and a half hectares divided between Passenans, where the cellar is located, and Frontenay. Steve, long active in the cultural world, joined the estate full-time in 2016. The couple then chose to leave the Côtes du Jura appellation and label their wines Vin de France, gaining greater freedom. Today, Les Dolomies farms around ten parcels across five villages, including prestigious Château-Chalon.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine Les Dolomies

The vineyards stretch across the slopes of the Revermont in the southern Jura, under a semi-continental climate. There are two main types of soil. The variegated red or gray Keuper marls, from the Triassic period, are interspersed with layers of dolomite. At Château-Chalon, limestone scree covers gray Lias marl. These deep soils retain water and encourage roots to grow downward, giving the white wines their power, minerality and characteristic salinity. About two-thirds of the vines are Chardonnay and Savagnin. The rest are Pinot Noir, Trousseau, Poulsard and Gamay. Some vines are more than seventy years old.

The estate’s viticulture excludes all synthetic products. The growers apply horn manure and horn silica preparations, and use herbal infusions mixed with organic goat’s milk to reduce copper and sulfur applications. Sheep graze between the rows, and two of the finest Savagnin parcels are worked by horse. On the steepest slopes, donkeys help with the harvest. Moderate yields preserve the identity of each parcel.

Winemaking at Domaine Les Dolomies

In the cellar, the estate intervenes as little as possible and vinifies each parcel separately, a practice still uncommon in the Jura. The white grapes are pressed in whole clusters using old horizontal presses, then ferment solely with indigenous yeasts. Over successive vintages, Céline and Steve have learned to manage fermentations at cooler temperatures, making them more consistent. The whites are then aged on fine lees in old barrels, often from Meursault, or in larger vessels depending on the cuvée. All are topped up: the estate’s Savagnins are therefore non-oxidative, emphasizing freshness and tension.

The red grapes are destemmed and gently macerated for one to three weeks, depending on the fermentation, before aging in barrels. All the wines are bottled without fining or filtration. Sulfur is used only when truly necessary, and then in very small amounts. The estate also explores other approaches, such as skin-macerating certain Savagnins to make orange wine.

The Wines of Domaine Les Dolomies

Les Combes: this is the estate’s historic parcel in Passenans, planted with Chardonnay around 1951 on red Triassic marl. Fermented and aged in 650-liter large oak casks and 400-liter barrels, the wine is full-bodied, intense and saline, with minty freshness and a long, pleasantly bitter finish. It is a fine, age-worthy white from a cool terroir.

Les Boutonniers: this generous, elegant Chardonnay can hold its own against its Burgundian cousins. Vinified with very little or no sulfur, it combines rounded fruit with lovely tension and ages beautifully.

La Chaux: this Chardonnay grows in Nevy-sur-Seille on the magnesium-rich limestone that gave the estate its name. The wine is lively, fresh and finely etched, with remarkable drinkability.

En Novelin: this single-parcel Chardonnay is made for pleasure. Its vibrant fruit and supple texture make it approachable while still young.

Prémices: this topped-up Savagnin comes from parcels neighboring Les Combes, on red marl. It offers remarkable liveliness, notes of citrus and fresh walnut, and a saline finish.

La Croix Sarrant: this Savagnin comes from a Château-Chalon hillside bordering the terraces of Puits Saint-Pierre, on limestone scree and gray Lias marl. The parcel is worked by horse. The wine expresses all the finesse and minerality of the variety on one of its finest terroirs.

Arco: this Savagnin comes from vines around 35 years old, planted on a stony slope in the La Chaux vineyard at Nevy-sur-Seille. It is named after the donkey that helps with the harvest. The nose is intense, while the vibrant palate offers quince, mandarin and marzipan, with a saline finish.

Les Grandvaux: long made as a topped-up Savagnin, this wine is now produced by skin maceration. This orange wine stands out for its texture, delicate tannins and notes of citrus peel and spice.

La Cabane: grown on clay-limestone soils, this Pinot Noir is fruity, spicy and juicy, with an appealing crisp texture.

Bordel c’est Bon: this Trousseau pays tribute to Gaby, a family friend and editorial cartoonist whose portrait appears on the label. Destemmed, vinified without sulfur and aged in old Meursault barrels, it offers luscious cherry fruit and a peppery touch.

À la Tienne Robert: this Poulsard is a light, delicate red with notes of small red berries, produced in extremely limited quantities.

Madeleine: this Gamay comes from a 0.27-hectare parcel in Bréry planted about twenty years ago. Its crisp fruit and generous appeal make it especially inviting.

Carmina: this fortified wine is made by adding grape brandy to grape must to stop fermentation, without claiming the Macvin appellation. Its pale color and fruity aromas make it a lovely aperitif or dessert wine.