Maison Pierre Overnoy is one of the *cultiest* cult producers out there and a benchmark for Jura wine.
Originally founded in 1968, the estate didn’t become what it’s known as until the mid-80s, when Pierre moved towards zero additive, zero sulfur, unfined, and unfiltered wines, and came to be considered a pioneer of natural/low-intervention wine. Today, the estate is run by Overnoy’s protégé Emmanuel Houillon (whose sister Adeline co-runs the also culty Domaine Bruyere-Houillon) and his wife Anne.
Overnoy wines are known to challenge conventional notions of the complexity and ageability of natural wine. Production is small, as the estate only owns about six hectares of vineyards. All of this means the wines are among the most coveted, hardest to find, and most outrageously priced (secondary market) Jura wines — second only to Domaine des Miroirs.
This 2016 Chardonnay went through spontaneous fermentation and matured in used oak barrels for 13 months. It comes in at 12.5% ABV.
**Tasting notes:** Medium gold color. Slightly oxidative nose, with notes of pineapple, pear, lemon curd, and toasted nuts. Intensely acidic palate, still mostly primary with citrus and pineapple, and a long, mineral finish. Really unique, impressive wine — quite different from Burgundy chards, which I’m honestly more used to.
I’ll get ahead of this question: *Is it worth the price?*
Well, the cheapest bottle I can find in the U.S. is over $600… if you’re a baller, then sure, go for it — this is an “experience wine,” and it’s unique and delicious. But it’s hard to justify (even if this is your preferred style) when producers like Ganevat, Labet, and Bruyere-Houillon make similar quality wines at much more reasonable prices.
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Maison Pierre Overnoy is one of the *cultiest* cult producers out there and a benchmark for Jura wine.
Originally founded in 1968, the estate didn’t become what it’s known as until the mid-80s, when Pierre moved towards zero additive, zero sulfur, unfined, and unfiltered wines, and came to be considered a pioneer of natural/low-intervention wine. Today, the estate is run by Overnoy’s protégé Emmanuel Houillon (whose sister Adeline co-runs the also culty Domaine Bruyere-Houillon) and his wife Anne.
Overnoy wines are known to challenge conventional notions of the complexity and ageability of natural wine. Production is small, as the estate only owns about six hectares of vineyards. All of this means the wines are among the most coveted, hardest to find, and most outrageously priced (secondary market) Jura wines — second only to Domaine des Miroirs.
This 2016 Chardonnay went through spontaneous fermentation and matured in used oak barrels for 13 months. It comes in at 12.5% ABV.
**Tasting notes:** Medium gold color. Slightly oxidative nose, with notes of pineapple, pear, lemon curd, and toasted nuts. Intensely acidic palate, still mostly primary with citrus and pineapple, and a long, mineral finish. Really unique, impressive wine — quite different from Burgundy chards, which I’m honestly more used to.
I’ll get ahead of this question: *Is it worth the price?*
Well, the cheapest bottle I can find in the U.S. is over $600… if you’re a baller, then sure, go for it — this is an “experience wine,” and it’s unique and delicious. But it’s hard to justify (even if this is your preferred style) when producers like Ganevat, Labet, and Bruyere-Houillon make similar quality wines at much more reasonable prices.