Claude & Cédric Joly

MORE THAN 60 YEARS OF HISTORY – FROM SPARKLING WINE TO VIN JAUNE DU JURA

DOMAINE

he history of this family estate begins after the second World War, with a small plot of vines. By 1997 it grows from a few ares to 6 hectares and nowadays produces a wide range of wines. the philosophy of the estate is attention to its vines, responsible viticulture, and respecting the traditions of Jura. Work in the vineyard is adapted to each plot, in order to preserve its ecosystem. in the cellar, traditions are also important: Domaine Claude et Cédric Joly produce wines from local varieties Poulsard and trousseau and specialties of the region - unique vin jaune du Jura, local Crémant du Jura, and Macvin du Jura. With the knowledge and experience of Cédric Joly in oenology and viticulture, the estate can manage all the work on its own and continue to develop.

Could you introduce yourself?

Vertdevin:

Cédric Joly: I am a winegrower in Rotalier, a village in the south of the Jura department. I come from a BTS Viticulture-oenology from the Lycée Viticole in Beaune.

Did you take over the family business or did you create the estate?

C.J.: I returned to the estate in 1997. My father joined me in 2004 and we created a company in form of EARL, which I have been managing since then.

Did you always want to be a winemaker?

C.J.: Yes, all my education took place in the vineyard. I started my studies in a traditional college and continued my specialization on BTSA, with the option Viticulture-oenology at the Lycée Viticole in Beaune.

What type of terroir do you have in your vineyards?

C.J.: We have different terroirs. All the soils have a high clay-limestone content. On the Côtes du Jura appellation, you can find pure clay-limestone soils, as well as loamy soils and gravels with a bit of sand. And in the L’étoile appellation, there are deep grey and blue marls.

Which is the common signature of your wines, which helps to recognize them in a blind tasting?

C.J.: Our wines are tense and very straight. I don’t especially focus on sugar content and on the potential level of alcohol in my wines. I pay particular attention to their acidity levels. I think that a correct natural acidity is more important in wine than high sugar content. The alcoholic degree can be adjusted by chaptalisation. But adding tartaric or citric acid to adjust the acidity of a wine, can make it seem ”dissociated” and unbalanced on the tasting. Anyway, it is not my philosophy.

What is the surface of your estate? How many bottles do you produce per year?

C.J.: The estate has almost 7 hectares of vines and

produces around 47,000 bottles.

What does the wine represent for you?

C.J.: Above all, wine is my passion. You can’t make wine without this passion. And in everyday life, wine represents for me festivity and joy.

Do you have any projects for the property?

C.J.: A medium-term project is to restructure the commercial part. I would like to focus more on wine merchants and export, rather than on wholesalers.

Do you have a little anecdote about your estate?

C.J.: In 2017 I replanted my first plot myself. But the days of planting coincided with the extreme frosts in the Jura this year. Since then this plot is the most impacted by climatic hazards. In 2020 it was hit by drought, in 2021 – by a severe frost, and this year once again it suffered from the drought. Curiously, other vines, that we replanted, were much less impacted, but my first vines, unfortunately, suffer from all the climatic hazards.

Did you try other types of grape varieties, other rootstocks, or other clones to lessen the impact of these climatic hazards?

C.J.: No, I did not try to modify the vines themselves. But for two years I have been adapting the pruning in order to limit the impact of the frost. Instead of pruning my vines in their definitive configuration, I cut the spurs in a way that they are longer, with more buds, and I keep the cane of the vine whole. Nowadays, with more and more precocious spring, the bud break can start early. If we have long canes on the vines, vegetation will appear on their extremities. In case of frost, the end of the cane will freeze, but it can then be cut and the vine will start again, albeit a little later. However, we could still have better yields, compared to a final pruning.

Thanks to Cédric Joly for sharing his time and passion.

Valentina Guerin de Tourville

Domaine Claude et Cédric Joly 3 Chemin des Patarattes 39190 rotalier – france

www.domainejoly.fr