This cuvée comes from old vines exclusively from a single hectare plot called ‘Les Effarets.’ The name of the wine, Les Gryphées, comes from an ancient extinct oyster, whose fossils’ are found in the soil. The wine is aged on the lees for 12 months and is characterized by a common practice in Jura called topping, to produce floral aromatics and preserve freshness.
The smallest wine growing region of France, the Jura lends its name to the Jurassic period, not because it is littered with ancient fossils and preserved dinosaur tracks, but for its geological developments of limestone mountains and marl deposits that formed 145-200 million years ago. While the mountains along the eastern edge of this narrow north-south winegrowing region are quite high, most of the growing is reserved to the lower valleys in the west, averaging at an altitude of 300m. Although very similar in climate to Burgundy and Alsace, Jura experiences much colder, riskier winters, and longer growing seasons. Because of this, ripeness levels of fruit is a always a key consideration for these winegrowers, and often a distinct feature incorporated into these regionally characteristic wines. As such, vines are oriented on south-facing slopes to take full advantage of the days’ sunshine.