Emma & Michael are the driving forces behind Les Mangeux d'Pierre. And they certainly don't take it lightly. They are looking for a form, moment and time to ultimately experience what it is like to be one with the earth, with their environment. They want to be an essential part of the land, a link in a system where vines, plants and fauna exist together. A particularly beautiful idea that they can put into words beautifully:
'Accept not knowing, do not seek control but develop an attentive gaze. Cultivate an abundant diversity as a driver of permanent instability, which then guarantees a good adaptation of all that lives. It gives healthy, balanced, natural agriculture'.
You see, there is some thinking going on. The human urge for control is being fulfilled in a different way here.
The 2 vineyards of Les mangeux d'Pierre overlook the 'Dent du Chat' - loosely translated 'the Cat's Tooth' -, an almost 1400 meter high mountain in the Savoie. It is a beautiful part of France. Gigantic glacier lake Le Bouchet lies majestically next to high mountain peaks, hidden villages and wide views. Here you want to be one with the environment, we understand Emma & Michael.
The company starts after both are in a difficult phase in their lives. Emma is disappointed in her life in education and later as a book seller, while Michael does not experience satisfaction during his studies. Michael goes on a trip and works at various wine companies, gets enthusiastic and not much later in 2019 their own wine company sees the light of day!
In the field:
The couple were fortunate enough to take over two existing vineyards, totaling 5 hectares, a few minutes’ walk from each other and both in the AOC Bugey. The gently sloping plots face south-east, between 450 and 500 metres in altitude and are somewhat hidden among the woods. The vines are planted on the same subsoil as in the Jura: calcareous marl with red and white clay.
It is hard work in these vineyards. Due to neglect, many plants have died, so there are 'gaps' to be filled in the rows of plants. By means of Selection Massale, the rows are supplemented with new vines and new strips are planted, taking into account climate change and the desired (low) yield. An eclectic vineyard as a result, because the aim is to have planted not only Pinot Noir, Chardonnay & Mondeuse Noire by 2027, but also Altesse, Molette, Doux Noire and Jacquère.
In the basement:
Time and attention are the most important elements here.
The white harvest is pressed very slowly for one and a half days by a vertical press. The juice can get used to oxygen contact, the skins give flavor and yeast contact. The fermentation then already starts, is further without temperature control and lasts as long as it is necessary.
The dark grapes that come from the land are partly destemmed to start fermentation, the (large) rest of the harvest goes as whole bunches in the vat. This produces fruity, light wines with a somewhat higher PH and a somewhat lighter color. The only intervention is a modest remontage once the fermentation is well underway.
And then.. Give it time.. The brand new wines are left to rest for a long time after fermentation. It gives a maturation on the yeasts that have now finished, which makes the wines softer and somewhat 'thicker', without losing freshness. In addition, the aromas refine and the wine stabilizes, which makes the use of sulphur even less necessary. Seemingly logical but well-considered choices are made.
Overnoy
The 'Pierre' of Les Mangeux d'Pierre refers to Pierre Overnoy, the Godfather of the Jura, who not only taught Michael the finer points of natural wine making, but also passed on a deep love for the vine and wine.
There is genuine love and authenticity in Emma & Michael of Les Mangeux d'Pierre. They work with attention, precision and balance. This small, special winery is preparing for ever greater deeds, and provides a breath of fresh air in the still underexposed wine region of Bugey. The wines can seem reductive in their youth (aficionados, dig in!), but all wines soon reveal an unprecedentedly seductive, aromatic and special style.