In October, we had the pleasure of visiting Jean Orsoni and Juliette Puyperoux, two young winemakers who are revitalizing an old family estate. Theirs is a fascinating story: rather than continue the name of the established domaine, they chose to begin an entirely new project (“Puy de l’Ours” is a portmanteau of their last names). Indeed, Juliette’s grandmother passed on the family vineyards to Juliette and Jean a mere three days before she died, following much discussion and debate. Juliette believes her grandmother ventured into the great beyond peacefully because she viewed her mission as complete.
When we visited, Juliette led us through the cellars (which have room for significantly more barrels and tanks), narrating their story, their philosophy, and their processes. In a region where so much rests upon legacy and tradition (and family names), this young couple–inspired by other young vignerons–took the risk of creating an entirely new label. While their forebears leaned into heavier extraction and new oak, Jean and Juliette remain firmly rooted in tradition while crafting wines that are at the forefront of new wave Burgundy. Their bottles hail from vineyards based in the village of Savigny-lès-Beaune, and run the gamut from the iconoclastic (a white wine from Pinot Noir?! in Burgundy?!) to the vineyard-driven expressions that one would expect from any reputable domaine.
In 2020, Jean and Juliette sold all their grapes to a few wonderful producers, so that they could figure out exactly what to do with their first vintage in 2021. We are beyond thrilled to host Juliette for their Portland debut, so early on in their careers. The breadth of their offerings has grown over the past few years, and we’ll be pouring eight of their wines, each of which is singular and remarkable.
As an added bonus, Paul Wasserman, Juliette’s legendary importer, will be joining us.
In October, we had the pleasure of visiting Jean Orsoni and Juliette Puyperoux, two young winemakers who are revitalizing an old family estate. Theirs is a fascinating story: rather than continue the name of the established domaine, they chose to begin an entirely new project (“Puy de l’Ours” is a portmanteau of their last names). Indeed, Juliette’s grandmother passed on the family vineyards to Juliette and Jean a mere three days before she died, following much discussion and debate. Juliette believes her grandmother ventured into the great beyond peacefully because she viewed her mission as complete.
When we visited, Juliette led us through the cellars (which have room for significantly more barrels and tanks), narrating their story, their philosophy, and their processes. In a region where so much rests upon legacy and tradition (and family names), this young couple–inspired by other young vignerons–took the risk of creating an entirely new label. While their forebears leaned into heavier extraction and new oak, Jean and Juliette remain firmly rooted in tradition while crafting wines that are at the forefront of new wave Burgundy. Their bottles hail from vineyards based in the village of Savigny-lès-Beaune, and run the gamut from the iconoclastic (a white wine from Pinot Noir?! in Burgundy?!) to the vineyard-driven expressions that one would expect from any reputable domaine.
In 2020, Jean and Juliette sold all their grapes to a few wonderful producers, so that they could figure out exactly what to do with their first vintage in 2021. We are beyond thrilled to host Juliette for their Portland debut, so early on in their careers. The breadth of their offerings has grown over the past few years, and we’ll be pouring eight of their wines, each of which is singular and remarkable.
As an added bonus, Paul Wasserman, Juliette’s legendary importer, will be joining us.
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