Jean Rijckaert Bourgogne Chardonnay 2021
"Domaine Rijckaert was founded by Jean Rijckaert in 1998. Jean spent the better part of that decade working as technical director for the noted Mâcon negociant Verget before deciding to start his own project. He amassed a collection of top-quality vines centered around the village of Viré totaling 4 hectares. Like few Burgundians before him, Jean had long looked east in admiration of the Jura’s wines. In the late ‘90s it was still possible to obtain reasonably priced vineyards in and around Arbois, so he did just that, acquiring 5ha of Savagnin, Chardonnay, and a smidge of Poulsard. In order to stay true to the regional identity of the respective projects and to avoid logistical hassles, he decided to open a second cellar in Villette-Les-Arbois to handle all of the Jura production. Although the Jura and Mâcon wines are made under a unified philosophy - namely, organic farming and hands-off winemaking - their production remains distinct to their respective regions to this day
In 2013, lacking an heir, Jean began transitioning the management of the domaine to his talented and eager understudy, Florent Rouve. Today, Florent has fully taken over the estate and oversees all of the farming and production in both the Mâcon and Jura. He has continued where Jean left off in focusing first and foremost on organic farming, with a strong emphasis on developing ecological diversity in the vineyards and a light touch in the cellar.
As a primarily white wine-focused estate, the cellar team adhere to a simple yet challenging set of criteria. Patience and gentleness are key to this philosophy: all wines are fermented using native yeasts, the lees are only disturbed during racking – meaning there is no stirring or battonage – and all of the wines are aged for a minimum of 18 months before bottling. Despite a long and delicate process, Florent goes for a fresh style. Particularly in Jura, the wines generally do not skew towards the funky or oxidative end of the spectrum.
At Rijckaert, there is a generosity, a team spirit, and an openness that seems to make its way into the wines. These are great wines made by great people that do an excellent job of conveying the pleasure and possibility of both the Jura and the Mâconnais." -Supplier notes