Les Vignes de Mon Père 2006 Jean-François Ganevat

Professional reviews

Robert Parker (100)

I think I can brag about having drunk every single vintage of this exceptional wine produced since the initial 1998, and I've always been amazed at the freshness and purity of this wine, but the 2005 Les Vignes de Mon Père really blew me away. This is nothing other than the Savagnin bottled as Chalasses Marnes Bleues but kept for 130 months (yes, 130 months! that's almost 11 years!) in topped up 600-liter oak barrels without any SO2. Tasting it next to the 2013 Chalasses, the two wines have almost the same color. I still don't understand how he manages such a pale color and fresh nose with such extended aging, and the fact that he adds no sulfur is even more mind boggling. This vintage was considered exceptional in Jura and produced age-worthy wines to lay down, and this 2005 is no exception. The intensity, acidity and purity of this white are all exceptional, a point above previous vintages, with great persistence and an eternal, salty and umami aftertaste. As with all coup de coeur wines, I tasted (and drunk) as many bottles as possible, and weather (and air pressure) conditions seem to affect the nose quite a lot; the wine benefits from extended contact with air. Of course, a hint of volatility can give it away, but it's the palate where all the bottles were uniformly great - displaying that unbelievable length and laser focus, the tremendous salinity and mineral aftertaste. Eleven-years-old and fresh as a daisy. This is one of those wines I want to pursue, no matter how difficult it is to find (quite difficult) or the price asked (not cheap). This is truly exceptional, world class. Decant it in advance or even better, hold it for a few years. I've drunk the wine a few times after the original tasting and I'm convinced this is better than any of the previous vintages released. This wine deserves the highest score possible, as it's really unique.