Jean-François Ganevat is one of the Jura’s most revered vignerons, a 14th-generation grower whose wines have become cult references for their precision, individuality and extraordinary longevity. Working organically and biodynamically across an exceptional collection of old-vine parcels, Ganevat combines meticulous vineyard work with a minimalist approach in the cellar. His wines possess a Burgundian finesse while retaining the freshness, energy and unmistakable personality of the Jura.

Les Rescapés is a particularly rare and fascinating cuvée, born from the disastrous 2021 vintage, when severe spring frosts devastated the Jura’s white grape crop. With only a small amount of Savagnin surviving across the domaine’s vineyards, Ganevat brought the surviving fruit from different parcels together into a single wine — hence Les Rescapés, “the survivors”.

Made from 100% Savagnin Vert, the wine comes from Lias marl and schist soils and is made in Ganevat’s characteristically natural style, with indigenous yeasts and no fining, filtration or added sulphur. It is ouillé rather than oxidative, and spends around four years on its lees in demi-muids, allowing the wine to build remarkable depth while preserving the piercing freshness of the 2021 vintage.

The 2021 is all about tension, precision and mineral energy. Aromas of mandarin, ripe pear and fresh white fruit sit alongside almond, subtle spice and a faintly saline, almost iodine-like character. The palate is concentrated but remarkably fresh, with high acidity giving the wine a beautifully vertical shape and a long, chalky finish.

There is something particularly compelling about the combination of scarcity and precision here. The frost drastically reduced yields, but the surviving fruit produced a wine of exceptional concentration and intensity. It is austere and serious in its youth, but with air the layers begin to unfold, revealing more fruit, mineral complexity and savoury depth.

A rare product of one of Jura’s most difficult vintages, Les Rescapés 2021 is a profound Savagnin: taut, saline, mineral and incredibly persistent, with the structure to evolve beautifully for many years.