Valentin Morel established Les Pieds Sur Terre in Poligny in 2014, taking over his family’s 6 hectares of vines at just 26. After initially studying law and working for the French Government, Valentin returned to viticulture, studying in Alsace where he was introduced to the ideas of Bruno Schueller and Pierre Frick. He brought those influences home to the Jura, converting the family vineyards to biodynamic farming and developing a deeply thoughtful approach to natural winemaking.

Saint Savin is a 1 hectare parcel of Chardonnay planted in 1980, located south of Poligny on broken limestone over grey marl. The grapes are directly pressed and naturally fermented with indigenous yeasts before being patiently aged in old barriques. The cellar work is deliberately hands off, with the wine bottled unfined, unfiltered and without sulphur additions.

Valentin’s wines are deeply connected to the challenges and possibilities of Jura viticulture. He has also experimented with frost resistant hybrid varieties in response to increasingly difficult growing conditions, and has written extensively about the future of viticulture in his book Un Autre Vin.

The Saint Savin 2022 is a beautiful example of what Morel does so well. Generous stone fruit and ripe peach sit alongside citrus, fresh orchard fruit and a distinctly mineral, almost chalky character. There is richness on the palate, but the wine remains incredibly fresh and precise, with a long, focused finish.

A serious Jura Chardonnay with generosity, energy and mineral tension. The kind of bottle that can happily sit alongside roast chicken or richer food, but has more than enough detail to demand your attention on its own. A small allocation from a vigneron whose wines remain considerably easier to find in France than elsewhere.