The Dupasquier family have been farming the steep slopes of Jongieux for five generations, and Noël is now gradually stepping back from an active role to let his offspring, David and Véronique manage the domaine. Given that the name of their village is ‘Aimavigne’[1], it should not be surprising that all three of them speak fondly of the vineyards, which are in terrific shape. Nearly everything is done by hand and on foot; driving a tractor on the mountainside is difficult work, David claims. Cellar techniques are simple and largely traditional as the family don’t see a need to change what worked for their predecessors. Noël famously has the patience to let wines age in the cellar before release, preferring that they find their internal balance first.
Perched near the top of their holdings is an outstanding restaurant, Auberge Les Morainières, which has older vintages of Dupasquier’s ‘Marestel’ in their cellar, a useful (if expensive) fallback when one realises that it’s almost always sold out at the domaine. While that is the wine which has garnered the most plaudits, it’s the notion of ‘buvabilité’ (a French neologism meaning drinkability) which characterises their entire range of wines.
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[1] Noël claims it’s a corruption of ‘Aimer ma vigne’, or ‘(I) love my vine’.