Anne et Jean-Francois Ganevat
Summary
Domaine Jean-François Ganevat is a family-run estate spanning 8.5 hectares in Rotalier, southern Jura, where Jean-François and his sister Anne craft diverse wines from traditional and rare indigenous varieties grown in blue and gray marl soils with limestone at 300-400 meters elevation. Their meticulous approach combines biodynamic farming, extremely low yields, indigenous yeast fermentations, minimal sulfur use, and both traditional sous voile and topped-up winemaking methods to produce over 40 different small-batch cuvées that express their fourteen generations of winemaking heritage.
Heritage & Leadership
Domaine Jean-François Ganevat is rooted in the small village of Rotalier in the southern Jura region of France. The Ganevat family has been cultivating vines in this area since 1650, with Jean-François representing the 14th generation of vignerons. After spending over eight years working at Domaine Jean-Marc Morey in Chassagne-Montrachet, Jean-François returned to his family estate in 1998 to take over from his father. This experience in Burgundy significantly influenced his approach to winemaking in the Jura. His sister Anne joined the domaine in the 2000s, and together they expanded their portfolio by creating the "Anne & Jean-François Ganevat" négociant line in 2013, allowing them to work with purchased grapes from trusted growers in Jura and Burgundy following severe frost damage to their own vineyards.
Vineyards & Wines
The domaine encompasses approximately 8.5 hectares of vineyards spread across the slopes surrounding Rotalier in the Sud Revermont area of Jura. These vineyards are planted with a diverse array of grape varieties, including Chardonnay, Savagnin, Poulsard, Trousseau, and Pinot Noir, along with numerous rare indigenous varieties that Jean-François has worked to preserve. The vineyards sit on primarily blue and gray marl soils mixed with limestone at elevations between 300-400 meters. Many of the vines are old, with some Savagnin parcels exceeding 80 years of age. The domaine converted to organic farming in 1999 and received biodynamic certification from Demeter in 2006. Their production includes both oxidative wines made sous voile (under a veil of yeast) in the traditional Jura style and ouillé (topped-up) wines that prevent oxidation.
Philosophy & Practice
Jean-François Ganevat's winemaking philosophy centers on minimal intervention and maximum respect for terroir expression. In the cellar, fermentations occur with indigenous yeasts in either neutral oak barrels or fiberglass tanks. The domaine uses no additions except for minimal sulfur at bottling for some cuvées, while others are bottled without any sulfur. For their traditional sous voile wines, aging takes place in neutral oak barrels without topping up, allowing a veil of yeast to develop on the wine's surface, creating the characteristic oxidative notes of traditional Jura wines. Their ouillé wines are regularly topped up to prevent oxidation, preserving fresh fruit characteristics. Harvesting is done entirely by hand with rigorous sorting, and yields are kept intentionally low, often below 25 hectoliters per hectare. The Ganevats produce over 40 different cuvées each year, many in extremely limited quantities, with each wine designed to express a specific terroir, grape variety, or winemaking tradition of the Jura region.