L'Octavin Wine | Alice Bouvot
Alice Bouvot of Domaine de l'Octavin is well known in the natural wine scene, but she actually initially started off in the classical wine world, studying viticulture in Bordeaux - but at the age of 30 she decided to move back to her native Jura and was intrigued by the terroir and grape varieties found in the region. She now has around 5 hectares and on top of that also produces negociant wines. Tasting full of life, these wines represent a different side to Jura from what you might expect, and as such, Alice's wines are highly sought the world over. Popular wines of L'Octavin include her Hip Hip Jura range, Elle Aime, Petit Poussot and Corvees de Trou Trou.
Alice Bouvot: A Jura Family of Gnomes!
Alice Bouvot started Domaine de L’Octavin with her then-partner Charles Dagand in 2005. Charles already knew that he wanted to make natural wines, but for Alice it was a completely new world, and once she found out more about it she completely fell in love with the ideals and realised that before she never fully felt happy in the wine world. Together they were amongst some of the first in the region to make wines without any sulphites - from 2010 they never added any - and concentrated on farming in a chemical-free and holistic way. She now has around 5 hectares and on top of that also produces negociant wines. She started the negociant project in 2014 and doesn’t only buy the grapes, but also personally goes to the different vineyards to pick them herself. The negociant wines are recognised by the use of gnomes on the labels. Taste-wise, L'Octavin wines are known to feature high acidity, sometimes volatile, but in a beautifully balanced way that gives energy and vibrations on the palate.
From Elle Aime to Hip Hip Jura
The wines of L’Octavin can also be quite experimental, especially in her Gnome-labeled Negoce range. Alice is known to source grapes you might not expect a Jura winemaker to work with and often blending them, such as Grenache and Vermentino in her “Grenabar'' or use of Roussane and Marsanne in “Ivre di Vivre”. On the Jura domain side, she also likes to experiment beyond what most Jura winemakers might feel safe with. For example her “Elle Aime” is a vibrant punchy blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, making a red-white blend that has electric acidity and bright red fruit vibrancy. While Alice Bouvot may herself seem a little shy and quiet at first, her wines are where she expresses herself in a louder way. This is why it can often be more achievable to guess her wines when drinking blind - they have a signature style that is distinctly L’Octavin and this has gained her fans the world over.
