Jerome Jouret L'ivraie

Winemaker: Jérôme Jouret

Appellation: southern Ardeche, Rhône, France

Grape Varieties: Ugni Blanc (50%), Viognier (40%), Clairette (10%)

L’ivraie is a type of rye grass that is often found mixed in with wheat. There is a passage in the bible that refers to the need to separate the rye grass out from the wheat. Jerome named this cuvée after the rye grass to represent the supposed bad reputation of Ugni Blanc as an inferior grape.

Vinification Method: The vineyards are plowed by hand and have never seen chemicals. Yields are very low and the grapes are hand-harvested at maximum ripeness, where they go into 7-year-old 225-liter barrels for fermentation. It is aged in barrel for 18-20 months before bottling with zero added sulfur.

Domaine Jérôme Jouret is a small family winery located on twelve hectares in the southern Ardeche. The organic ancient vines are planted on the steep and stony slopes of the Vallée de I’Ibie. Winemaker Jérôme Jouret left the local co-op in ’06 and has only made a few vintages since setting out on his own, however, the results so far have been stunning. The cooler climate of the region combined with a high elevation means that the fruit has longer hang time on the vines, this helps create wine with pronounced aromatics and fresh flavors.