Anne et Jean-Francois Ganevat Vin de France Courage 2021

It takes a certain amount of courage to take quintessential Alsatian grapes and subject them to the uncompromising, wild alchemy of the Jura's most legendary natural winemaking duo. Sourced from prized, low-yielding old Riesling vines planted on the brutally steep, granite slopes of Obernay (Alsace), the fruit is hand-harvested and brought back to the Ganevat cellars in Rotalier. There, it undergoes an astonishingly patient transformation: a direct press followed by a slow, spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, and three full years of aging on its total lees in neutral oak demi-muids. Bottled unfined, unfiltered, and strictly with zero added sulfur, "Le Courage" is an extraordinary cross-regional hybrid that completely redefines what Riesling can be.

Pouring a brilliant, deep golden-yellow, this wine is an aromatic shapeshifter. The nose explodes with smoky, intensely mineral crushed wet stones and iodine, melting into layers of candied lemon peel, fresh green pear, and field hay, alongside a signature Ganevat touch of subtle nuttiness. On the palate, it delivers a thrilling masterclass in tension. The entry is surprisingly ample, textured, and slightly buttery from its long sleep on the lees, but it is immediately chiseled wide open by a razor-sharp, electric line of citrus acidity. Blind, you might mistake it for a world-class, un-oxidized Jura Savagnin—until the unmistakable, pure, saline-soaked Riesling typicity and hints of white pepper rush back on an interminable, mineral-drenched finish.