Keep up to date
Sign up to our
Wayward Wines
Newsletter
About the Wine
A rare Jura gem, Le Gentil Blanc balances intensity, power and precision. A vibrant wine of pure energy that simply glows in the glass. This is one that doesn’t come along very often. Made with 100% Savagnin, the wine bursts with ripe stone fruits and apples. The fruit sits alongside a slight biscuit nuttiness and is all underpinned by a fresh lick of acidity and distinct salinity. An eclectic wine with a superb balance between softness and freshness.
Made from pure Savagnin which was hand harvested and spent three weeks on the skins before being pressed into stainless steel tanks for spontaneous fermentation. The wine is then moved in 228 litre wooden barrels for about 12 months. Le Gentil Blanc is labelled ‘Vin de France’ as Tony is gradually moving his wines out of the appellations so that he can have complete freedom with his winemaking.
About Tony Bornard
Domaine Bornard, a shining beacon of natural wine in the village of Pupillin in the Jura. The Domaine was founded by Phillipe Bornard in 2005 after Phillipe decided to leave his local cave co-operative after 30 years to make his own wine- thanks to some persuasion from friend and Jura legend, Pierre Overnoy. Phillipe quickly became one of the most interesting wine-makers in the region, crafting distinguished wines that are pure and some of the most exciting expressions of the region.
In recent years, there’s been some big changes in the Domaine. Phillipe’s son, Tony Bornard took on the family vineyard in 2017 when his father retired. Tony merged his own estate with his fathers, bringing the total holdings to 11.5 hectares. Grapes are grown at high altitude over a mixture of calcareous and clay soils, allowing for long, slow ripening. The wines span two appellations, Arbois-Pupillin and Côtes du Jura. However, Tony is gradually moving his wines out of the appellation system to allow more freedom in his process, to not have to conform to the regulations imposed by the appellation authorities. Tony continues his father’s legacy of crafting wines that challenge conventions and push stylistic boundaries, while still possessing pure Jura spirit and remaining eternally authentic.