NV Emmanuel Houillon - Pierre Overnoy Vin de Liqueur, Jura

Maison Pierre Overnoy et Emmanuel Houillon, now essentially Maison Emmanuel Houillon, is a domain in Jura, a small winemaking region in eastern France north of Burgundy. The maison is admired for outstanding wine and for the fact that in 1984 its proprietor, Pierre Overnoy, started making wines without adding sulfur dioxide. It was considered a radical and risky move, but it has since been adopted by many French vignerons, especially younger, artisanal winemakers who adhere to the biodynamic, or natural method of winemaking, which means using no chemicals, hand tending of the vineyards and hand harvesting. It also means a “hands-off” approach to fermentation, with no added sugars or sulfur dioxide. The idea is to make wines that accurately reflect terroir. Overnoy, considered the godfather of biodynamic winemaking, is now retired, but the 24-acre domaine is run by his protégé Emmanuel Houillon. The estate grows Chardonnay, Savagnin Blanc, a white grape, and Trousseau and Poulsard, red