Les Bottes Rouges | Jura Wine

Les Bottes Rouge is a winemaking couple in Jura consisting of Jean-Baptiste Menigoz, a former teacher, and Florien Kleine, a Dutch native who owned a natural wine restaurant in Amsterdam. While Jean-Baptiste taught children in Arbois, he also made wine as a passionate side project for ten years - until winemaker friends including Stéphane Tissot and Raphael Monnier noticed his talent and enthusiasm, and encouraged him to make wine full time. In 2012, he leased vineyards in Arbois and nearby Abergement and began to do just that. In 2014, Florien joined Jean-Baptiste, coming from gastronomy and wanting to learn more about winemaking. After a few years of interning, she considered purchasing her own vineyards but ultimately decided to become partner with Jean-Baptiste and share all of the duties at the domain.

What started as 2.5 hectares eventually became seven different plots of vines, comprising a total of just under 7 hectares and consisting of limestone, heavy clay, and marl soils. All of the main Jura grape varieties are grown on their plots: Chardonnay, Savagnin, Trousseau, Poulsard, and Pinot Noir. Jean-Baptiste has worked chemical-free from the beginning, sometimes applying holistic principles as well. Their winemaking style is considered both serious and experimental, playful, and of course, low intervention - as Jean-Baptiste says, “we make the wines that we like to drink ourselves.” The reds are always destemmed by hand, and fermented in steel tanks and result in the typical light, silky Jura red-style - sometimes a perhaps a bit stronger and darker than those of their peers. The whites are usually directly pressed and fermented in steel, foudre or small wooden barrels and are fresh, yet creamy.

Their wines have no additives and are not fined or filtered, and only occasionally have a maximum of 10 mg sulphur at bottling, if at all. Popular wines include their Leon chardonnay and Face-B Savagnin, and the couple have recently been making some Pet Nats and macerated Jura wines too… We highly recommend trying their popular Face B wine, which is a salty, lively and crisp expression of Savagnin that has great energy to it! Chardonnay fans should not miss their Leon, which delivers everything you want it to with notes of overly-ripe pear, camomile, yellow apple, mineralic touches & salt. Their Trousseau “Gibus” is earthy and rich with cranberry hits and notes of prunes and spices, almost like star anise & rosemary. Likewise, their Poulsard Tôt ou Tard shows the brilliant balance between lightness and complexity as the grape often does, but in a more wild expression we adore.

How did Les Bottes Rouge come to be?

A bit less usual for Jura, Jean-Baptiste Menigoz did not inherit a family estate but instead made wine as a passionate side project while he was a full time teacher! Only after his prominent winemaker friends (including Stéphane Tissot) told him how talented he was, did he decide to go all-in with winemaking and took on his now-partner Florien Kleine.

Where are the Les Bottes Rouge vineyards?

The couple have vineyards in both Arbois and nearby Abergement, so both Arbois and Cotes du Jura appellations.

What is the terroir and what grapes are grown at Les Bottes Rouge?

The soils are typical of Jura - limestone, heavy clay, and marl soils. All of the main Jura grape varieties are grown on their plots: Chardonnay, Savagnin, Trousseau, Poulsard, and Pinot Noir.

What is Jean-Baptiste's and Florien's winemaking philosophy?

They make low-intervention wines what are both serious and experimental - classic Jura whites and reds as well as Pet Nats and oranges. Most importantly, they make the wines that they like to drink themselves!

What are some popular Les Bottes Rouge wines?

Their Face B wine (a salty, lively and crisp expression of Savagnin) is quite popular as well as Leon, a Chardonnay which has salty, mineralic and fruity touches. Their Trousseau “Gibus” is also fantastic, earthy, and rich!