L'Octavin | Alice Bouvot

Alice Bouvot started Domaine de L’Octavin with her then-partner Charles Dagand in 2005, who now runs Karnage Wines. Charles already knew that he wanted to make natural wines, but for Alice it was a completely new world, and once she found out more about it she completely fell in love with the ideals and realised that before she never fully felt happy in the wine world. From 2010 they never added any sulphites - and concentrated on farming in a chemical-free and holistic way.

Working along now, Alice now has around 5 hectares with some top parcels in and around Arbois, including La Mailloche, Les Nouvellssm En Curon and Les Corvées. And on top of that she also produces a substantial portion of negociant wines. She started the negociant project in 2014 and doesn’t only buy the grapes, but also personally goes to the different vineyards to pick them herself, ensuring the quality and health of the grapes are exactly what she needs for a good fermentation.

The negociant wines are recognised by the use of gnomes on the wine labels, whilst her domain wines are less comical. When asking why the use of Gnomes, which are also scattered around the winery, Alice told us, “Gnomes make me happy, they just make me smile and some remind me that life is beautiful”

Taste-wise, L'Octavin wines are known to feature high acidity, sometimes volatile, but in a beautifully balanced way that gives energy and vibrations on the palate. It is for this reason the wines of Domaine de l’Octavin are always in high demand, and can sell out fast.

The wines of L’Octavin can also be quite experimental, especially in her Gnome-labeled Negoce range. Alice is known to source grapes you might not expect a Jura winemaker to work with and often blending them, such as Grenache and Vermentino in her “Grenabar'' or use of Roussane and Marsanne in “Ivre di Vivre”.

On the Jura domain side, she also likes to experiment beyond what most Jura winemakers might feel safe with. For example her “Elle Aime” is a vibrant, punchy blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, making a red-white blend that has electric acidity and bright red fruit vibrancy.

While Alice Bouvot may herself seem a little shy and quiet at first, her wines are where she expresses herself in a louder way. This is why it can often be more achievable to guess her wines when drinking blind - they have a signature style that is distinctly L’Octavin and this has gained her fans the world over.

In addition to ensuring her vineyards are full of life with as little treatments as possible, Alice Bouvot of Domaine de l’Octavin also makes herbal infusions for the vines to thrive. In the cellar, she has a very hands off approach does not do any pumpovers, ‘Remontage’ or other common winemaking techniques once the wines ferment - she leaves the grapes to do their own thing, as they want.

Alice uses a variety of winemaking vessels, with a fondness for fibreglass tanks keeping things a neutral in influence as possible.

There are many L’Octavin wines, and separating the two between Negoce and Domain fruit is worth noting, as there are of course different pricepoints between them as well.

• Domain Wines include:
• Pamina - Chardonnay from La Mailloche, Marl soils
• Corvee de Trou Trou - 40 year old Trousseau from Les Corvées
• Arces Macere - Orange Chardonnay from her Les Arces plot
• Petit’ Poussot - Young vine Chardonnay, grown on Limestone
• Commendatore - Trousseau from Les Corvées, 50 year old vines on marl soils
• Zerlina - Blend of Pinot Noir & Trousseau
• Elle Aime - Pinot Noir & Chardonnay
• Dora Bela - Poulsard from 50 year old vines in La Mailloche and En Curon

L’Octavin Négociant wines where grapes are bought into the winery rather than grown by Alice herself include, but are not limited to:

• Hip Hip Jura Chardonnay - grown in the region
• Hip Hip Jura Poulsard - grown in the region
• Hip Hip Jura Savagnin - grown in the region
• Ganache- Grenache & Gamay
• Mus'cat - Muscat
• Mayga Gamay - 100% Gamay
• Ivre di Vivre - Vermentino, Marsanne and Roussane
• Roi Riesling - Riesling from Alsace
• Joker - Jacquere from Savoie
• Cle e Molette - Molette from Savoie
• Cigogne - Gewürztraminer, sometimes with Pinot Gris added
• Cariboom - Carignan, Muscat, Viognier & Molette
• Sly Vin - Silvaner
• Grenabar - Grenache and Vermentino
• Charmay - Gamay and Chardonnay

There is also a very rare Vin Jaune style wine, not officially classed as such and bottled in a 750ml bottle, called ‘Cherubin’…

How do the wines of L'Octavin taste?

Octavin wines are usually found with volatile acidity giving them vibrant, punky expressions of energy and life that lifts the wines to new dimensions. Lovers of high acid wines will apprecitate this style, but a few bottles may be too wild for some...

Are L'Octavin wines natural?

Yes. L'Octavin wines are natural, using native yeasts and spontaneous fermentations plus no fining or filtration and with no added sulphur at any stage. However, winemaker Alice Bouvot prefers the term ""Vin Vivant"" (Living Wines) to natural wines, as she explains in our documentary.

Where is L'Octavin winery based?

Domaine de l'Octavin is based just on the outskirts of Arbois, Jura on an industrial park where a few other winemakers also work. Alice has plots of land on La Mailloche, En Curon, Les Nouvelles & Les Corvées. She also buys Negoce grapes from her winemaking friends in Jura and elsewhere.

Why are there gnomes on the label of L'Octavin wines?

Alice Bouvot loves gnomes, saying they make her happy as they are always smiling. Her Negoce wines feature them on the labels (whilst the domain wines do not). If you visit Domaine de l'Octavin, you will also spot gnomes all over the winery, hiding by the tanks and barrels!

Does L'Octavin make Orange wines?

Yes, quite a few L'Octavin white wines use skin-contact maceration to create orange wines, most notably Hip Hip Jura Chardonnay and Hip Hip Jura Savagnin. Fermenting the grapes on the skins gives the wine a slightly bitter element, alongside a totally new flavour profile to white wine.