The Big Bunch Theory series is Patrice Béguet’s Negoce series, where he takes grapes from trusted growers across France and vinifies them in his native Jura.
What grapes are in Big Bunch Theory Fresh Impression White?
The 2023 vintage of Fresh Impression White/Blanc combines Chardonnay, Gewürtztraminer, Grenache Blanc and Vermentino. No added sulphites, as with all Patrices' wines.
We have not yet tried this oner but expect a lot of freshness and some nice aromatics from the Gewürztraminer too..
Who is Patrice Beguet in Jura?
Patrice Beguet works about 4 hectares split across Pupillin, Arbois and Mesnay, and he takes the farming seriously considering a small operation, as he is actually certified as working with holistic methods, which many in Jura do not choose to do even if they work this way. He keeps an ancient Alpine sheep breed to graze between the vines in winter.
Known to be a character in person as well as in the cellar, for sure he's an experimental tinkerer doing extended macerations and different vessel like a mix of stainless, egg-shaped barrels as well as more traditional old oak... but he sometimes has crazy ideas for his blends and vinifications (more often in his Negoce wines). He cites jazz and the Jura landscape as his main influences, which kinda makes sense as there is something improvisational about what he does and the Negoce blends he makes.
His Jura domaine wines come under under the name (Domaine Hughes Beguet, after his grand father) where he is using Chardonnay, Poulsard, Savagnin and Trousseau and the labels are recognised as they feature an early twentieth century lithograph used by Patrice’s grandfather, who had a licence to distill Gentiane, a spirit made from the gentiane’s root.
He also runs a négociant series called Big Bunch Theory which is where he is sourcing high quality fruit from producers outside Jura who farm to the same standard. i.e Grenache Blanc from Mont Ventoux, Melon de Bourgogne from Domaine Landron Chartier in Muscadet, Gewurztraminer from Alsace. The labels are painted by artist Aya Sato
About the producer Patrice Béguet
Patrice Béguet left a career as an IT consultant in Paris to return to Mesnay, near Arbois in the Jura, where he was born. He took the wine diploma at Beaune and now farms around four hectares of Jura vines; Ploussard, Trousseau, Savagnin, and Chardonnay under the estate label Domaine Hughes Béguet. His ‘Big Bunch Theory’ négociant series sources fruit from trusted producers across France, creating experimental cross-regional blends. Every label in the Big Bunch Theory range is painted by artist Aya Sato.
