Natural Burgundy ala Vin Noe

What makes a Burgundy wine a BURGUNDY? Is it the terroir? Is it the family name? Or is it a wine that expresses the vision of its steward? Californian expat Jon Purcell doesn’t have the legacy of an old Burgundian family name or vines passed down through generations. Instead he’s given us an outsider’s unique, soulful take on Burgundy that is a reflection of extremely hard work and patience.

His wines have captivated myself and other like minded wine drinkers with a style so fresh and clear of vision that sets him far and above the rush of new wave natural Burgundian producers out there.

He was exposed to wine via his fathers cellar and knew he wanted to be involved with wine from a young age. After college and a few stints at wineries in California Jon went on to pursue a winemaking career in France. He attended winemaking courses at the famous Beaune viticultural school where he met like minded and conveniently connected natural wine progeny like Yann Bertrand, Alex Foillard, and Camille Lapierre.

After viticultural school he went on to work for Domaine des Croix, Philippe Pacalet, Domaine de Montille, and Domaine Matrot. In 2016 made his first vintage with the help of his friend Chris Santini. Jon worked out of Santini’s micro-collective cellar for a few years. At one fateful dinner party Jon met soon to retire natural vigneron Jean-Jacques Morel. After one meeting Morel offered to let Jon take over his vines and winery. It is from here in the hamlet of Gamay that Jon makes his additive free and no corners cut wines.

Jon makes wines from purchased fruit where he’s an active participant in the meticulous organic farming and small parcels near his winery. From all this hard work and a truly hands on approach Jon makes a minuscule amount of wine that has made a huge impression on the natural wine world. We’ve been supporters for a long time and we’re happy to offer you his extremely soulful wines today. 

This is Jon’s most accessible wine. It is delicate and fresh with juicy red fruits and a touch of bright herbs. As Beaujolais warms it’s been harder to find refreshing lighter expressions that maintain a balance between acidity and ripeness, Jon manages this by adding a tiny amount of Aligote to the mix. Jeremy Hernandez

This is one of Jon’s newest cuvees blending Pinot Noir from Burgundy with Chasselas and Merlot from Baden, Germany. It is light and refreshing with a slightly spicy white pepper edge. Jeremy Hernandez

This Aligote is barrel fermented for 9 months and is unfiltered with no added sulfur. This is a direct and taut Aligote that emphasizes its freshness. Crystalline and mineral, fresh citrus, a bit lactic, and energetic. A perfect summer wine for an aperitif or seafood. Jeremy Hernandez

This Chardonnay comes from the Mâconnais and a majority of the direct press juice goes into 500L barrels, while the remainder undergoes carbonic maceration and is blended back into the cuvee later. The wine spends 9 months in used barrels on its lees. The resulting wine is intense and bright with notes of fresh white peaches and a hint of spice while maintaining a crisp citrus snap and a refreshing finish. Jeremy Hernandez