The Wines of Jura’s Domaine de l'Aigle à Deux Têtes Define Finesse
Henri Le Roy began his career as a scientist in the pharmaceutical industry, but he’d never felt that the corporate life suited him. Rather, his passion always lay with wine. In the early 2000s he decided to follow his dream and look for land where he could work with his favorite grape varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Buying land in Burgundy was outside his reach, so he looked eastward to the Jura. The Jura offered ancient soils, an abundance of his favorite grapes, and nearby skiing locations (he’s an avid cross-country skier)—plus the price for land was right.
He slowly settled into his newfound region, but chose not to focus on the veil-aged wines that have made the region famous. From Day 1, he has made what is called ouille or “topped-off” styled wines. Instead of letting the wines evaporate as they age to encourage the voile (veil) to form, he tops off the barrels with more wine to keep the fresh and vibrant profile that he loves, which is more in line with the style of Burgundy.
Henri named his estate Domaine de l'Aigle à Deux Têtes, which means the “Two-Headed Eagle,” as a nod to the Habsburg dynasty which ruled the Franche-Comté region from 1477–1678. Henri first acquired the Griffez vineyard in 2004, which was planted to Chardonnay all from a single plot. He made several eye-catching Chardonnays, but sadly it suffered from vine disease and is no longer in production. Henri has slowly gathered new vineyards including Le Clous, which produces his Savagnin and Poulsard wines, the classic indigenous grapes of the region. He recently added a new parcel called Vernambaud that produces Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. All estate wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts in tank and then age in barrel in his humble cellar.
Bringing back the “Griffez” in name, Henri started making a négociant wine in the style of his original cuvée that launched his project. The 2022 L'Aigle À Deux Têtes "Cuvée Griffez" Chardonnay Côtes du Jura Blanc $29.99 is a gorgeous example of a Jura Chardonnay, showing aromas of roasted apple, spiced pears, notes of tamarind and toasted orange peel. It is dynamic on the palate with a long creamy finish.
His new cuvée is a cheeky nod to the Grand Crus, the 2022 Domaine de l'Aigle À Deux Têtes "Batard-Vernambaud" Chardonnay Côtes du Jura $44.99. This new Vernambaud parcel is producing exciting Chardonnay. Expansive on the palate, this has a more saturated mouthfeel with its flavors of lime zest, Pippin apples, and dulce de leche. It is long and complex and should evolve for several more years in the bottle.
The vineyard closest to the winery is Les Clous with its grey and red marl soils. It is ideal for Poulsard and Savagnin grapes. Henri uses the local name for Savagnin, which is Nature, on his labels. The 2022 Domaine de l'Aigle À Deux Têtes "Les Clous" Savagnin-Naturé Côtes du Jura Blanc $34.99 shows flinty minerality on the nose with hints of lemon verbena. On the palate, the acid is racy with flavors of green apple, lime zest, and allspice. It has a long yet mouthwatering finish.
Henri has a few vines of a rare clone in Les Clous, the Savagnin-Muscate (on the label it reads Nature-Muscate). Savagnin is in the Gewürztraminer family of grape varieties but is typically more subdued in its tone. The 2022 Domaine de l'Aigle À Deux Têtes "Les Clous" Savagnin Muscate Côtes du Jura Blanc $39.99 changes the conversation though. It’s not explosive like a Gewürztraminer, though the Muscate does show some lovely aromas of white flower, dried melon, Meyer lemon, and kiwi. It is has a lightly exotic edge that is immediately enticing. Sadly, we only have a handful of bottles here, but they are well worth grabbing while we have them.
The reds are simply fabulous for folks looking for dryer Burgundian profiles for a much more enticing price. The 2022 Domaine de l'Aigle À Deux Têtes "Les Clous" Poulsard Côtes du Jura Rouge $34.99 is light-to-medium bodied with a nose of strawberry and raspberry. The palate is explosive with flavors of strawberry jam, rose petals, and hibiscus. This is fresh with bright acidity, but the tannins are pure silk. This is a real treat for those who enjoy the brighter side of Burgundy from areas like Fixin and Marsannay.
Finally, the 2022 Domaine de L'Aigle À Deux Têtes "Charmes-Vernambaud" Pinot Noir Côtes du Jura Rouge $39.99 is also a new cuvée. This Pinot Noir has a smoky red fruit with a core of sweet cherry fruit. As it opens (and I recommend a quick decant here), it continues to build on that mineral smokiness and more of the fruit comes forward rounding out the palate. I can see why Henri nicknamed it his Charmes AKA Charm!