Jeunes Vignes et Derniers Jus
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted chicken, creamy mushroom risotto, grilled white fish
✨ Technical Specifications
Crafted by the iconoclastic Jean-Marie Guffens, 'Jeunes Vignes et Derniers Jus' is a masterclass in turning unconventional winemaking decisions into liquid art. The name translates to 'Young Vines and Last Pressings'—a blend that defies traditional Burgundian orthodoxy. While many producers discard or sell off the final press fractions (derniers jus) fearing bitterness, Guffens recognizes their immense concentration of dry extract, phenolics, and mineral tension. By masterfully blending this structured press juice with the vibrant, high-toned fruit from the estate's younger Chardonnay vines, he coaxes out a wine of unexpected depth, rich texture, and electric acidity. It is a testament to Guffens' philosophy that great terroir and intuitive winemaking can elevate humble classifications to monumental heights.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1979 by Flemish visionaries Jean-Marie Guffens and Maine Heynen, Domaine Guffens-Heynen transformed the viticultural perception of the southern Mâconnais. Spanning just over 5.3 hectares across the limestone-rich slopes of Vergisson, Pierreclos, and Davayé, the estate operates on a philosophy of meticulous canopy management, strict yield restrictions, and zero chemical treatments, strictly independent of formal certification regimes. Harvests are carried out across multiple manual passes to secure fruit at pristine physiological ripeness. In the cellar, Guffens employs gentle parcel-by-parcel extractions using a vintage vertical press, rigorous separation of press fractions (yielding his signature 'Premiers Jus' bottlings), native yeast fermentations, and extended lees aging in French oak with minimal batonnage. Benchmark bottlings such as Mâcon-Pierreclos Le Chavigne, Juliette et les Vieilles de Chavigne, and Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Sur la Roche embody an unmistakable masterclass of dramatic power, crystalline acidity, and singular mineral tension that rivals the greatest white burgundies of the Côte de Beaune.
🍇 Grapes
Chardonnay