Winemaking
Mine is a small agricultural endeavor where I make micro-sized lots of energetic wines from specific French vineyards. I do not concoct mass quantities of artificial wines for a specific "consumer segment". What large, factory wineries do is the exact opposite of what I do.
I take a minimal intervention approach to my winemaking. Trying to make wine like winemakers did generations ago, I abhor machine pruning, heavy irrigation, additives such as animal products, synthetics, flavorings or manipulation like pasteurization or flash fermentation.
I may incorporate whole clusters (stem inclusion) in the fermentations as it may improve the wine. It's very vintage dependent so if the stems do not show adequate ripeness, they are usually not included. I don't have winemaking formulas. I let the vineyard and its grapes shepherd me to make the best decisions.
Barrel quality control at the source: inspecting oak timbers from the Massif Central
Unlike a Napa Cabernet, my Morgon and Fleurie are not wines that require oak aging. But like many today I do use a soupcon of top-quality, fully seasoned French oak barrels because they enhance mouthfeel. I sometimes use only the smallest amount of the naturally occurring earth mineral sulfur and sometimes a do a light polishing filtration before bottling to protect my wines during transport and allow them to consistently show their provenance.(Read more on my thoughts about SO2)
I bottle my wines with Forest Stewardship Council-certified natural corks into lighter weight recycled glass bottles. My labels are printed with compostable inks onto Forest Stewardship Council-certified or recycled cotton paper. Please recycle if available in your community.
I've introduced unique fermentation vessels called WineGlobes to the Fleurie Cru wine region. They are uniquely inert, small, medical-grade glass spheres that allow the fullest expression of the vineyard to be achieved with zero input like oak. The spherical shape enhances color extraction during fermentation. While maturing, the wine in the sphere is constantly moving, building texture and structure. They are a lot of work, but I'm impressed with the initial results.
WineGlobe fermentation vessels
Well-respected journalists, somms and wine merchants (experts who taste for a living) tell me my wines are vibrant and more balanced than most. That they exude the "where" more than the "who". Those are well-informed, serious accusations – and in a sea of over-ripe, sweet, factory-made oak bombs I am happy to be charged with such heresy. Either way, I strive to make high-energy wines that reflect their terroir, are vibrant and a joy to drink.
The quantities I produce are tiny, and often hard to find. My apologies, but I make in one year what the factory wineries spill in one day.
"All of Jonathan Pey's red wines display varietal precision and balance"
- Dan Berger, Wine Critic and Author