Bourgogne Aligoté – Jarre à Bia, Maison en Belles Lies

Aromatic and textured orange wine from an emerging Burgundy star

Changing careers is quite common nowadays, but doing it for the second time aged 51, like Pierre Fenals, no so much! After a degree in molecular biology and years as a highly-skilled biochemist and physiologist, Pierre embraced a successful career heading marketing departments of Parisian fashion houses. But as time went by, he became tired of the industry and felt the need for yet another change. He sold his company in 2001, and since wine had been a lifelong passion of his, settled down in Burgundy to become a vigneron.

In 2009, after a number of years studying and working for other producers, he set up shop in a chilly warehouse just outside St Aubin and created Maison En Belles Lies. The name is a tribute to the 17th-century monks who first understood the importance of lees ageing.

This orange wine is 100% aligoté, which spends 6 months fermenting in terracotta – “jarre en terre cuite”. After pressing, the fermenting juice is returned to the jarre for ageing. This is pale coloured, considering the length of skin-contact. An aromatic wine with notes of nutmeg and roasted apricot, it has great texture and a chewy, umami finish. No fining, filtration or SO2 added.

Colour – Skin contact
Producer – Maison En Belles Lies
Country – France
Region – Burgundy
Vegan – Yes
ABV – 12.5%
Grapes – Aligoté
Vintage – 2022
Sustainability – Biodynamic
Female Winemaker – No
Food Pairings – Lamb tagine