From the Classroom to the Cellar
Les Bottes Rouges is one of the Jura's most compelling natural wine estates — a story of two unlikely paths converging on Jurassic limestone. Jean-Baptiste Menigoz spent a decade as a special needs teacher in Arbois before apprenticing with Jura master Stéphane Tissot and trading his classroom for vineyards. In 2014, he was joined by Florien Kleine Snuverink, a Dutch natural wine advocate who once owned Amsterdam's legendary Café Schiller. Together they farm 7 hectares across seven parcels in Arbois and Abergement — the closest Côtes du Jura vineyards to the Arbois AOC — on limestone, heavy clay, and marl soils. Strict organic principles from day one, with biodynamic experiments tailored to each vineyard's needs. Native yeasts, no fining, no filtration, low to zero sulfur. As Jean-Baptiste says: "We make the wines that we like to drink ourselves."
A Teacher, A Café Owner & A Dream
Jean-Baptiste Menigoz began his career not as a winemaker, but as a teacher in Arbois working with special needs children. For roughly ten years, he lived a double life — dedicating his days to the classroom and every spare moment to working in the vines. His obsession with natural winemaking was fuelled by friendship with fellow vigneron Raphaël Monnier (Selection Massale), and it was Monnier's encouragement, combined with an apprenticeship under Jura legend Stéphane Tissot, that finally convinced Jean-Baptiste to commit fully to wine [^1^][^3^].
After a couple of vintages working solo (with help from his wife Jacqueline), the estate's dynamic shifted in 2014. Florien Kleine Snuverink arrived from the Netherlands — a long-time natural wine proponent who had owned the famed Café Schiller in Amsterdam, one of Europe's most influential natural wine bars. After interning in the Jura and considering her own vineyard purchase, she instead became Jean-Baptiste's partner, sharing all duties from vine to bottle [^1^][^3^].
Jean-Baptiste began acquiring parcels in Arbois and Abergement — the latter being the closest Côtes du Jura AOC vineyards to Arbois itself. His breakthrough came when he secured 2.5 hectares, and he has since grown the estate to seven distinct plots totalling 7 hectares. The soils range from limestone to heavy clay and various marls, each demanding its own approach [^1^][^3^].
"We make the wines that we like to drink ourselves."
— Jean-Baptiste Menigoz
Arbois & Abergement, Limestone & Marl
The seven hectares of Les Bottes Rouges are spread across seven different plots in two key zones: Arbois proper and Abergement-le-Grand / Abergement-le-Petit. The Abergement parcels are geographically the closest Côtes du Jura vineyards to the Arbois AOC, giving the estate a rare position straddling two of the Jura's most important appellations [^1^][^3^].
Soils vary dramatically across the parcels — from pure limestone in some vineyards to heavy clay and grey/blue marl in others. This diversity is both a challenge and an opportunity, allowing Jean-Baptiste and Florien to explore how each terroir expresses itself through different varieties and vinifications. Strict organic principles were applied from the very first vintage, and experiments with biodynamic treatments are ongoing, tailored to each vineyard's individual needs rather than applied as a blanket protocol [^1^][^5^].
The plantings cover all five classic Jura varieties — Chardonnay, Savagnin, Poulsard, Trousseau, and Pinot Noir — allowing for a wide stylistic range while maintaining a clear house identity. The old vines and varied exposures across the seven parcels contribute to the complexity and distinctiveness that have made Les Bottes Rouges a cult favourite among natural wine drinkers [^3^][^5^].
The estate's vineyards span Arbois and Abergement — the latter being the nearest Côtes du Jura AOC to Arbois. This unique positioning allows Les Bottes Rouges to work across two of the Jura's most important terroirs, with each parcel contributing its own character to the range.
Soils range from pure limestone (giving crisp acidity and mineral clarity) to heavy clay and various marls (adding structure, depth, and earthy complexity). This geological diversity demands parcel-by-parcel attention and informs the wide array of cuvées.
No synthetic chemicals, no herbicides, no shortcuts. Strict organic principles established from the first vintage, with detailed attention to soil health, biodiversity, and vine balance. The foundation for clean, stable natural wine without sulfur.
Beyond organic certification, Jean-Baptiste and Florien are experimenting with biodynamic treatments — but not as a rigid doctrine. Applications are tailored to each vineyard's individual needs, vintage by vintage, reflecting their adaptive, thoughtful approach.
Experimental, Intuitive & Uncompromising
Jean-Baptiste's winemaking is defined by experimentation within a framework of purity. The overarching theme is simple: native yeasts, no fining, no filtration (depending on cuvée), and low to zero sulfur. But within that framework, he explores a wide array of styles — from classic ouillé whites to skin-macerated orange wines, from serious structured reds to feather-light whole-cluster Pinot [^1^][^3^].
The whites are made in the ouillé (topped-up) style, preserving freshness and preventing oxidation. Léon, the flagship Chardonnay, is direct-pressed into 3,000L foudre for fermentation before racking into 440L neutral oak — a wine Jean-Baptiste considers incredibly age-worthy. The Savagnin (Album) follows classic ouillé techniques, while Des Nouvelles is a minuscule-production Chardonnay from limestone soils using débourbage for clarity [^3^].
The reds explore the full spectrum of Jura varieties and techniques. Tôt ou Tard is 100% Poulsard from clay soils, hand-destemmed and aged in 600L barriques with zero sulfur. Gibus is Trousseau from chalky soils — often his most serious and structured red. La Pépée and Néo are two Pinots from the same parcels but made differently: La Pépée with traditional destemming, Néo with four days of whole-cluster maceration, proving how the same terroir can yield radically different wines [^3^].
No Milk Today — The Experimental Edge
Jean-Baptiste's most experimental cuvée is inspired by Catherine Hannoun of Domaine de la Loue. No Milk Today is a skin-maceration wine made from either Chardonnay or Savagnin depending on the vintage — 2015 saw three weeks of Chardonnay skin contact; 2016 used thirteen days of Savagnin maceration. It is a wine that pushes boundaries while remaining drinkable and balanced, proof that Les Bottes Rouges refuses to be categorised as either "classic" or "avant-garde" — they are simply themselves.
Wines They Want to Drink
Les Bottes Rouges has become one of the most sought-after names in natural wine — not through marketing, but through sheer quality and distinctiveness. Their wines are distributed internationally via Selection Massale, Raisin, and specialist retailers across Europe and North America. In Ontario, Grape Witches pursued the estate for over a year before securing an allocation, calling them "distinguished, vibrant, intricate and whole-hearted representations of the region" [^5^].
What sets the estate apart is the partnership at its heart. Jean-Baptiste brings the local knowledge — a native of Arbois who grew up in the region, trained by Stéphane Tissot, and deeply connected to the Jura's traditions. Florien brings an international perspective — years running one of Amsterdam's most important natural wine bars, an understanding of what drinkers respond to, and a rigorous palate. Together they represent a new kind of Jura estate: rooted in place but globally aware, respectful of tradition but unafraid to experiment [^1^][^5^].
The name "Les Bottes Rouges" (The Red Boots) evokes the muddy, practical reality of vineyard work — the red boots worn in the clay and marl of the Jura. It is a name that rejects romanticism in favour of honesty, much like the wines themselves. These are wines made by people who work the land, who taste constantly, who adapt vintage by vintage, and who refuse to compromise. The result is a range that spans from immediately drinkable to seriously cellar-worthy — all unmistakably Jura, all unmistakably Les Bottes Rouges [^3^].
"Distinguished, vibrant, intricate and whole-hearted representations of the region."
— Grape Witches, Ontario
The Les Bottes Rouges Range
All wines are farmed organically (with biodynamic experiments), hand-harvested, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and bottled without fining or filtration. Sulfur is low to absent depending on cuvée. The range is extensive and experimental — from classic ouillé whites to skin-macerated orange wines, from serious structured reds to playful light reds. Production is limited across 7 hectares and 7 parcels [^1^][^3^].