These are remarkable wines. With their distinctive flavours, they aren’t for everyone; nor are they cheap. But they are alive, and full of interest. They hail from the Jura, a mountainous and beautiful region that is part of France, but abutting the border with Switzerland.

A word about the name. These wines used to be labelled Pierre Overnoy, but Emmanuel Houillon took over Pierre Overnoy’s domain when Overnoy retired. Houillon makes wines in the same way: totally naturally (and bravely), without the addition of sulphur dioxide (the almost universally used preservative in winemaking). Of course, vineyard are also managed naturally, and there are no additions or unnecessary manipulations in the cellar. The result of this oenologist’s nightmare are actually rather wonderful.