Alsace, France

After years working at Domaine Zind-Humbrecht — with Paul McKirdy as Chef de Cave and Jolene Hunter leading Export — Jolene and Paul launched Domaine Hunter | McKirdy in 2023. Their dream was simple but ambitious: to build a small, hands-on estate where they could farm entirely by hand, work on a range of incredible micro terroirs and bottle precise, site-specific wines that push the boundaries of traditional Alsatian wine.

Jolene and Paul farm 3.5 hectares of Grand Cru vineyards in Zellenberg in Alsace, a prized pocket of early Jurassic limestone-marl soils, with many old vines averaging over 45 years of age. The vineyard work is rigorous — lightweight 'caterpillar' tractors are used only for ploughing, and everything else is done manually to protect the vitality of the soil.

In the cellar, they break from Alsatian tradition: grapes are pressed slowly and gently using Champagne methods, then fermented and aged in old Burgundian barrels. The wines are bottled as Vin de France in Burgundy-shaped bottles, reflecting their decision to step outside AOP expectations in pursuit of freedom and creativity.

Stylistically, these wines remind us somewhere between lean, high energy Loire whites paired with texture and density you would usually find in the Southern parts of the Jura.