Domaine de
L’Aigle à Deux Têtes
Côtes du Jura
An auto-didact in the Jura, farming historic terroir…
Henri Le Roy’s journey from Parisian biologist to vigneron in the remote southern Jura is a story of scientific curiosity turned soulful craftsmanship. His education in Paris at one of the most prestigious école led him to a career in biology and genetics – but oenology was always his passion. While studying in Beaune in 2004 (his first vintage was 2005), Henri purchased just a few scattered parcels surrounding the famed slopes of Rotalier and Grusse. And soon after a fortuitous meeting with Jean-Francois Ganevat, Henri was assured of his path toward non-oxidative (ouillé) winemaking.
Henri christened his fledgling estate Domaine L’Aigle à Deux Têtes, a tribute to the Habsburg crest that once guarded this frontier of the Jura from the 16th to the 18th century. Today, the emblem of the Two‑Headed Eagle signals wines borne of history yet driven by a restless, modern spirit.
“The technical points are not the first things to talk about. Taste the wines, concentrate and dream. That’s the important and relevant argument for the wines.”
– Henri Le Roy, Vigneron
The way of the vines…
Le Roy farms a mere 3.5 hectares on the famed limestone‑rich white and grey-blue marls that impart a firm, saline edge to his plantings of Chardonnay, Savagnin (locally called naturé), Poulsard, Pinot Noir, Trousseau and the incredibly rare Savagnin Muscaté Blanc, of which he makes a singular bottling. Henri’s signature parcels include Derrier la Roche (chardonnay planted on prized blue marl), Vernambaud (chardonnay and Pinot Noir), and Le Clous (poulsard and savagnin).
Herbicides haven’t been used here for more than a decade, and every row has been tended according to organic principles—yet Henri now forgoes certification, preferring quiet rigor over labels. Yields are decidedly low, but each cluster he harvests carries the stamp of living soils and the region’s high-toned interplay between crystalline light and Alpine mountain air.
It’s here that Henri follows the lead of Jean-Francois Ganevat, pursuing Burgundian methods and avoiding the oxidative “sous voile” traditions that made Jura famous, choosing instead to vinify ouillé: barrels are meticulously topped up to preserve purity and tension.
Native yeasts guide both fermentations and malolactic conversions, and élevage unfolds undisturbed in neutral wood with mindful SO₂ at bottling.
The result is a collection of fine-grained and high‑energy wines that carry the torch of Jura’s mountain minerals with the silken depth of fine Burgundy—wines that feel simultaneously ancient and freshly charged.
Current production is around 15 thousand bottles in a good growing vintage but are regularly less than ten thousand, most of which quickly disappear into the cellars of Europe’s most exacting restaurants and into the hands of the most astute collectors.
Domaine L’Aigle à Deux Têtes offers a spotlight on the Jura’s current state: handcrafted, fiercely expressive, and forever in short supply.
A meditation on the state of the Jura…
The rise in demand for the wines of the Jura, driven by insatiable taste for scarce bottles from top estates, has created certifiably insane prices and collector speculation. US importers feel compelled to message the “humble wines from humble people” image to justify their asking prices. In fact, it isn’t uncommon to hear stories of talented vignerons in the Jura hiding from crazed collectors trying to “buy the gold” of the Jura as quickly as possible for quick profit in the secondary markets.
It wasn’t that long ago that you would see Puffeney or Overnoy BTG or on display in open inventory. Today, bottles vanish at a velocity that most appellations can only dream of. But when you consider the fervent fans of the Jura, the speculative nature of the top wines of the area, the risks of an uncertain climate, and the minuscule production, the price per bottle of these famous Jura producers will no longer shock you.
The intense attraction isn’t surprising—the mountain wines of the Jura have a magnetic pull to them, a mineral verve and mountain tension that resonates with those that know. In this small, modest area making world-class wines there are two truths: the Jura compels a passionate following and like all that is truly valuable, there is never enough to go around.
And then there’s the weather…
Another factor driving scarcity in this mountainous area is the difficulty of growing, often due to frost. In less than a decade, 2017, 2021 and 2024 were all frost years, with such damage that some vignerons in these vintages did not vinify any wine. Even further, select vintages without frost can’t be considered viticultural cakewalks. In short, growing grapes in the Jura takes immense precision, fortitude and a little luck.
Discovery amidst commodities…
In a region where the best wines are often reduced to commodities, our serendipitous connection with Henri Le Roy of L’Aigle à Deux Têtes was a reminder that true gems are found not by chasing trends, but by seeking character. A true vigneron with history and precision, Henri opened his home with hospitality, galette and a perfect coffee—gestures that revealed the same care and depth found in his wines.
His work embodies what De Maison stands for: an unwavering commitment to purity of place, discovery born of curiosity, and the championing of the unheralded. At Henri’s estate, we didn’t just taste wine—we rediscovered what remains rare: the greatest of the unknown and an invitation to dream.
