Three friends, two countries, one cellar full of vintage cars and wine barrels. O2Y is the unlikely collaboration that has quietly become one of Jura's most talked-about natural wine projects since its first vintage in 2020.
Backstory
O2Y was founded in 2020 by Olivier Guala, Yves Roy, and Yoshinori Kuroda. Yves and Yoshi met while studying at the Lycée Viticole in Lons-le-Saunier, where they trained as winemakers. Yoshi had arrived from Japan speaking no French, driven purely by a passion for natural wines he had discovered back home as a carpenter. Olivier, a native of Jura, came to winemaking from a previous career restoring and trading classic automobiles - a passion that still shows in his cellar, where barrels and vintage cars share floor space in equal measure. The name O2Y pulls together the first initials of Olivier, Yves, and Yoshinori. By 2023, the project had acquired its own vineyard parcels: 1.3 hectares of Pinot Noir in Arbois, 0.1 hectares of Poulsard, Trousseau, and Savagnin in Poligny, and a small new planting of Savagnin.
The Region
Poligny is a small market town in the Jura departement of eastern France, set against limestone cliffs to the east and south. The Jura plateau runs between Burgundy and the Alps, and its soils of blue and grey Jurassic marls, limestone, and clay produce wines of pronounced minerality and savory depth. The region is home to the oxidative Vin Jaune style as well as some of France's most compelling natural wines.
Vineyards and Farming
O2Y operates through a mix of owned vineyard parcels and purchased grapes from partner growers. Owned plots sit between Arbois and Poligny. Sourced grapes come from organically and biodynamically farmed vineyards across Alsace, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Savoie, and Roussillon. The range of grape varieties is wide: Pinot Noir, Poulsard, Trousseau, Savagnin, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Aligoté, Gringet, Gamay, Carignan, and others.
Winemaking
Each winemaker handles their own cuvées, but the philosophy is unified: nothing added, nothing removed. Techniques include direct pressing, carbonic and semi-carbonic maceration, and aging in barrel and demi-muid. All wines are bottled unfined, unfiltered, and without any added sulfur at any point. Annual production runs between 10,000 and 16,000 bottles.
The Wines
The range shifts with each vintage as the team experiments and responds to what each growing season provides. Core bottles have included 'Pourquoi Non?', a Jura white, and 'Le P'tit Nico', a red from Jura. Expect wines of vitality and transparency, with the kind of expressive individuality that comes from minimal handling and zero compromise on additives.
