Producer: Renaud Bruyère and Adeline Houillon

Adeline Houillon and Renaud Bruyère

Where?

The small village of Pupillin borders the Arbois region and is included in the Arbois wine appellation, but it firmly holds onto its own distinctive features. In Pupillin, the local grape variety, which elsewhere in the Jura is called Poulsard, takes the name Ploussard; that's just how it is. Pupillin is even considered the capital of this grape variety. And if you want to visit them, Renaud Bruyère and Adeline Houillon live on Rue du Ploussard. It's no surprise that it's present in their wines. There's also, of course, Trousseau, Savagnin, and Chardonnay.

While no one is supposed to ignore the Loire (according to a recent proverb that can be read on T-shirts at alternative wine festivals), it's worth explaining why the Jura plays such an important role in the natural wine movement: they have been made there for centuries without interruption, because the Savagnin vin jaune, aged without topping up with gentle oxidation, excludes the use of sulfites. This is one of the reasons why the Jura is at the forefront of the "natural" wave, with estates like La Tournelle, Château d'Arlay, winemakers such as Jean-François Ganevat, Philippe Bornard, Alice Bouvot of Domaine de l'Octavin, and the patriarch, the sacred monster, Pierre Overnoy. Adeline worked for this vineyard before settling with Renaud, who learned his trade at the Tissot estate in Arbois. Adeline's brother, Emmanuel, recently took over the Overnoy estate.

With this more than respectable resume, they created their estate in 2011: 75 ares of vines which, acre by acre, over the years, eventually reached five hectares. A small area, but bottles that are snapped up, some fetching astronomical prices at auction. It is the culmination of inspired biodynamic work, sensitive viticulture, expert vinification, but above all, an unwavering belief in their commitment to natural wine: "We have faith in our yeast population," they say, "and want a living wine." » Their goal is to "find the balance between the terroir, the grape variety, and the year."

Terroir, plots, and grape varieties

Five hectares, then, in Arbois, Pupillin, and Montigny-les-Arsures. The grape varieties are typically Jura; Renaud doesn't believe in Pinot Noir in the Jura. The white grape varieties, Savagnin and Chardonnay, grow on clay-limestone soils where they acquire fullness and freshness. The red grape varieties are grown in Pupillin, where they benefit from soils rich in Triassic (first period of the Mesozoic or Secondary Era) and Liassic (early Jurassic period following the Upper Triassic) clay. These mineral conditions accentuate their respective characteristics: animal notes for the Trousseau, and rich red fruit for the Ploussard.

Growing Methods

The entire estate is cultivated organically (not certified) and biodynamically. Harvesting is entirely manual.

Vinification

The winery is located in the basement of their house and is equipped with old vats. Renaud and Adeline vinify naturally without any additives, from harvest to bottling. The grapes are destemmed using a sieve, then undergo a semi-carbonic maceration before a long fermentation in old barrels using indigenous yeasts. No additives, sulfur, or other additives are added; no filtration or fining is performed. Skin maceration for the reds lasts between one and two months, and aging averages twelve months in barrels. The whites are topped up, meaning they are aged in unsealed barrels with regular addition of wine to preserve freshness.

The Wines

Adeline and Renaud's wines are stars: when you have the opportunity to get your hands on one of their bottles, you should take advantage of it without hesitation. These are rare and sought-after treasures, both the fluid, full-bodied reds with the fruity indulgence that characterizes the Jura (Arbois-Pupillin Rouge, Arbois-Ploussard), and the ample, mineral and rich whites, whose topping limits the oxidative note and preserves the freshness (Arbois Blanc La Croix-Rouge, Arbois Blanc Savagnin aged for three years). The notes of white fruits or citrus, depending on the vintage, compete with a crisp acidity and a salinity emanating from the terroir.