Introducing Domaine Villet from Arbois!
12/2/15 -
Earlier this year after a fantastic visit with Jean-Claude Rateau in Burgundy I headed east to Jura, to visit a few estates. Having only been in the region on a misty, snowy day in January years ago, I was excited to experience this part of France in the Spring. Of course, as luck would have it, it was a gray, rainy day, but somehow it didn't detract from the magic and charm of the surroundings. When I reached Arbois I could tell right away that this was a special place. Tucked away amongst the impressive rolling green hills of the Jura, this quaint village is punctuated by the iconic bell tower of the Saint-Just Church, and to a visitor like myself, it feels like stepping (or driving) into a time warp… Only fitting then that I would end up visiting a domaine that has been making wine in Arbois since 1900.
Domaine Villet is located on a quiet side-street in the center of town. I arrived and met Christine, who is one half of the team that is comprised of herself and her husband Gérard, who seems to prefer being in the vineyards to handling the business details. Christine was humble, laid-back, very warm and funny, and she had a particularly entertaining sense of humor, which became apparent when our discussion turned to issues of agreement between organic certification in Europe and the U.S. Essentially the Villets have to remove any evidence of their organic certification from bottles destined for the U.S., due to new changes to the definition of organic wine. It's a pain for small growers with small budgets, and frustrating for folks like the Villets, who had been organic for nearly 30 years, but Christine seemed entertained by the absurdity of it all. We talked and we tasted. She opened bottle after bottle of various vintages. After tasting about 17 different wines and a Mac Vin (sorry we don't have any this time around, but we're working on it!), I was left with the impression of an estate that is producing wines with finesse and focus, steeped in the traditions of the Appellation, and with an exemplary approach to agriculture and vinification.
As mentioned, Domaine Villet is a family estate that was started in 1900, and was converted to organic viticulture in 1988, making them one of the first estates in the region to do so. Gérard felt the results were better with organic agriculture, so he eliminated the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic fungicides, favoring the use of manure, compost and organic elements. Around the turn of the (21st) century, the only treatments used in the vineyard were copper (bouillie bordelaise) for mildew, and sulfur for oïdium. Since then, they have been minimizing the use of the copper and sulfur in the vineyard and relying instead on plant extracts, such as tea nettle, prêle (horsetail), willows, dandelions, and the like. Gérard believes firmly that vignerons must be working in the vines throughout the year in order to be attentive to the health of the vines and to reduce risks. He lets natural grasses grow but tills to limit proliferation. He only uses natural yeast in vinification, as he feels yeasts that are introduced are standardized and lead to a uniformity of taste, whereas natural yeasts allow the terroir to be fully expressed. Sulfur is used in moderation (typically 20 mg per liter added at bottling to cover transport). -Eben Lillie
