New arrivals from Domaine Villet in Arbois
About 8 years ago, I visited the Christine and Gerard Villet in Arbois for the first time. We met at the Foire Eco Bio in Colmar, which I believe is still the largest organic fair in Western Europe, complete with composting toilets, cheese, beer, clothes, spices, wines, bike powered concerts - literally every organic thing you could imagine - and a little old man who strolls around with a medieval cart, sharpening knives for 1 euro. We tasted and discussed a visit, so I headed to Arbois after visiting some winemakers in Alsace after the fair. The visit to Arbois was probably my first, and was memorable to say the least: lunch at Bistrot des Claquets, and an afternoon visit with the Villets, followed by a fantastic dinner: organic veggies from their garden, and an exquisite pot of Coq au Vin Jaune (another first for me). Since that visit, the Villet's humble abode has been like a home away from home when I travel through France, thanks to the generosity and warmth of the Villets, and their amazing cooking!
Today we have an offer of new arrivals from the Villets, including several red wine bottlings, rare for them and rare for the region in general. Though they have been mentors if not positive influences on many of the younger generation of low-intervention winemakers in the Jura (including Alice Bouvot, Patrice Beguet, Guillaume Gilet and many more), their wines are for the most part traditional. Vinification style is more Burgundy than Beaujolais, so their reds are a bit more concentrated than some carbonic-style Poulsards or Trousseaus on the market. Their ouillé whites have precision and never have the feel of lees stirring and creaminess that I find in a lot of ouillé whites from younger producers. Their oxidative whites are pitch perfect, and their sparkling wines are balanced and food-friendly.
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 between 10-20 mg per liter added at bottling to cover transport).
Christine and Gérard are a warm and humble couple, and it's clear that they love what they do. Their commitment to organic farming, and to the health of their vines and the greater ecosystem, has inspired others (the surface area of organic vineyards in Arbois has gone from 1% in the 80's, to currently nearly 25%), and their wines are exceptional examples of the unique styles and expressions of the region. We hope you enjoy them!... and I recommend making Coq au Vin Jaune with the Savagnin Typé in this offer. The money you save not having to shell out for an actual bottle of Vin Jaune can be used towards morels, if you really want to find the path to bliss.
-Eben Lillie
