Château de Verreux will forever be connected to the origin of the Arbois appellation, purportedly the first AOC in France. In the decades after Joseph Girard, the founder of the estate and the driving force behind the appellation, passed away, the property fell into disrepair. The château had degraded into a grey, uninhabited ruin in the center of the village, and its vineyards had long ago returned to the wild. But in recent years, life and energy have returned to Verreux.
The team reawakening the dormant estate are winemaker Vincent Remillet, who honed his craft for more than a decade at Domaine du Pélican, along with partners Vincent Richard and Yann Greset, who share the goal of restoring a historic piece of Arbois to its former glory and crafting transparent, biodynamic wines from this historic terroir.
Verreux’s poulsard comes from over-35 year-old vines planted on grey marl studded with marine fossils. This varietal wine features a pure berry fruit nose with a silken and remarkably pure texture on the palate, presented in a regal, well-integrated style with hints of mint and fresh green herbs supported by finely-woven tannins. Stainless steel fermentation and aging maintains terroir expression, aiding in showcasing the house’s trademark elegance and purity. Sulfur addition is at a bare minimum, and only just before bottling.
Region
Alpine
Subregion
Jura
Appellation
Arbois
Plots
En Brut (0.5ha)
Elevation
300m
Exposure
South
Grapes
100% poulsard
Vine Age
Vineyards planted between 1988
Soil
Silty clay topsoil over grey marl
Fermentation
Grapes are destemmed and co-fermented spontaneously with native yeast in stainless steel
Aging
10 months in stainless steel tanks
Farming
Practicing organic, practicing biodynamic (certification coming next vintage)
Fining & Filtration
None
Vegan
Yes
SO2 Total
29ppm
ABV
12%
Pack Size
6x750mL