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 chardonnay is a classic, Alpine expression, with a nose reminiscent of top-level Burgundy. The palate is full, mineral-laden and reverberant, featuring notes of fresh lemon rind and a persistent, textured finish. Fermented as whole bunches in old French oak barrels, and 10% in new, very lightly-toasted barrels, the emphasis in élevage is on preserving energy and balance. Sulfur addition is at a bare minimum, and only just before bottling.
Region
Alpine
Subregion
Jura
Appellation
Arbois
Plots
En Brut, Monteiller, and Source de Brut (1.3ha total)
Elevation
300m
Exposure
Southeast and east
Grapes
100% chardonnay
Vine Age
Planted between 1973-1998
Soil
Silty clay topsoil over grey marl
Fermentation
Whole bunches are fermented spontaneously with native yeast in 225L and 400L barrels, 10% of which are new and lightly-toasted
Aging
12 months on the lees without bâtonnage
Farming
Practicing Organic, Practicing Biodynamic (certified next vintage)
Fining & Filtration
Only light bentonite filtration
Vegan
Yes
S02 Total
60ppm
ABV
13.5%
Pack Size
6x750mL