Grape: Trousseau
Vineyard: heavy gravel on Lias marl. Estate-owned, certified organic.
Yields: 35 hl/ha
Making of: Grapes are hand harvested in small baskets. Grapes are sorted and destemmed by hand, gently crushed and then macerated for ten to thirty days with pigeage done once a day. Only native yeast is used and the juice undergoes a full malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks before it is transferred to old oak barrels where it rests for about 12 months. The wine is bottled without filtration, fining or sulfur addition.
Personality: Spice box and ripe apple flesh dominate the nose, fruity flavors backed by a succulent bramble underpinning. The wine finishes with savory tannins and a deft note of acidity. Serve with herb-encrusted roasted chicken, veal chops, vegetable stews, roast pork, game and aged cheeses.
Evelyne and Pascal Clairet created their domaine in 1991 and later opened a little bistro in their garden by the water in the center of the town of Arbois, open in the summer. Continuing after her husband’s passing away (2021), Evelyne works with 8 hectares of vines planted of mostly white grapes (the locally typical Savagnin and Chardonnay) and some reds (Trousseau and Ploussard).
Tournelle makes traditional wines in the traditions of Arbois, such as the Terre de Gryphées or Vin Jaune, while also exploring new paths, such as the use of carbonic maceration in the Uva Arbosiana red. Their methodology and passion are clearly invested in producing wines that represent the tradition and potential that this dynamic AOC possesses.
