Domaine de Saint-Pierre
Domaine de Saint-Pierre
Domaine de Saint Pierre is the epitome of a top flight Jura Domaine. Fully Owned since 2011 by the charismatic and pragmatic Fabrice Dodane, the tiny six hectares of vineyards are ideally located in the appellation Arbois in villages such as Vadans, Mathenay, Arbois and Pupillin. Far from being new to the wine scene, Fabrice Dodane studied oenology at the Beaune Wine University in Burgundy before taking the reins of the Cooperative of Pupillin. In 1989, Fabrice had the opportunity to manage Domaine de Saint-Pierre. From there, the three hectares have increased to six and the vineyards have been farmed organically since 2002 with biodynamic practices being implemented right after. The result is staggering with wines of great purity displaying with precision the magnificent terroirs of the Jura.
The Jura region, just 45 minutes East from Burgundy seems to be untouched from the outside world. It’s probably due to its isolation and to the long-standing respect of the traditional wines made, called Vin Jaune (referring to the oxidative method used to make these). But more importantly, the producers seem to be very connected to their land therefore a sense of respect is born out of it. That’s a key element to the gracious wines made in Jura where organic farming is a must and biodynamic practices are expected from the best producers! The Arbois appellation is home to lovely slopes where the vines are soaking up the sunlight and digging deep into complex marl and limestone soils with sometimes spots of clay.
Domaine de Saint-Pierre is growing the following vineyards:
- 1 hectare of Ploussard in Pupillin.
- 1.40 hectares of Pinot Noir in Arbois.
- 0.25 hectares of Trousseau.
- 2.8 hectares of Chardonnay in Arbois, Vadans and Mathenay.
- 1 hectare of Savagnin in Mathenay.
Domaine de Saint-Pierre Wines
Purchase Domaine de Saint-Pierre Wines from Clos Cachet
![Large barrels stacked up in a bright room in Domaine de Saint Pierre]()
Purchase Domaine de Saint-Pierre Wines from Clos Cachet
Being born in Arbois, Fabrice has a great understanding of the region and we can be grateful that he’s put his dedication to good use at Domaine de Saint-Pierre. The philosophy applied in the vineyard is to preserve the life in the soils and above and to restrain the vine to produce fewer fruits of greater concentration. Thus, the yields are very low, averaging 28 hectolitres per hectare. Once the fruit is harvested, with the upmost care and by hand, there is nothing added, all up until bottling. Sulphur can be dosed a little before bottling if deemed necessary by Fabrice to stabilise the wine further. However, the aim is to make these wines without sulphur and with minimum intervention. Being pragmatic, Fabrice is making consistently terroir transparent impressive wines with great energy and purity.
The use of oak isn’t compulsory in jura however it is traditionally used. Most of the wines made from the vineyard, located on limestone soils, are fermented and matured in oak vats in order to soften an otherwise cutting edge structure. The cooler climate of the Jura region is producing highly drinkable, lighter style of reds and refreshing white wines. But don’t get us wrong, these are profound and worth ageing if possible. There is something very unique about these wines and about Jura that you must experience.
Most of the wines we import from Domaine de Saint-Pierre are called “ouillé” which means that the barrels or vats have been topped up during maturation to prevent oxidation. We also import some semi-oxidative Savagnin and the real “Vin Jaune”, which has been fully oxidised for six years and three months before bottling, is a truly amazing wine.
Clos Cachet is honoured to import Domaine de Saint-Pierre wines into Australia. They represent beautifully and with landmark-style what Jura is all about.
* Terroir is the specific combination of location, vineyard, climate and people that create a wine. Accordingly, different terroirs produce different wines