Jeremy Arnaud

A vigneron finds his own path

Jérémy Arnaud grew up in a family of winemakers who owned Domaine La Marquise in the Chablis region. However, it was by no means a foregone conclusion that he would follow in his family’s footsteps and enter the world of wine. As a teenager, he drifted from one subject to another, finding none of them interesting, but he soon enrolled in a professional wine school in Beaune (Lycée Viticole), and it was there that a turning point in his life occurred. He became the top student in his class, and over the next few years worked both in Burgundy and beyond, in Meursault, Beaune, Pauillac, and at various estates in Chablis. He gained experience working in a wide variety of settings: with biodynamic and organic farming, traditional methods, and both small producers and cooperatives. His goal was to understand how people get to the point where wine is bottled. His own project started on a small scale. In Beine, he had about 0.5 hectares of vineyards, one Premier Cru plot and part of a Petit Chablis, and in 2017, he produced his first wine. Since then, the estate’s area has grown to just under 3 hectares. By Chablis standards, this is still a very small scale, but that is precisely his intention.

Three hectares above the Serein

This estate is located in Beine, west of the town of Chablis. The total area of the estate is just under 3 hectares and is divided into plots classified as “Petit Chablis,” “Chablis Village,” and “Premier Cru.” On the steeply sloped plots, which make up most of the estate, all work is done by hand.

The Premier Cru plot, which served as the starting point for this adventure, is a 0.48-hectare parcel located on the left bank of the Serein River, in Vau de Vey. Due to the extremely steep slope, mechanization of the work here is practically impossible. Such a steep slope is a real headache for winegrowers, but a true gift for the wine.

The terroir and vineyards

Chablis is situated on layers of Kimmeridgian marl, a mixture of limestone and clay densely packed with fossilized oyster shells, and it is this soil that defines the characteristic flavor of Chablis wine. It is this soil that gives the wine its firmness, a salty edge, and a stony texture that can be sensed beneath the fruity notes.

Vau-de-Vey is located on the left bank of the Serein River and faces primarily south-southeast. These slopes are cooler compared to the Grand Cru hillside on the opposite bank. Wines from this region are characterized more by a vertical, mineral-rich energy than by fullness. Combined with the steep slopes of La Grande Côte, this region produces wines that retain their firmness of flavor even in warm vintages.

Beine, where Arnaud is based, is a village surrounded by the hillsides of Petit Chablis and Chablis, with Premier Cru vineyards, such as Vau-de-Vey and Beauroy, scattered throughout the valley.

Winemaking

Jérémy Arnaud believes that simply having a degree in winemaking does not mean that a winemaker produces a winemaker’s wine. The goal is to clearly express the individual character of each vintage and region, and this is precisely what guides all decisions made in the cellar. Cultivation is carried out according to the principles of organic farming. The use of fertilizers in the vineyards is kept to a minimum, soil cultivation is performed with the aim of preserving its structure, and ecological buffer zones have been created around the plots. This is not so much an effort to obtain certifications as it is the working method of a producer striving to clearly convey the character of the vine itself. Intervention at the winery is kept to a minimum. No yeast is added, no lactic acid bacteria are inoculated, and no enzymes are used. The use of sulfites is kept to a minimum and is applied only when absolutely necessary. Fermentation occurs naturally through the microflora present on the grapes, and aging is not subject to active intervention but is carefully monitored.

The range

Jérémy built his portfolio around three Chablis cuvées and then added several wines to the lineup that are produced just outside the appellation’s boundaries. The total production volume of all these wines is modest.

The current selection of Chablis wines is as follows:

• Petit Chablis “Sur-Preuse”
• Chablis (“Village” class), including bottles from “Vau-Ligneau”
• Chablis Premier Cru “Vau-de-Vey,” including the “La Grande Chaume” plot on a steep slope

In addition, Jérémy bottles the white Burgundy wine “Tonnerre ‘Les Yeux’” and the red Burgundy wine “Le Vuiot,” however, both of these wines are produced not within the Chablis appellation itself, but on plots located in its surrounding areas.