Domaine de Sainte Marie, a new organic vineyard in the Jura

From the Jura region of Boilley-Fremiot …

Luc and Sylvie Boilley have been at the helm of their family estate for over 30 years. Their philosophy can be summed up as a focus on very ripe grapes in order to produce wines that are consistently full-bodied and rich. From their young, fruity wines to their barrel-aged wines with very traditional characteristics, this hallmark style is evident throughout, showcasing the essence of the Jura region.

Although the estate does not adhere to any official organic certification scheme, its approach to respecting nature and the soil is, to say the least, progressive:

 – a low-input farming system with permanent grass cover for the past 30 years. Little energy is required to mulch the grass, and the crop residues contribute to the soil’s organic matter.

 – the use of treatment products that are most susceptible to biodegradation. Above all, these must have no adverse effects on microflora and microfauna. For example, copper, a heavy metal, is banned. Strict adherence to this principle has a positive impact on the balance of the plant and its fruit.

… in the Jura region of Sainte Marie

With roots stretching back to Normandy (the ancient Château d’Agneaux, dating from the 12th century, still stands today and continues to bear the family coat of arms), the de Sainte Marie d’Agneaux family has been present on the land and in the vineyards of the Jura for over 200 years. First in Montigny-lès-Arsures, near Arbois, where it owns the château and land acquired by an ancestor who was a general in the French Empire, several houses and vineyards in the surrounding area, as well as the family farm. More recently, they have been based in Saint Germain les Arlay near Châlon-sur-Saône, following the purchase of a 14-hectare estate which, together with the other family vineyards, has taken the name ‘Domaine de Sainte Marie’.

Today, with this emerging estate taking shape around Bertrand de Sainte Marie, the pragmatist, his son Gaëtan, the entrepreneur, and the oenologist Nicolas Cottier, the expert, the family tradition of viticulture and winemaking is taking on a new dimension: that of premium wines, worthy of their appellations, made from traditional Jura grape varieties such as Savagnin, Chardonnay, Poulsard and Trousseau. Wines that tell a story of family, terroir and expertise. Wines that are ‘harmonised’ rather than blended, for it is true that a great wine is the result of a mysterious alchemy rather than a mathematical formula.

Even as a small child, Gaëtan would ‘play’ at making wine in the family cellar with his grandfather Arnauld. As enthusiastic as ever, but now wishing, thanks to Nicolas’s specialist expertise, to take their passion further, they have set a goal for the Domaine de Sainte Marie to produce top-quality wines, comprising the two AOCs ‘Côte du Jura’ and ‘L’Etoile’, to which will be added the Arbois from the Montigny vineyards.

A testament to this long tradition of passion and pleasure, the label adorning the bottles of Domaine de Sainte Marie bears the coat of arms of Sainte Marie d’Agneaux and their motto ‘Fidelis, fortisque Simul’: faithful and strong at the same time. It is a time-honoured way of affirming the strength of an eternal bond between the winegrower, the land and the wine lover.

The terroirs of the Sainte Marie estate

The secret of the Jura lies in the richness and uniqueness of the small, high-quality terroirs found throughout the appellation. This is why, when establishing its vineyard, Domaine Sainte Marie sought out the best exposures—south, south-east or south-west—with varied geological characteristics.

• Champagne sur Loue: situated on the hillsides opposite the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, on the left bank of the Loue, the clay-limestone soil lies over beds of white limestone. The well-drained, slightly dry soil allows for excellent concentration in the juice. Trousseau and Chardonnay express themselves wonderfully well. In good vintages, the wines are classified under the single-vineyard appellation ‘Les Goulesses’. Similarly, following the tradition of the elders, the white wines are made by pressing white and red grapes together. This is the ‘Cuvée FLOR’, comprising four grape varieties: Chardonnay, Savagnin, Trousseau and Poulsard.
• Arlay: on the slope of the Seille’s right bank (south, south-east facing), the ochre-coloured clay-limestone soil is planted with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on one side, and Trousseau on the other, growing on gravelly soil. The soil is very well suited to Pinot Noir. In good vintages, it produces a cuvée bearing the plot name ‘Chaze’, the name of the hill.
• Bréry-Mantry: on the steep slope of the Seille’s right bank, this land has an outcrop of blue marl. It is the ideal site for the Savagnin grape variety. These low-yielding vines produce concentrated grapes and wines with notes of overripeness, refreshed by the distinctive minerality of the blue marl. These grapes are reserved for the production of yellow wines.
• Etoile: situated on a hillside, on heavy soil, the vineyard comprises Chardonnay, Savagnin and a small amount of Poulsard, in accordance with the specifications. The wines are rustic at first and require a few years to mature.

Some photos of the Sainte Marie estate (Jura)