About the Domaine
An hour northwest of Arbois, the village of Vuillafans sits tucked into the heart of the Vallée de la Loue, where steep, limestone slopes rise dramatically above the Loue river. Here, Hugo Courvoisier farms just over 3 hectares of Chardonnay, Auxerrois, Pinot Noir, and Gamay, crafting crystalline, terroir-driven wines from this isolated Jura satellite.
Hugo grew up in northern Jura, a place where the raising of cattle for Comté production is more common than vineyards. Both of his grandfathers farmed cattle for cheesemaking—one also distilled spirits, while the other tended a small parcel of vines in the lower Jura and made a little wine. Some of his earliest childhood memories are of harvesting grapes and tending cattle. However, his early path seemed far removed from wine—he initially studied computer science—yet the pull of the land and the region’s agricultural traditions kept calling him back. Determined to change course, he enrolled in viticulture and enology school in Burgundy, where he immersed himself in both the technical foundations of winemaking and the philosophy of terroir expression. Reflecting on his abrupt career shift, Hugo explains: “I have always loved wine and the agricultural world—free, independent—a job where you start with cultivating the vines and follow through to creating the wine. Superb.”
At the completion of his studies, Hugo apprenticed in the Côtes de Nuits before returning to the Jura to work with Stéphane TISSOT to learn the intricacies of biodynamic farming. He then moved to Beaujolais to work with Clément David-Beaupère in the village of Julienas. At each stop Hugo learned the importance of good farming, meticulous cellar work, and the patience required to craft low-intervention wines of place. In 2017 Hugo moved to the “other side” of the business and took up a position with a wine merchant and wholesaler in Lyon, before returning home to become an agent for Jura vignerons. It was during this time that Hugo discovered the picturesque Vallée de la Loue, eventually purchasing a home in the village of Vuillafans.
Still longing to farm and produce his own wines, in 2021 Hugo jumped at the opportunity to purchase a small vineyard just outside of Vuillifans. Planted in 1990, the steep 2.8-hectare vineyard is exposed full south on soils of limestone scree overlooking the Loue river. The long rows of 100m increase in altitude from 1,150 to 1,475 feet (350-450m) as you go up the 35% slope. In 2022 Hugo added small parcels of Pinot Noir (.3ha) and Gamay (.1ha). From the outset, Hugo converted the vineyards to organic farming (certification expected in 2025) and began working with low-input, regenerative methods.
Setting up a cellar in the heart of Vuillafans, which he shares with Les Vignes à FanFan, Hugo produced his first vintage in 2022 . His winemaking is uncompromisingly natural: spontaneous fermentations with native yeasts, no fining or filtration, and no additions. To date Hugo has not used sulfur in the vinification process, but he is not opposed to it if he thinks it necessary. The wines are bright and pure, marked by tension and minerality, with a precision that belies the domaine’s youth. His inaugural 2022s immediately impressed us for their clarity, energy, and depth—a thrilling debut from a producer poised to shine the spotlight on what is possible in this emerging viticultural region.
