Pierre Overnoy House - Emmanuel Houillon & Pierre Overnoy

The "legendary" Pierre Overnoy took over the family estate in 1968; The Pierre Overnoy estate is established in the small village of Pupillin located 3 km south of Arbois in the Jura, and Pierre Overnoy particularly distinguished himself by vinifying his wines without the addition of sulfur from 1984, to the point of becoming an icon of "natural wines". It was the physicist Jules Chauvet, a talented taster and father of the natural wine movement, who inspired him with his cutting-edge approach and introduced him to the winemaking practices to which he has remained faithful. The estate could have had a completely different future, because without descendants and aged 64, Pierre Overnoy chose to pass the baton in 2001 to Emmanuel Houillon, whom he considered his spiritual son, and who had worked alongside him since 1989. The succession was a success, and Emmanuel Houillon, accompanied by his wife Anne, today perpetuates the work of his "mentor" at the Pierre Overnoy estate, and the wines are in the continuity of those of Pierre Overnoy.

Discreet and perfectionist, Emmanuel Houillon now manages the 6 ha of vines on this magnificent terroir using biodynamic methods. The white Jura wines have a strong personality, with a wide aromatic palette that can have impressive aging potential. It must be said that the very long aging (in barrels sometimes for up to 9 years, with topping up as for the 2000 and 2003 vintages) gives them a smooth texture and majestic oxidation. The 2014 Chardonnay offers a material of remarkable fullness in the context of the vintage, a sensuality (fresh butter) immediately penetrated by a sharp, sovereign acidity, unfailingly identified as belonging to the Jura. The red Jura wines with their sparkling colors are silky, fresh and unctuous. The red Poulsard, with its characteristic orange color, offers a captivating fragrance of dried flowers and candied citrus fruits, prolonged by a fine and perfectly ripe tannic structure.

For those who know little about the domain, lovers of great wines will be delighted to taste these extraordinary vintages, pure, lively, and with formidable precision.

Related articles:

Articles on the Pierre Overnoy estate:

• The origin of natural wine by Pierre Overnoy (video interview in French)
  "If we continue like this, humanity is heading straight for disaster". This first recording made in 2018 is a perfect introduction to the person of Pierre Overnoy. In this interview, he shares his journey and his thoughts on the production of natural wine. He insists on the use of traditional methods, and rejects the use of phytosanitary products at all stages of wine production. Among the pioneers who accompanied him, he mentions his friendships with Marcel Lapierre , Jules Chauvet, Jacques Néauport who influenced his approach in the vineyard and in the cellar. All advocated agriculture without chemicals to preserve the environment and the quality of the grapes.
  Modern oenology methods have certainly allowed progress such as the reduction of fermentation accidents, but at the same time, have resulted in a loss of quality and authenticity in wines. All his life, Pierre Overnoy has experimented with the production of wines without sulfur or chemicals, and that producing a quality wine was above all possible with healthy vines and soils. He insists on the importance of respecting the production chain, from the roots of the vines to the final wine. This approach requires rigorous work, but the results demonstrate that "living" wines without chemicals are possible and sustainable.
  He recalls the ability of natural wines to age, often much longer than chemically treated wines, while retaining their freshness, sometimes even to the point of giving them an incredible second youth. Finally, he concludes by affirming that natural wine is based on a philosophy of respect for life, where sulfur should only be used in cases of real necessity, like a medicine for a sick grape.
• PIERRE OVERNOY: a legend of natural Jura wine (video interview)
  During a tour of his winery, Pierre Overnoy explains the evolution of winemaking methods, including the transition to sulfur-free wines in the 1980s, influenced by family traditions and experimentation. The estate has plots planted in 1949 with grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Savagnin and Poulsard, grown on different types of marl (gray, blue and red), although these appellations are not always recognized by geologists.
  In this interview, we also discuss the impacts of climate change on the vine, mentioning unpredictable and worrying climate variations. The importance of water and the impact of drought on the quality of harvests, with notable examples from 1989 and 1990. The Jura, a small wine-growing region, has seen a notable evolution with the arrival of young organic winegrowers. Formerly known for highly oxidized wines intended for a mountain clientele, Jura wines have gained in quality and reputation thanks to modernized practices. Despite climatic and commercial challenges, the estate remains an example of authenticity and transmission in the wine world.
• Pierre Overnoy and Emmanuel Houillon, natural filiation (FR)
• Jura trip 2019 - Visit to the Overnoy-Houillon estate in Pupillin (FR)
• Pierre Overnoy de Pupillin house ranked among the best wines in France (FR)
• The mystery of the surge in prices at Overnoy-Houillon wine auctions (FR)
• Emmanuel Houillon-Overnoy Wine in the Jura (video interview in French) (FR)
• Pierre Overnoy showed how to destem the Poulsard (a real tutorial in French by Pierre Overnoy on destemming during the harvest).
  Arbois pupillin from Emmanuel Houillon and Pierre Overnoy (in English). A series of visits and interviews with Louis Dressner, their importer in the United States.
• Pierre Overnoy, legend of natural wines: "It will soon be impossible to make wines without sulfur" (FR)
  Heart of the Jura. Pierre Overnoy, the child of Pupillin, tells his village
• Pierre Overnoy House (FR)
  Vin jaune: do you really know Arbois? (FR)
  Article which briefly summarizes the specificities of this appellation.

Books on the Overnoy estate:

• Pierre's Word (French edition): interviews with Pierre Overnoy, winegrower in Pupillin in the Jura.
  This book is a collection of interviews in which Pierre Overnoy discusses his wines and his wonderful philosophy of life through different subjects.
• Pierre Overnoy! (French edition): Entering the aura. Harriet and Marcus de Vere are respectively a translator and a wine merchant in London and the authors of this book, translated from English by Thierry Weber. They question the spiritual and artisanal quest that Pierre Overnoy leads, and how it makes sense in the digital world that is ours.
• BETWEEN THE VINES #3 WITH 3 GENERATIONS OF JURA WINEGROWERS The Entre Les Vignes team spent four years meeting three generations of Jura winegrowers, in order to discuss with them the notion of transmission in a wine world shaken by unprecedented climate changes. Emmanuel and Pierre occupy a special place there.
• Raisin, 100 great natural wines of emotion. A book that celebrates the emotion of tasting exceptional natural wines, in which we find a large format interview with Pierre Overnoy.