I’m a big fan of Evelyne and Pascal Clairet and their tiny vineyard, Domaine de la Tournelle, in the center of Arbois on the eastern border of France.
In the foothills of the Alps, they make quietly wonderful wine from the region’s indigenous grapes–Poulsard, Trousseau and Savagnin—and they’ve created a unique footprint of taste…quite delicious…and freshly their own when compared to the other top winemakers in Arbois.
Here’s what amazes me.
Arbois is a tiny place. High altitude vineyards and a cool foothills climate. Indigenous grapes are grown and mostly natural methods used. One would think that this creates a sameness of taste like one might describe a Napa Cabernet. Not so.
I’ve tasted many of the Trousseau and Poulsard wines from a handful of winemakers in Arbois. And while certainly the varietal and the winemaker drive the category…the place and the vineyards themselves seem to be the fingerprint of taste. It’s like a neighborhood that produces a number of musicians, each with a sense of place but with their own unique rhythm.
Terroir, that sense of place, vineyard to vineyard, is remarkably distinct and palpable here. Maybe it’s the natural approach to letting the wine takes its own form or these indigenous grapes themselves…I think its all of these under the signature of the vineyard and the plot of land itself.
This ’07 Trousseau de Corvees is light and alive in the glass, strongly floral in its bouquet. It is all berries on the nose and layered minerality on the palate. So very different from the Trousseau of Jacques Puffeney or Michel Gahier or Philippe Bornard.
Interestingly, when I tasted the Clairet’s Poulsard a while back, I found the overall character of the wine from the same vineyard reminiscent in some strange way to this Trousseau. The Clairet’s have a light touch, a crisp freshness that comes from an organic and a studied approach to letting the place define itself. For 20 years they have been working to let the vines find their own taste…and to my palate with a great deal of success.
If you are new to Arbois wines, I suggest you try the ’07 Tournelle Trouseau de Corvees as a counterpoint to other Trousseau wines from Arbois. They are all colors from the same rainbow and make the tasting process an interesting and nuanced experience.
I’m very optimistic that you’ll find Trousseau a taste that pleases…and each one of these wines will find a place on your wine rack. All affordable. All crisp and wonderful and natural. All a pleasure to drink.
Give this bottle of Tournelle ‘07 Arbois Trousseau des Corvees a try. It’s fresh and interesting and memorable with a taste that lingers.
From Chambers Street Wines in TriBeCa, NYC for $30 a bottle.
