Charlotte & Aurelien Houillon

History of Domaine Charlotte & Aurélien Houillon

The history of Domaine Houillon begins well before 2017, in the Jura vineyards of Pupillin. Aurélien Houillon grew up in Franche-Comté, immersed from a very young age in natural wine culture. His journey took shape alongside Pierre Overnoy in Pupillin, in the Jura, working with his brother Emmanuel. In 2007, he became a partner at Maison Pierre Overnoy, refining over several years a winemaking philosophy based on absolute respect for living things, soils and grapes.

In 2014, eager to write his own chapter, he left for Switzerland and converted an estate to biodynamics, broadening his experience to new grape varieties. This Swiss interlude further strengthened his conviction: terroir, cultivated with integrity, can express itself without artifice.

Aurélien and his wife Charlotte first searched for properties in the Jura, then explored the Loire and even Bordeaux, before setting their sights on a farm on the border between Vaucluse and Drôme Provençale. Charlotte Touati, a doctor of letters and specialist in ancient manuscripts, shared this winemaking adventure from the start. In 2017, Domaine Houillon officially came into being, and its first vintage marked the beginning of an extraordinary trajectory.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Domaine Charlotte & Aurélien Houillon

The Domaine Houillon vineyard extends over 9 hectares in a single block, in the locality of La Roche Coucourde in Faucon in the Vaucluse. The land is clay and sandy, characteristic of a local geological peculiarity: safre formations, which actually give the locality its name. This cohesive block, combining vines, woods and moorland, offers remarkable biodiversity that contributes to the ecological balance of the whole.

These light and filtering soils, combined with ideal exposure and the climatic influence of Mont Ventoux, create conditions conducive to the expression of clean fruit and aromatic freshness that are consistently found in the estate's wines.

The vines are treated according to biodynamic and organic practices. The soils are worked mechanically, fertilizers are provided by the property's donkey and horse, and harvests are manual. Aurélien and Charlotte took over 4.5 hectares of semi-abandoned vines (3 ha of Grenache, 1.3 ha of Syrah and Cinsault) with an average age of 40 to 50 years, and began replanting white and grey Grenache, Carignan and additional Cinsault, also experimenting with agroforestry. The yields, deliberately kept low between 17 and 20 hl/ha, guarantee optimal concentration and quality.

Vinifications at Domaine Charlotte & Aurélien Houillon

Aurélien makes wine in accordance with the principles of Jules Chauvet, the visionary winemaker, chemist and taster who was the first to advocate for natural wine after World War II. Aurélien applies these precepts with absolute consistency: zero additives, zero added yeast, zero fining, zero filtration, zero added sulfur.

In the cellar, everything relies on a gravity-fed winery: the wines age in old barrels and stainless steel tanks, without pumps for pump-overs, thus preserving the natural structure and delicate aromas of the grapes. Macerations can reach ten weeks for certain cuvées, allowing gentle and progressive extraction of tannins and aromatic compounds.

An additional distinctive feature sets apart each bottle from Domaine Houillon: the estate's bottles are hand-labeled with paper made from vine shoots crafted on the property. Charlotte, a doctor of letters, perfected her skills during extended stays in China and Ethiopia, as well as through research in Switzerland. She works with papyrus as well as lily paper, tree leaves, tulip, nettle and even horse manure. 

The Cuvées of Domaine Charlotte & Aurélien Houillon

Canne

The Canne cuvée is the estate's emblematic signature. The word canne refers to the wooden tap on traditional foudres that allows the free-run juice to be drawn off for evaluation. This cuvée is precisely crafted exclusively from free-run juice, without press wine. The blend consists of 70% Grenache Noir and 30% Syrah, from old vines organically farmed and planted on slightly sandy clay-limestone soils. Manual harvesting and low yields: 19 hl/ha. Natural vinification: 100% destemmed, 10 weeks of maceration, only free-run juice goes into this cuvée. Aging in stainless steel tanks, bottled at the estate without additives or added sulfur.

Presse

The Presse cuvée is the natural counterpoint to Canne: it is crafted from press wine, obtained from pressing the grapes after maceration. This highly confidential cuvée showcases Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault, emblematic grape varieties of the Rhône Valley sublimated by Aurélien and Charlotte Houillon, which give the wine all its fruit, juice and the suppleness of its tannins. Presse offers a more structured and textured profile, with generous fruit and a velvety texture, notes of ripe black fruits, spices and licorice, and a long, well-balanced finish.

Tonneaux

The Tonneaux cuvée testifies to Aurélien's experimentation with aging methods. As its name suggests, this wine is aged in old barrels, which gives it an additional dimension of complexity. It is a lovely round and full wine with notes of ripe black fruits, spice and licorice.

Grenache Old Vines

This cuvée is crafted from the estate's oldest Grenache vines, dating back over 70 years. It is a pure Grenache with Jura-like accents: aromatic purity and depth combined with extreme freshness that paves the way for the noblest expression of the terroir. The nose is refined, spicy and taut, with hints of grenadine, stewed red fruits and a subtle minerality. On the palate, a masterful balance: elegant, fleshy, long on the finish, with a refreshing natural acidity. Extremely limited production.

Carignan

A cuvée illustrating Aurélien's curiosity for new expressions, the Carignan reveals a gourmet and immediate facet here. A very fresh, immediate wine, already ready to drink, with crushed strawberry and red currant jelly. The palate is digestible, fluid and highly fruity.

Syrah

The estate's Syrah cuvée demonstrates all the finesse that Aurélien manages to extract from this grape variety in a southern context. Nose of black fruits, spices, floral touches. Palate: very beautiful structure, coated fruit and a velvety texture. Long finish on the fruit with well-integrated aging. A sunny wine but never heavy, perfectly embodying the estate's identity.