Domaine de la Loue

History of domaine de la Loue

The story of domaine de la Loue is that of a career change as unlikely as it is successful. Catherine Hannoun spent many years in the world of cinema, notably working on the production of the documentary Mondovino, that cult film which explored the excesses of the global wine economy. It was precisely this project that led her to fall in love with the Jura, its landscapes, its people and its wines.

In 2008, she settled in Port-Lesney, a quiet little village some fifteen minutes north of Arbois. She began learning her new trade alongside Emmanuel Houillon, the emblematic winemaker of domaine Overnoy, a tutelary figure of Jura natural wine. In 2009, bolstered by this foundational apprenticeship, Catherine purchased her first vine parcels and her current cellar, giving birth to domaine de la Loue, a name inspired by the eponymous river that winds through the Jura massif.

From the very beginning, the conversion to organic farming was undertaken. In 2016, Catherine had her cellar renovated and extended, giving it a new lease of life while preserving the artisanal scale she holds dear. For more than fifteen years, she has been exploring, experimenting, sometimes making mistakes, always learning. Her wines have become a discreet yet sought-after reference on the natural wine scene in France and internationally.

Terroirs and Vines of domaine de la Loue

The vineyard of domaine de la Loue extends over approximately 3.2 hectares, spread across several emblematic villages of the Jura wine region: Marnoz, Arbois, Pupillin, Aiglepierre, Buffard and Molamboz. This patchwork of parcels offers Catherine Hannoun a palette of varied terroirs, each expressing its own identity in the final cuvées.

The soils are characteristic of the Jura: clay-limestone, red or grey marly limestone depending on the area, with exposures often oriented east to southeast that promote grape ripeness while preserving their natural freshness. In Pupillin, the parcel known as Sous Roche rests on gentle-sloping grey clay marls, ideal for savagnin. In Molamboz, the calcareous clays host 36-year-old pinot noir. In Marnoz, Aiglepierre and Buffard, the red marls and limestone support old trousseau vines, some of which exceed 70 years of age.

The grape varieties cultivated are those of the Jura in all their diversity: chardonnay, savagnin, trousseau, pinot noir and poulsard (ploussard). All the vines are managed under certified organic farming. Catherine also draws inspiration from biodynamics to care for her soils and plants. For ploughing, she calls upon a horse and a donkey, thus preserving the structure and life of the soil. Harvesting is exclusively manual, carried out parcel by parcel to respect the ripeness of each grape variety.

Vinification at domaine de la Loue

At domaine de la Loue, the winemaking philosophy can be summed up in a few words: trust, patience and non-intervention. Catherine Hannoun works without filtration or fining, with sulfur use reduced to a strict minimum, or even none at all for certain cuvées. Fermentations are spontaneous, driven solely by the indigenous yeasts present on the grapes.

For her red wines, Catherine has developed a maceration technique she calls the millefeuilles method: the grapes are stacked in alternating layers of 40 centimetres, one destemmed layer, one whole-cluster layer, until the tank is completely full. This original process encourages a gentle and progressive extraction, producing wines that are both full-bodied and delicate, far from tannic excess. Maceration generally lasts between six and seven weeks depending on the cuvée.

For the whites, vinification involves direct pressing followed by spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Aging takes place partly in large oak barrels or old neutral 600-litre barrels, partly in stainless steel tanks, depending on the cuvée, before a return to tank one month before bottling. This approach allows complexity and finesse to develop while preserving the typicity of the grape variety and the terroir.

Catherine vinifies plot by plot, allowing each parcel to express its own character before deciding on a possible blend or separate bottling. She ages certain cuvées in topped-up barrels, others in a more oxidative style, in the Jura tradition. The range on offer thus reflects the winemaker herself: curious, alive, uncompromising.

The cuvées of domaine de la Loue

La Brute (Pinot Noir)

The cuvée La Brute is one of the domaine's best-known signatures. It is made from pure pinot noir, sourced from a parcel in the village of Molamboz planted on calcareous clay with a southeast exposure. The vines are approximately 36 years old, an ideal maturity for producing grapes of fine aromatic depth. Vinification is carried out by semi-carbonic maceration of six weeks using Catherine's millefeuilles method, alternating whole clusters and destemmed grapes. Aging takes place in stainless steel tanks for one year. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration, with little or no added sulfur.

Le Rouge (Trousseau, Ploussard, Chardonnay)

Le Rouge is a blend dominated by trousseau (95%), complemented by ploussard, trousseau à la dame and a touch of chardonnay. The grapes come from three parcels located in Marnoz, Aiglepierre and Buffard, on soils of red clay, marl and limestone. The vines are between 20 and 70 years old, offering remarkable concentration and complexity. Maceration, always using the millefeuilles method, lasts seven weeks. The wine is then aged in stainless steel tanks for one year. Without added sulfur, without filtration or fining, Le Rouge expresses the quintessence of Jura trousseau: pure fruit, an elegant structure, a long and spiced finish. 

Le Savagnin (Savagnin)

The savagnin from domaine de la Loue comes from a parcel called Sous Roche, on the heights of Pupillin. The vines, planted on sloping grey clay marls with an east-southeast exposure, produce grapes of fine aromatic density. After manual harvesting, the grapes are pressed directly and ferment spontaneously in stainless steel tanks. Aging is carried out half in stainless steel tanks, half in old neutral 600-litre barrels, for approximately 14 months. The wine is transferred to tank one month before bottling, with no sulfur or filtration.

La Bulle Bleue (Chardonnay)

La Bulle Bleue is a pétillant naturel cuvée made from 100% chardonnay. The grapes come from the villages of Pupillin, Marnoz, Aiglepierre and Buffard. Pressed directly, they ferment naturally and the wine is bottled on the lees before the end of fermentation, according to the ancestral method.

Le Vin de Liqueur (Savagnin Mutted with Marc)

Le Vin de Liqueur from domaine de la Loue is a rare gem in the range, made from the finest savagnin clusters from the Pupillin parcel. After harvest, the savagnin juice is mutted using a house-made marc from the domaine, aged two years in wooden barrels at approximately 54% vol. The resulting vin de liqueur reaches around 18% and then ages for four years in oak barrels, developing remarkable depth and unctuousness.