Jura's Star, Benjamin Benoit

Exclusive offering of extremely small quantities from Cellier Saint Benoit

An hour east of the Côte d’Or, you will arrive in Jura’s rolling grassy hills. Home to the delicious Comté cheese and some of the more distinctive wines unlike anywhere else in France. If you are a fan like us or just learning about Jura wines, consider this exclusive offering of extremely small quantities from Cellier Saint Benoit. Now fully run by Benjamin Benoit, the word around France is “watch this one”.

Cellier Saint Benoit has ten single vineyards on the AOC of Arbois-Pupillin. These wines are single parcel bottlings in tiny quantities, so tiny Benjamin Benoit writes the number of bottles made on his labels. Just shy of three thousand cases of wine a year! Small amounts with a big story —

Everything has been planted by the Benoit family. Even his great grandmother’s hands worked the vines. They have been farming for more than a century, growing grapes and selling milk to the local co-op in Arbois. Denis Benoit started making wine for the domaine in 2003. Today, Benjamin is guided by his family’s lasting energy that lingers in the vineyard. In order to continue the family legacy of farming, Benjamin has implemented sustainable practices for what he and his friends in Burgundy say: “more work now for less work later”. It’s all a balance in how to take care of the new old vineyard during our shifting climate.

It’s important for Benjamin to keep the link from the vineyard to the bottle. Farming is at the core of his work. He sees himself as an explorer and experiencer. He is capturing 12 months in one bottle; telling the story of each site. Pupillin is small, with vineyards all over. With each site, Benjamin farms with no weed killers, moving his family’s vineyard to full organics. One hectare is treated by hand only, while others use light-weight tractor and horse work. Hedging is done by hand while some of his pinot noir is left unhedged, rolling the canopy into arches (which drives his grandfather to confusion).

Read about available the wines below!

All quantities are less than one case.

click each wine to take you to the site
10% off all pickup orders of 6 or more bottles

LES BLANCS

Cellier Saint Benoit Arbois Pupillin Blanc Chardonnay "Les Charots" 2021

This chardonnay sees no new oak. Benjamin discussed the difficulty finding second hand oak barrels in France. He was able to pick up a used big barrel from Louis Jadot this year. Chardonnay is grown on a very steep slope with fewer vines per hectare in this particular vineyard. Mineral power! $115.00

Cellier Saint Benoit Arbois Pupillin Blanc Chardonnay "La Marcette" 2021

From two neighboring single vineyard parcels planted in 1982 on red marl slope. If you have not had chardonnay from Jura, let this be your excuse. Sustainable vineyard converting over to organics. sold out

Cellier Saint Benoit Arbois Pupillin Blanc Chardonnay "Courbes Raies" 2021

Vines live on limestone soil on bedrock. Benjamin says this is not the most complex soil but chardonnay and pinot noir love it! Planted in 1969 and 1995, it takes its name from the curve and lines (courbes raies) on the picturesque hill near the village of Pupillin. $115.00

LES ROUGES

Cellier Saint Benoit Arbois-Pupillin Rouge Trousseau "Gryphées" 2021 Gryphées takes its name from a type of soil called gryphaea (devil’s toenails). This soil is found on a plateau terroir—high concentration of marine mollusks, oyster shells, and plenty of fossilized sea bed material. A blend of 15-year-old and 45-year-old vineyards with high canopy, a technique Benjamin has introduced in the vineyard. 100% whole cluster, no fining or filtering.  $115.00

Cellier Saint Benoit Arbois-Pupillin Rouge Ploussard "la Ronde" 2021

Ploussard was planted in 1973 on a steep limestone based slope. Chalky and stoney, this ploussard is stoic and firm. Pump-overs only, aged in stainless steel. $115.00

Cellier Saint Benoit Arbois Pupillin Rouge Ploussard "Cote de Feule" 2021

1987 planting on the most recognized terroir in Pupillin. Located on an old stone quarry, the soil is shallow, iris-colored triassic marl, and well, rocky! Destemmed with a crible, this wine is heady, distinctive, bright-fruited. This is the only “single vineyard” that existed in the past and the only vineyard his Dad ever bottled as such. $115.00

Cellier Saint Benoit Arbois Pupillin Rouge Pinot Noir 'Courbes Raies' 2021

It is rare to find old vines Pinot noir in Jura even though it has been there for ages. In this case, much of this vineyard was planted by his grandfather over sixty years ago. Benoit’s elegant (not light) pinot noir is persistent, silky and aromatic, with a long refreshing finish. $115.00

the oxidative Jura specialities….

Cellier Saint Benoit Vin de Paille 2015 (375ml)
A sweet treat Denis Benoit started, leaving Benjamin to bottle this Jura specialty. A blend of chardonnay, savagnin, and ploussard are picked early with high acid levels, left to dry for several months for sugar levels to increase. Pressed and aged in barrel for a minimum of five years. Try it with bleu cheese! $82.00

Cellier Saint Benoit Arbois Vin Jaune 2013 Two souls complete the traditional wine of Jura- Benjamin thanks his father for starting this. 100% savagnin + ambient yeast creates a wine like no other on earth, ages indefinitely.  sold out