Domaine de l’Octavin | A Demeter-certified Biodynamic estate winery in the commune of Arbois in the Jura region of France. It was founded in 2005 by Alice Bouvot and Charles Dagand.

Alice Bouvot is from Besancon. She studied viticulture in Bordeaux then obtained her oenology degree in Dijon. She worked in California in 2000 with winemaker Aaron Pott. Then she worked in New Zealand. In 2001 she returned to California, to work at Pine Ridge). In 2002 she worked at Errazuriz in Chile and did another (6 month) stint in California. 

Charles Dagand‘s father Jacques Dagand was originally from Perpignan. An agronomist, he worked as grape buyer for Jura producer Henri Maire. Charles studied viticulture and oenology in Beaune in Burgundy and returned to the Jura to work with M Galmard, technical director of the Arbois Fruitère Viticole (Arbois Wine Fruit Company).

He met Alice in 2004, who was working for a Jura estate and she hired him to manage the winery. The following year they founded their own domain in Arbois called Opus Vinum. In 2008 they had to renam it Domaine de l’Octavin. This was because the Opus One winery in California claimed an infringement of their trademark. Alice and Charles are opera lovers, so so they re-named the estate octavin, a woodwind musical instrument. Their wines carry the names of characters from Mozart operas.

Vineyards | 2012 4.9ha. Red grapes (45%), Trousseau (En Curon), Les Corvées (near Montigny-les-Arsures, Trousseau), Pinot Noir (En Curon) and Ploussard (En Curon, La Mailloche). 55% white grapes: Chardonnay (En Poussot, La Mailloche) and Savagnin (La Mailloche, this was previously farmed organically by Gérard Villet).

Single Vineyards | Les Nouvelles is planted with 1940s Savagnin on ‘marnes grises’ (grey marl) and limestone.

Biodynamics | 2008 First use of Biodynamic practices (a move encouraged by Stéphane Tissot). | 2012 Main field sprays were Prepared horn manure 500P, Horn silica 501. Biodynamic preparations are sourced from BioDynamie Services. The main plant-based sprays are from stinging nettle, common horsetail, dandelion and willow.

Biodynamic certification | 2011 First vintage with full organic certification. | 2012 First vintage with full Demeter Biodynamic certification.

Winemaking | Natural winemaking (wild yeasts), no added sulfites. Amphoras.

Sparkling wines

Foutre d’Escampette | Foutre d’Escampette is a Pètillant Naturel Chardonnay.

White wines

Comtesse A | A Savagnin with which is aged in casks which are topped up or ‘oiullé’ (see ouillage).

Cut Rond à la Cuisse Rose | Poulsard vinified as a white wine. The name roughly translates ’round bottom with a pink thigh’.

Pamina | Named after Pamina, a character in Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute. / 2010 Chardonnay from old vines in La Mailloche on clay soils. Barrel aged.

P’tit Poussot | 2013 Young vine Chardonnay.

Reine de la Nuit | A blend of Chardonnay from La Mailloche, and Savagnin. The grapes are picked and fermented together, age for one year, then go to barrel for ageing ‘sous-voile’, under a veil of naturally-occurring film-forming yeasts (see ouillage).

Zest de Savagnin | From Savagnin in the Les Nouvelles vineyard (see above). | 2013 Seven months on skins.

Red wines

Commendatore, Trousseau | 2011 In magnum. | 2013 Trousseau from Les Corvées vineyard (see above).

Les Corvées, Trousseau | Trousseau from Les Corvées vineyard (see above). | 2010 Arbois Rouge AOC Light red, citrus and raspberry flavours, asome spritz, soft ripeness too, well made but also with a hint of brett at the Real Wine Fair 2012.

Don Giovanni | Pinot noir.

Dorabella | 2010 Dorabella La Mailloche Made from old vine Poulsard (‘Ploussard’) from the La Mailloche vineyard. No added sulfites. Soft, sherry-like and bretty at the Real Wine Fair 2012. | 2016 Dorabella Poulsard Made from old vine Poulsard (‘Ploussard’) from the La Mailloche vineyard plus Poulsard from the ‘En Curon’ vineyard.

Elle Aime | 2016 80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay.

Zerlina | 2016 Roughly 50% each Poulsard and Trousseau.

Ulm | 2013 Pinot Noir. Whole bunches.

Vin Jaune

Cherubin | A Vin Jaune, although not labelled as such, was released in 2013.

Contact

Domaine de l’Octavin

1 rue de la Faïencerie, F-39600 Arbois (Jura), France

Tel+33 (0)3.84.66.27.39 | www.octavin.fr

Bibliography

Isabelle Legeron MW, Natural Wine, An introduction to organic and biodynamic wines grown naturally (2014, Cico Books, London & New York), p141.

Real Wine Fair, London Tuesday 22nd May 2012.

Wink Lorch, Jura Wine (Wine Travel Media 2014), p182-4.