Maison Pierre Overnoy
maison pierre overnoy

Legendary Jura pionniers of natural, terroir‑pure wines from Arbois‑Pupillin

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Region: Arbois‑Pupillin, Jura, France — the historic natural wine heartland.
Style: Organic, unfined, unfiltered, ultra‑pure Jura wines with strong mineral energy and remarkable ageing potential.
Vineyards: ~6–7 ha in Pupillin, chiefly old‑vine Ploussard, Chardonnay, and Savagnin (plus some Trousseau).
Farming: ~6–7 ha in Pupillin, chiefly old‑vine Ploussard, Chardonnay, and Savagnin (plus some Trousseau).
Winemaking: Spontaneous fermentation, minimal or zero added sulphites, long élevages in barrels and foudres.
Signature: Pure, mineral whites; vivid, delicate reds; rare oxidative Savagnin & Vin Jaune traditions.

 

"So why this kind of fame, this myth about me? I don't know, because there is no reason."

PIERRE OVERNOY

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  • Maison Overnoy - Arbois Pupillin Chardonnay 2008

    Maison Overnoy - Arbois Pupillin Chardonnay 2008

  • Maison Overnoy - Arbois Pupillin Chardonnay 2003

    Maison Overnoy - Arbois Pupillin Chardonnay 2003

HOW HE GOT HERE

Maison Pierre Overnoy traces its roots to Pupillin, a tiny, revered Jura village known for its exceptional limestone‑marled soils. The estate was taken over by Pierre Overnoy in 1968, continuing his family’s modest vineyard legacy but soon veering toward a radical detour in quality and philosophy.

In the 1970s–80s, Pierre rejected contemporary chemical techniques — herbicides, industrial yeasts, and routine sulphite additions — and focused on rigorously natural winemaking. After connecting with Beaujolais pioneer Jules Chauvet, he began eliminating sulphites altogether in the mid‑1980s, making him one of the first to do so and one of the foundational figures of natural wine.

By 2001, with no direct descendants, Pierre passed the estate to his long‑time collaborator and adopted son Emmanuel Houillon, who — alongside his wife Anne — continues Overnoy’s uncompromising tradition: organic viticulture, spontaneous fermentation, and long barrel and foudre aging, all aimed at pure terroir expression.

Where The Wine Is Born

The wines are born in Arbois‑Pupillin, a micro‑region of Jura just south of Arbois and perched above limestone and marl slopes that are ideal for both Ploussard (Poulsard) and the great white grapes Savagnin and Chardonnay.

This terroir — steep, fragmented, and rich in ancient marls — yields wines of mineral precision, vibrant acidity, and striking energy. Here, production is small, meticulous, and intensely tied to the land.

ARBOIS
PUPILLIN

How the wine feels

Terroir Clarity

Mineral drive from Pupillin’s marl and limestone soils.

Purity & Depth

Unadorned, natural wines with poised structure.

Delicate Intensity

Translucent reds and vibrant whites blending finesse and energy.

FOR THE NERDS

Maison Pierre Overnoy is a legendary natural wine estate in the Arbois‑Pupillin appellation, long celebrated for its zero‑to‑minimal sulphite philosophy and deep commitments to manual farming and spontaneous fermentation.

Founded by Pierre Overnoy — who began farming in Pupillin in the late 1960s and abandoned sulphite additions in the mid‑1980s after influence from Jules Chauvet — the estate became a touchstone for natural wine culture in France.

Today, Emmanuel Houillon — Pierre’s adopted son and longtime collaborator — continues these practices across the ~6 ha of vineyards, primarily planted to Ploussard (locally spelled Poulsard) for reds and Chardonnay/Savagnin for whites, with occasional Albariño‑like oxidative styles such as Vin Jaune and Vieux Savagnin ouillé.

Vinification relies on indigenous yeasts, long élevages (often many years in old barrels and foudres), no fining, no filtration, and nearly no added sulphur, which yields wines of remarkable depth, delicacy, and intensity — wines that reward patience and cellaring.

Production is tiny (often <20,000 bottles in good years), and the wines — while iconic and influential — remain deeply connected to their place and craft.

“I have never used sulfur. I don’t know how.”