Appellation
Arbois
Identity card
RegionalAOPWhiteRedRoséSweet
Jura · Recognised on 15 May 1936
Key points
- Whites, reds, rosés, vin jaune and vin de paille, from 12 communes.
- Vin jaune may be sold from 1 January of the seventh year after the harvest.
- Whites: at most 60 hl/ha and at least 10.5% natural alcohol.
Grape varieties
White
Accessory varieties: Pinot Noir, Poulsard, Trousseau
"Vin jaune": Savagnin (Enfariné allowed under agreement)
Never from accessory varieties alone; principal ones form the majority
RedRosé
Accessory varieties: Chardonnay, Savagnin
Never from accessory varieties alone; principal ones form the majority
Sweet
Allowed varieties
ChardonnayPoulsardSavagninTrousseau
"Vin de paille": grapes dried for at least six weeks, unheated
Production rules
60
hl/ha
Maximum yield
10
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
5,000
vines/ha
Minimum planting density
Minimum ageing: Vin jaune: at least 6 years in cask, never topped up, 60+ months under flor
- Maximum yield
- How much wine a hectare may produce under the appellation (a higher, exceptional ceiling often exists). The lower it is, the less can be made: one of the levers on how concentrated the grapes are. For reference: 35 hl/ha to 80 hl/ha across 129 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum natural alcohol
- The alcohol the grapes' own sugar must be able to give, without enrichment: a ripeness threshold at harvest. For reference: 9 % ABV to 14 % ABV across 79 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum planting density
- The fewest vines allowed per hectare. For the same yield, more vines means fewer grapes on each. For reference: 4,000 vines/ha to 9,000 vines/ha across 136 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum ageing
- A minimum ageing period the specification requires before the wine may be sold to consumers.
Terroir
- Lie of the land: The Revermont, western edge of the Jura; vines at 250–400 m
- Soils: Lias and Triassic marls and clays under limestone scree
- Climate: Cool oceanic with continental influences; over 1,000 mm
Wine style
- White
- Gunflint
- freshness
- fruity
- vin jaune: walnut, spice
- Red
- Rosé
- light ruby (Poulsard)
- red fruit (Pinot Noir)
- more tannic (Trousseau)
- often forest floor with age
- Sweet
- Prune
- Candied orange
- Honey
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
2 September 2022
Arrêté du 2 septembre 2022 homologuant le cahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine protégée « Arbois » (JORF n°0209 du 9 septembre 2022, texte n°14 ; publié au Bulletin officiel du ministère de l'agriculture le 15 septembre 2022). Appellation initialement reconnue par le décret du 15 mai 1936.
Labelling terms
- "Vin jaune": Savagnin aged under flor, in the 62 cl clavelin
- "Vin de paille": a sweet wine; the vintage must be on the label
- "Pupillin" after the name, for wines of that commune only
- A registered lieu-dit may appear, in letters at most half as large
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine protégée « Arbois »— INAO / Ministère de l'agriculture (Bulletin officiel)
- Reference bookThe Oxford Companion to Wine— Oxford University Press
- Reference bookWine Grapes: A Complete Guide to 1,368 Vine Varieties, Including Their Origins and Flavours— Allen Lane / Ecco (HarperCollins)
- Trade bodyLe mystérieux vin jaune— Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins du Jura (CIVJ), site officiel des vins du Jura
The Jura's oldest controlled appellation, recognised as early as 15 May 1936, across twelve communes of the Revermont set against marl slopes covered in limestone scree. It covers white, red and rosé wines and both complementary mentions, "vin jaune" and "vin de paille", and its name may be followed by the complementary geographical denomination "Pupillin" for wines from that one commune alone.
Mini-challenge
Arbois
3 questions on Arbois, all answered right, and the appellation is mastered in your Atlas.
Preparing the mini-challenge…