From the atlas
Château d'Arlay
Château d'Arlay in Arlay makes Côtes du Jura wines from five Jura grape varieties, including Vin Jaune aged beneath la voile.
At A Glance
| Field | Detail |
| Region | Jura, France |
| Appellation | AOP Côtes du Jura |
| Home | Arlay |
| Vineyard | 25 hectares of south facing vines |
| Grapes | Chardonnay, Savagnin Blanc, Pinot Noir, Trousseau and Poulsard |
| Featured wine | Vin Jaune |
| Defining feature | Vin Jaune aged beneath la voile |
The Producer
At Arlay, Château d'Arlay is a Côtes du Jura estate with a broad cellar vocabulary. Its vineyards hold Chardonnay and Savagnin Blanc for white wines, alongside Pinot Noir, Trousseau and Poulsard for red wines. The range includes still wines, passerillé wines, oxidative wines, fortified wines and spirits, with Vin Jaune as its most distinctive named style.
Vin Jaune is made from Savagnin and aged in oak beneath la voile, a naturally formed layer of yeast. The estate also bottles Cuvée Corail, a blend of all five permitted Jura grape varieties, alongside single grape wines such as Rouge de Pinot Noir and Blanc de Chardonnay.
Place
The vineyards face south in Arlay, within the AOP Côtes du Jura appellation. The estate's location supports a range that moves between white and red grapes, still wines and oxidative wines rather than concentrating on one colour or one cellar method.
Chardonnay and Savagnin Blanc form the white side of the vineyard. Pinot Noir, Trousseau and Poulsard supply the red wines. That division appears directly in the bottles, from Blanc Tradition and Blanc de Chardonnay to Rouge de Pinot Noir and the five grape varieties assembled in Cuvée Corail.
Soil And Site
The hill is covered with grey marls from the Lias period and fragments of Bajocien limestone filled with fossils. The ground is very clay rich and difficult to cultivate, making soil work a demanding part of farming at the estate.
Story
Archives preserved at the château date the family's ownership to 1070, and the proprietors have never changed. Alain de Laguiche represents the prior generation, while his son Pierre Armand de Laguiche now leads operations.
Pierre Armand wanted to return to Château d'Arlay since adolescence. His return perpetuates the family's principles within an estate that still produces still, passerillé, oxidative and fortified wines, as well as spirits.
Vineyards And Cellar
The white vineyards are planted with Chardonnay and Savagnin Blanc. Pinot Noir, Trousseau and Poulsard provide the red grapes. In the cellar, passerillé wines use sun dried grapes, which lose water before fermentation and gain concentration. Fortified wines receive added spirit, while oxidative wines develop through controlled contact with oxygen. Sparkling production by champagnization is excluded.
Vin Jaune is made from old Savagnin vines and aged in oak for seven years without topping up. The yeast layer known as la voile protects part of the wine from direct air while allowing a distinct oxidative ageing process. Blanc Tradition combines two thirds Chardonnay with one third Savagnin and spends three years in barrel without regular topping. Blanc de Chardonnay is aged in steel tanks.
Wines
The range begins with red and white still wines. Rouge de Pinot Noir is the red Pinot Noir bottling, while Blanc de Chardonnay and Blanc Tradition represent different Chardonnay led white wine approaches. Cuvée Corail combines Pinot Noir, Trousseau, Poulsard, Chardonnay and Savagnin in one blend.
Vin Jaune occupies the oxidative category. Passerillé wines, fortified wines and spirits extend the estate's production beyond the still red and white bottles, giving the range several distinct forms of cellar work.
In The Glass
The red wines bring fruity and floral perfume with herbal and light game notes, high acidity and a touch of spice. Rouge de Pinot Noir has high acidity, good grip and a fine range of details. The 2006 Pinot Noir shows ripe strawberries and cherries, spice, a discreet impression of oak, pronounced dry tannins and high acidity.
The white wines show dried fruit, crushed apple, nuts and curry, with strong ageing potential. Blanc de Chardonnay carries finely nuanced oxidized tones despite its steel tank ageing. Chardonnay à la Reine 2008 shows ripe yellow apples, chalky mineral notes and high acidity. The 1989 Château d'Arlay Tradition reveals smoky notes, cocoa powder and toasted hazelnuts, with oxidation integrated into the developed wine.
Vin Jaune is dry and fresh, with walnuts, honey and ginger. Its palate combines nutty fruit with gentle spice, while the 2008 Cuvée Corail shows light strawberries, undergrowth and faint animal notes before a fresh, tart finish.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose Vin Jaune. It is the estate's Savagnin wine in the oxidative category, made from old vines and kept separate from Cuvée Corail, which combines all five permitted Jura grape varieties.
The bottle presents one grape and one named Jura style, alongside a range that also includes red Pinot Noir, Chardonnay whites, passerillé wines, fortified wines and spirits.
Anecdote
Pierre Armand de Laguiche wanted to return to Château d'Arlay since adolescence. When Alain de Laguiche's generation gave way to his son's leadership, Pierre Armand became the current leader of operations. His return kept the estate within the de Laguiche family and perpetuated the family's principles in the next generation. The succession moved the château from Alain's stewardship to Pierre Armand's while the estate continued making its broad range of still, oxidative, passerillé and fortified wines, together with spirits.
Final Word
Château d'Arlay combines south facing Côtes du Jura vineyards, five Jura grape varieties and a cellar that includes Vin Jaune, still wines, passerillé wines, fortified wines and spirits.
Sources
- https://domaine-arlay.com
- https://www.bkwine.com/features/wine-producer-profiles/wines-from-chateau-darlay-in-the-jura-become-beautiful-music-in-the-glasses-with-good-reason/
- https://www.wineandwords.be/blog/chateau-darlay-jura-france/
- https://www.domaine-arlay.com/product-page/vin-jaune-2017
- https://winetomas.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/jura-wines-from-chateau-darlay/