From the atlas
La Maison Carrée
A Neuchâtel domaine farming Auvernier and Hauterive vineyards biodynamically, with Pinot Noir and Chasselas leading a range shaped by clay limestone soils and oak cask ageing.
At A Glance
| Field | Detail |
| Region | Neuchâtel |
| Appellations | Auvernier and Hauterive |
| Vineyard area | Close to 10 hectares at 440 to 510 metres |
| Main grapes | Pinot Noir 50 percent, Chasselas 35 percent, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Savagnin Blanc 15 percent collectively |
| Cellar | Native yeasts, vertical presses and oak casks |
The Producer
La Maison Carrée works with the classic grapes of Neuchâtel, led by Pinot Noir and Chasselas, with Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Savagnin Blanc completing the range. The estate intervenes as little as possible while maintaining living soils and managing the sun exposure of vines and grapes.
All the vineyards have been farmed biodynamically since 2012. The program uses compost made on the estate, herb infused preparations and homeopathic treatments for soil and vines. Chemical herbicides and pesticides are excluded, and the estate links that change with renewed botanical diversity among the vines.
The house aims for wines that represent their grape varieties, vintages and geographic origins. Native yeasts and oak casks support that approach in the cellar.
Place
Auvernier names the vineyards west of Neuchâtel, while Hauterive names those east of the city. The holdings are 10 kilometres apart, with Auvernier west of Neuchâtel and Hauterive east of the city.
The eastern vineyards give Pinot Noir a distinct place in the range through the Hauterive appellation. Auvernier contains the larger group of parcels, including La Brena, Les Abesses and La Grand’Vigne.
Soil And Site
Clay limestone soils run through the estate, with pH values from 7.6 to 8.1. In certain Auvernier parcels, marl adds clay that helps maintain vine hydration through summer.
At Hauterive, iron rich soil lies over cracked yellow limestone. The shallow calcareous foundation encourages roots to seek water deep below the surface, creating conditions suited to Pinot Noir.
Story
Before Jean-Jacques Perrochet acquired La Maison Carrée in 1827, harvests were stored in more modest, older buildings. His purchase changed where the estate's wines were encaved and placed La Maison Carrée at the centre of the family operation.
Jean-Denis and Christine Perrochet took over the running of the estate in 2008, and their son Alexandre joined them in 2015. The family now works toward wines that represent their grape varieties, vintages and geographic origins.
Vineyards And Cellar
All whites receive a short period of skin contact in concrete before pressing in a large wooden vertical press. The clear juice then moves directly into oak. Native yeasts carry out the fermentation, while sulfites are added only after malolactic fermentation or before bottling, never above 45 ppm.
Pinot Noir receives two to three weeks of cuvaison, followed by pressing and maturation in barriques and oak foudres. The cellar combines traditional vessels with a low intervention approach that keeps the production choices visible in the finished wines.
Wines
The white range covers Chasselas, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Savagnin Blanc. Savagnin Blanc is a single variety wine with foudre vinification and ageing. The reds are exclusively Pinot Noir, with Hauterive as a site specific wine from sandy clay over yellow, friable limestone.
Auvernier Pinot Noir develops more slowly, while Hauterive Pinot Noir gives the range a finer, more Burgundian styled expression from sandy and calcareous soils. The bottles therefore divide by grape, appellation and the character of their vineyard ground.
In The Glass
Savagnin Blanc is powerful and lively, with pear, white peach, citrus zest, green apple and light toast, followed by exotic fruit and a vivid, electrically taut line. Its aromas are broad, but the palate remains sharply animated.
Chardonnay is full bodied and racy, with its character linked to the estate's limestone soil. Hauterive Pinot Noir brings spice and dried fruit, while the Auvernier Pinot Noir develops more slowly and becomes complex. The two Pinot Noir expressions show how the eastern and western vineyard groups move differently through the same grape.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose Maison Carrée Chardonnay. Its route through the cellar is short maceration, vertical pressing and one year in 228 litre oak barrels, with regular barrel replacement keeping the wood discreet and the varietal fruit clear. The wine can be approached young, while its ageing potential should not be overlooked.
Anecdote
In 2024, Jean-Denis Perrochet died suddenly. Alexandre Perrochet took over La Maison Carrée, supported by Ivan Dupraz, who had been a managing partner for many years. Alexandre became responsible for the domaine at the moment of the family loss, while Dupraz remained alongside him through the handover. The change placed the estate under Alexandre's direction with an experienced managing partner providing support.
Final Word
La Maison Carrée joins Auvernier and Hauterive wines to a cellar that still uses vertical presses, native yeasts and oak casks, with each wine intended to represent its grape, vintage and geographic origin.
Sources
- https://www.lamaisoncarree.ch/en/historique/
- https://www.lamaisoncarree.ch/en/domaine/
- https://www.lamaisoncarree.ch/en/biodynamie/
- https://www.lamaisoncarree.ch/en/philosophie/
- https://artisanswiss.com/2016/08/20/profile-domaine-de-la-maison-carree-auvernier-neuchatel/
- https://www.lamaisoncarree.ch/en/nos-vins/
- https://swissgrapes.ch/products/maison-carree-savagnin-blanc
- https://www.gaultmillau.ch/fr/le-vin/le-monde-merveilleux-des-vins-perrochet-584857
- https://www.cavesa.ch/en/neuchatel-auvernier-chardonnay-maison-carree-2020-998545