Domaine de la Pinte

Roger Martin founded Domaine de la Pinte in 1953 in the village of Pupillin, the small commune just south of Arbois that has its own AOC sub-appellation. Martin arrived at the estate with an unusual conviction: to produce only Vin Jaune. The conviction shaped the planting strategy from day one. Where most Jura estates of the era spread their vineyards across the five regional varieties, Martin planted 14 hectares of Savagnin almost immediately, the variety required for Vin Jaune and the only one capable of carrying the seven-year aging under voile that the appellation demands. The 14-hectare planting made Pinte the largest single grower of Savagnin in the Jura at that time, a position the estate has maintained as the planting has grown. The estate has since diversified into the rest of the Jura's varietal palette, but the founding identity as a Vin Jaune specialist has remained the through-line across the seven decades since.

• Founded 1953 by Roger Martin in the village of Pupillin, south of Arbois
• Founding conviction was to produce only Vin Jaune; planting strategy followed from that
• Roger planted 14 hectares of Savagnin from the start, making Pinte the largest single grower of the variety in the Jura at that time
• Estate has since diversified varietally but has retained its founding identity as a Vin Jaune specialist

The estate today covers 34 hectares in and around the village of Pupillin, on the limestone-rich slopes that distinguish the village from the rest of the Arbois AOC. The current breakdown is roughly 17 hectares of Savagnin, 6 of Chardonnay, 7 of Poulsard, and 4 of Trousseau and Pinot Noir combined. Pupillin's soils are dominated by the blue and grey Jurassic marls with calcareous limestone beneath, the same geological signature that supports Vin Jaune production at the highest level. The Arbois-Pupillin AOC, the village sub-zone, is permitted to use the qualifier on bottles, and Pinte uses it on most of its labels. Most estates in the Jura work in the 5 to 15 hectare range; Pinte's 34-hectare scale is unusual, putting it among the largest privately owned biodynamic estates in the region and giving it a production scale that most Pupillin producers cannot match.

• 34 hectares in and around the village of Pupillin on limestone-rich slopes
• Plantings: ~17 ha Savagnin, 6 ha Chardonnay, 7 ha Poulsard, 4 ha Trousseau and Pinot Noir combined
• Soils dominated by Jurassic blue and grey marls over calcareous limestone, the textbook Vin Jaune terroir
• Pinte's 34-hectare scale puts it among the largest privately owned biodynamic estates in the Jura

The Vin Jaune is the historical signature of the estate and remains the defining bottling. The protocol is the standard Jura version: 100% Savagnin, fermentation in tank, then transfer to 228-litre Burgundy barrels for at least six years and three months under voile (the natural yeast veil that forms on the wine's surface in the partially filled barrel). The barrels are not topped up during this period, exposing the wine to controlled oxidation that produces the variety's signature aromatics: walnut, curry, and dried fruit. The wine is bottled in the distinctive 62 cl clavelin. Pinte's Vin Jaune is a Pupillin-style benchmark and circulates through the traditional Jura allocation network. The Sav'Or, a skin-contact Savagnin produced separately, sits at the more experimental end of the range and reflects the natural-wine sensibility that has gained traction in Pupillin through the 2010s alongside the Overnoy sphere.

• Vin Jaune from 100% Savagnin: at least 6 years 3 months under voile in 228-litre barrels, bottled in 62 cl clavelin
• Pinte's Vin Jaune is a Pupillin-style benchmark, distinct from the Château-Chalon style
• Sav'Or, the skin-contact Savagnin, sits at the more experimental end of the range
• Distribution primarily through the traditional Jura allocation network rather than the natural-wine importer circuit

Pierre Martin, Roger's son, currently leads the estate. The transition between father and son unfolded gradually rather than in a single break, with Pierre taking on more operational responsibility through the 1990s and 2000s. The conversion to organic farming began in 1999 under Pierre's direction, an early move for a Jura estate of this scale. Demeter biodynamic certification followed in 2009, making Pinte one of the largest biodynamic estates in the Jura by hectarage. The biodynamic work uses the standard preparations (500 horn manure, 501 horn silica) and follows the lunar calendar for major operations. The cellar work is traditional rather than natural-wine: temperature-controlled fermentations in tank, transfer to barrel for élevage, and modest sulfur use at bottling on most cuvées. The Vin Jaune protocol is unchanged from the founding, and the cellar continues to age the standard Jura specialties (Vin de Paille and Macvin) alongside the dry whites and reds.

• Pierre Martin, Roger's son, currently leads the estate
• Organic conversion 1999; Demeter biodynamic certification earned in 2009
• One of the largest biodynamic estates in the Jura by hectarage
• Cellar work traditional (temperature-controlled fermentations, modest sulfur at bottling); Vin Jaune protocol unchanged from the founding

Pupillin has two distinct producer faces. The Pierre Overnoy and Emmanuel Houillon natural-wine sphere, with its sulfur-free production and small-scale focus, is one. Domaine de la Pinte, the largest biodynamic estate in the village and the historical Vin Jaune specialist, is the other. The two coexist in the village's small footprint, occupying complementary positions in the Pupillin identity. Pinte's traditional Vin Jaune, classical Chardonnay (Fonteneille), and Pupillin biotype work (Melon à Queue Rouge) anchor the appellation's mainstream identity, while Overnoy's sulfur-free Ploussard and skin-contact Savagnin drive the natural-wine conversation. Pinte's distribution through traditional Jura importers and its 34-hectare production scale make it one of the most-encountered Pupillin producers internationally, and the Demeter certification gives the estate biodynamic credibility that few estates of comparable scale match.

• The traditional Vin Jaune reference of Pupillin, distinct from the Overnoy natural-wine sphere in the same village
• Pinte's 34-hectare scale and Demeter biodynamic certification are unusual for a Jura estate
• Anchors the mainstream identity of Pupillin alongside the natural-wine identity that Overnoy established
• Most-encountered Pupillin producer internationally through traditional Jura importer channels