Corentin Houillon

A life shaped by the vineyards of Jura

First steps alongside the greats

Corentin Houillon c'est une vie is closely linked to the world of wine. He grew up in Jura, cradled by the vines of his native region, and his passion for viticulture was born from a very young age. He talks about his early learning of winemaking, notably by pressing the Ploussard 1991 from Pierre Overnoy, an emblematic, legendary winemaker of the region.

After studying viticulture and oenology, he chose to follow the path of vines rather than becoming an engineer, despite family expectations. Corentin then worked in different wine estates, in France and abroad, thus developing his expertise and understanding of wine. In particular, he worked with biodynamic estates such as those of Stéphane Tissot and Dominique Derain, as well as “wineries” in the wine industry abroad.

A personal estate in the heart of Chautagne

An Alpine valley as a land of independence

His quest for independence ultimately led him to settle in Chautagne, a small valley located in the north of Savoie, between the Grand Colombier to the west and the Gros Foug to the east. It was there that he created his own field, putting into practice everything he had learned along the way. In particular, he initiated the conversion of his estate to biodynamics and produced several natural vintages.

Pure winemaking in service of the living

Spontaneous fermentation, respect for the grape

Corentin's philosophy is characterized by his respect for nature and his minimalist approach to winemaking. It highlights fermentation as a key process to reveal the authenticity of the terroir, thus creating pure and emotional wines. His wines are produced exclusively from grapes from his estate, and he favors a no-frills approach, favoring native yeasts and spontaneous fermentation.