Domaine de la Cibellyne – Benoît Royer

Domaine de la Cibellyne is a small, quietly respected wine estate in the Jura region of eastern France, run by Benoît Royer. It’s very much an artisanal, hands-on domaine, known among Jura lovers rather than the mainstream wine world.

📍 Location & History

• Based in Mesnay, near Arbois, one of the Jura’s historic wine villages.

• Founded in 2004 by Benoît Royer, who trained as an oenologist and worked in both Burgundy and the Jura before starting his own domaine.

🌱 Viticulture & Philosophy

• Farmed organically, with strong inspiration from biodynamic principles.

• One of the domaine’s most distinctive features is the use of horse-drawn ploughing (a Comtois horse) instead of tractors, which helps preserve soil life and avoid compaction.

• Very small surface area — roughly 2–4 hectares — allowing for meticulous vineyard work.

🍇 Grapes & Appellations

• Works with the classic Jura grape varieties:

  • Poulsard

  • Trousseau

  • Pinot Noir

  • Chardonnay

  • Savagnin

• Wines are bottled under Arbois and Côtes du Jura appellations.

• Production includes reds, whites, and Macvin du Jura (a traditional fortified Jura wine).

🍷 Winemaking Style

• Low-intervention, terroir-focused winemaking.

• Emphasis on balance, drinkability, and expressing each parcel rather than chasing power or heavy extraction.

• Styles range from fresh and vibrant to more traditionally Jura-leaning, depending on the cuvée and vintage.

⭐ Reputation

• The domaine flies a bit under the radar but is well regarded by Jura enthusiasts and natural-leaning wine buyers.

• Some wines — especially the Macvin du Jura — have received favorable critical recognition.

• Production is small, so bottles can be hard to find outside specialist shops or wine bars.

🐴 What Makes It Special

• The animal traction is not a gimmick — it’s central to Benoît Royer’s philosophy.

• Very personal, human-scale domaine where the winemaker is involved in every step, from vineyard to cellar.

🍾 Visiting

• No formal tasting room.

• Visits and tastings by appointment only, typically arranged directly with the domaine.