From Cooperative to Cuvée: A Family's Journey in the Jura

In the heart of Arbois, the self-proclaimed capital of Jura wines, lies a family story that spans eight generations. It’s the story of Domaine de la Touraize, a historic estate revitalized by André-Jean and Héléana Morin, who are charting a new course while honoring a legacy that dates back to 1704.

For centuries, the Morin family worked the land, with their grapes largely going to the local cooperative. But in 2009, André-Jean made a pivotal decision: to break from tradition and bottle his own wines. This was a bold move, fueled by a desire to create a personal vision for the family's vineyards. He and his wife, Héléana, who left her career as a nurse to join him full-time in 2016, have since become standard-bearers for a new generation of Jura winemakers.

Their philosophy is simple yet powerful: respect for the land and a deep connection to their heritage. The entire 15-hectare estate is farmed organically and biodynamically, a labor-intensive process that eschews chemical herbicides and pesticides in favor of manual and mechanical techniques. For the Morins, this hands-on approach is the only way to truly express the unique terroir of Arbois.

In the cellar, their non-interventionist philosophy continues. Fermentation is spontaneous, driven by indigenous yeasts, and wines are made without chaptalization or other external inputs. Reds are bottled unfiltered, while whites are handled with similar care. The wines are a testament to their meticulous work, unfailingly clean, precise, and expressive of the unique geology of the region.

A small symbol on every bottle tells a story all its own: an ammonite fossil. This emblem is a nod to André-Jean's childhood, when he would follow his father's plow, collecting "nice stones" that the earth had gifted to the surface. It's a perfect representation of Domaine de la Touraize—a winery deeply rooted in the ancient soils of the Jura, but with a modern vision for the future.