Corentin Houillon's Zenith showcases the Alpine terroir through skin-contact maceration of Jacquère and Altesse grapes grown on steep glacial molasse soils in Chautagne, Savoie. Following approximately 20 days of maceration during alcoholic fermentation, the wine develops complex aromatics and silky tannins. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks, then aged in demi-muids on fine lees, this orange wine exemplifies Corentin's minimal intervention philosophy. The south-facing vineyard exposure and biodynamic farming practices contribute to the wine's distinctive mountain character, bottled at just 10% alcohol without added sulfites.

Corentin Houillon

Corentin Houillon’s first wine memories date back to 1991, when he was foot treading the Poulsard grapes from the legendary Pierre Overnoy. Having the chance to be fully immersed in such a family from a young age is of course a huge asset. Those experiences were a decisive influence in his decision to become a winemaker, and he went on to study wine in Beaune and Montpellier. Corentin subsequently worked with some stellar estates that are at the forefront of Biodynamic farming in France, such as Domaine Tissot in Jura and Domnique Derain in Burgundy. He then travelled to the New World to broaden his experiences, and finally began making wine in Switzerland under his name for La Ville de Morges. 

Corentin ended up settling in the Chautagne region, literally a 5 min drive from Marie and Florian Curtet. He is now looking after 5ha of steep vineyards (Altesse, Jacquère, Pinot, Gamay & Mondeuse) that comes as one single block, all planted on "molasses soils" surrounded by forest.

The vineyard has no neighbours at all, just their cellar at the bottom of the hill. Corentin works mainly with concrete tanks and barrels, giving the wines time and oxygen. Talking to him is quite invigorating as he has quite a lot of energy, and he laughs a lot too. He knows exactly what he wants to do, and has invested a lot in state of the art equipment to work the soil in his particular conditions, and in some instances, has built his own bespoke tools that are better suited.

"I have grown up in an environment where we advocate zero additives, zero chemicals, and no sulphur. I’ve always learnt to work this way."