Introducing Les Barbatruks | Arbois, Jura

Les Barbatruks have long been on our radar, recommended as pure wines made by passionate people. We had long hoped for a chance to taste them, but frost-affected harvests and low-yielding vintages made these wines almost impossible to track down. 

Our opportunity finally came whilst on a trip in the Jura earlier this year, at Le Bistrot des Claquets, we requested a “lucky dip” selection for the best wine we wouldn’t know, and we were served a bottle of Chava Chavient. The first glass blew us away—perfectly poised, deeply expressive, and profoundly honest. We contacted them immediately and arranged a visit to the Barbatruks cellar the following day.

We arrived at their warehouse on the outskirts of Arbois around 5pm; they had themselves spent the afternoon at Claquets, so were in great spirits. We proceeded to blind taste both négoce and domaine wines to the soundtrack of Rage Against the Machine. Throughout the evening, a revolving door of guests, including Charles Dagand, Alice Bouvot, and their Japanese importer, joined us. Despite the February chill of 4 degrees Celsius, the wines stood out, true to their varieties and origins. We placed our order for the tiny quantities available, to be collected in early spring.

Isabelle, a former sommelier, met Maxim through her friend Alice Bouvot. Max had just started his own project after spending some years at Domaine de L’Octavin and Domaine Villet. The two fell in love, and Isabelle moved to Arbois to help establish the domaine in 2019. They now farm just over one hectare of vines planted with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Savagnin, Gamay, and Rosette. Their small plots, farmed biodynamically, are interspersed with blue, chalky marl, imparting vibrant acidity and tension distinctive to the Jura region.

Maxim and Isabelle also produce a négociant range to complement their own vineyards, sourcing grapes from biodynamic growers in regions like the Rhône Valley, Provence and Alsace. These relationships with friends and neighbouring winemakers ensure they can support themselves during low-yielding vintages.

We are happy to offer the cuvées we could secure, some of which have extremely limited quantities. For anyone interested, please let us know, and we will do our best to share what we can with you.