Etienne Horbach

Son of the trade

Born in 1994, Étienne Horbach grew up in the Arbois vineyards, immersed in the world of wine since childhood through harvesting grapes with his uncle ‘Babak’ and afternoons behind the counter of the family bakery in the heart of the village. After gaining experience at local estates, notably Domaine de la Touraize, he trained in viticulture and oenology. In 2019, he decided to take over the family vineyards while working with his mentors, laying the foundations for his own estate.

The vineyard covers around 2.5 hectares spread around Arbois, between La Mailloche, Curon and Villette. Étienne practises careful viticulture, using methods that respect living organisms. His grape varieties include Poulsard, Trousseau and Chardonnay. The grapes are harvested by hand, fermented with indigenous yeasts, often aged in barrels, bottled without fining or filtration and sometimes without the addition of sulphur, particularly for the reds, an approach that aims to preserve the purity of the fruit and the expression of the terroir.

In the cellar, Étienne produces a variety of wines, including reds, whites, and sometimes oxidative or sparkling wines. The wines are distinguished by their frank aromatics, their often lively and delicate texture, and their typicity, with fruity freshness in the reds and expressiveness in the whites, all in a spirit of minimalism and respect for the land.