WINE COUNTRY

La Closerie des Capucines

Arbois - France

Eight rooms in two old houses in the centre of Arbois, with a walled garden, pool, sauna and a serious wine cellar below. Jura wines, Comté at breakfast, and the vineyards just outside town.

Village Life

Pet Friendly

Pool

Wine Tasting

Fireplace

Sauna

THE SETTING

La Closerie des Capucines and Le Clos des Rosiers sit side by side on Rue de Bourgogne, in the centre of Arbois. From the street, it feels like a town address. Behind the doors, the mood changes: a courtyard, a garden, a pool, old stone, large rooms and enough space to forget you are in the middle of town.

La Closerie is the older part of the story, a 17th-century townhouse that has been restored over the years. Le Clos des Rosiers came later, just next door, bringing three additional rooms with a more contemporary, New York-influenced mood. The two houses now work together as one stay. Guests sleep in either La Closerie or Le Clos des Rosiers, but share the same rhythm: breakfast in the Grande Salle, time in the garden, a swim in summer, sauna in winter, and wine never far away.

Arbois is the right place for this kind of house. It is small enough to explore on foot, but important enough to matter for wine lovers. The town is surrounded by vineyards and has long been considered the capital of Jura wines. You can walk to restaurants, wine shops, the Musée de la Vigne et du Vin, and the Maison de Louis Pasteur, and still be back in the garden before dinner.

THE ROOMS

There are eight rooms in total: five at La Closerie des Capucines and three at Le Clos des Rosiers.

La Closerie has the feel of an older house: garden views, soft colours, old volumes, fireplaces, high ceilings, and the quiet charm of a restored Arbois townhouse. The rooms are different from one another, but they all maintain the same balance between history and comfort — antique pieces, good beds, generous bathrooms, and windows looking either towards the garden or the old town.

Le Clos des Rosiers feels a little sharper. The three rooms — Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan — bring a more New York-influenced mood into the Jura setting, with exposed beams, stronger colours, higher ceilings and more contemporary details. Manhattan is the largest and most spectacular, with a bathtub, double shower and Japanese smart toilet; Brooklyn and Queens feel more intimate, but still carry that mix of old structure and city energy.

The two houses give guests a real choice. La Closerie is softer, more classic, closer to the garden. Le Clos des Rosiers is bolder, more urban, a little unexpected in the middle of Arbois. Both share the same sense of care: beautiful materials, useful comfort, local drinks in the minibar and enough personality to avoid the usual guesthouse feeling.

THE FOOD

Breakfast is served in the Grande Salle, a bright room with tall windows, high ceilings and a fireplace. The table keeps things local and simple: viennoiseries from the boulangerie, freshly squeezed juice, Jura Comté cheese, eggs prepared to order, coffee and tea.

There is no full restaurant on site. That is not a problem here. Arbois has good restaurants within walking distance, and the team can point guests towards the right table depending on the evening.

The wine cellar is the real extra. It was restored during the 2024 renovation and is now used for tastings, private moments and events. It gives the stay a direct link to the Jura producers and to the wider wine world he has spent decades working with.

THE STAY

The stay is built around the shared spaces. Breakfast in the Grande Salle, coffee in the courtyard, a swim in the garden, a quiet hour in the salon, then a glass of wine before going out to dinner.

The garden is the best surprise. From the street, you would not expect it: trees, shade, a pool, room to sit outside and the feeling of being hidden behind the town. There is also a sauna on the top floor, useful after a long walk, a bike ride or a cold Jura day. The wine cave downstairs adds another layer to the house, especially for guests who come to Arbois for bottles, producers, and tastings.

For private stays or events, the property can be rented in its entirety. The houses together can sleep up to 20 guests, with the Grande Salle, garden, pool, rooftop, courtyard and cellar used as part of the experience.

AROUND LA CLOSERIE

Arbois is easy to like. It has old streets, wine shops, restaurants, the Cuisance River, the Church of Saint-Just, the Château Pécauld, the Musée de la Vigne et du Vin, and the Maison de Louis Pasteur. Most of it can be reached on foot from the house.

The wine side is the main draw. Arbois is one of the great names of the Jura, known for Savagnin, Chardonnay, Poulsard, Trousseau, Vin Jaune, Vin de Paille, Crémant and Macvin. Tastings can be arranged in town or with producers nearby.

The landscape changes quickly once you leave Arbois. Vineyards, farms, forests, limestone cliffs, rivers and reculées sit close together. The Cascade des Tufs at Les Planches-près-Arbois is one of the easiest nature outings, with water, rock, and green light all within a short drive. Poligny, Château-Chalon, Baume-les-Messieurs, Salins-les-Bains and the wider Jura vineyards are all within reach. The area works well for wine, hiking, cycling and slow driving between villages.

THE OWNERS

La Closerie des Capucines belong to Neal Rosenthal, founder of Rosenthal Wine Merchant. He bought La Closerie in 2018 after years of working closely with producers in Jura, Burgundy and Savoie.

Elise Vincent runs the property. Before managing La Closerie, she worked as a winemaker in the Jura as part of Neal’s portfolio, so the wine connection is not just decorative. She knows the region from the inside. Together with Zélie, they give the place its tone: polished, yes, but still personal and very connected to the region.

GOOD TO KNOW

There are eight rooms in total. There is no restaurant on site. The property can also be privatised for private events, sleeping up to 20 guests on site.

Arbois is accessible by train via Mouchard station, with direct TGV connections from Paris and Lausanne. The nearest airports include Dole-Jura and Geneva. A car is useful for visiting vineyards, villages and natural sites around the Jura.

Prices start at €260 per night, depending on room type, season and availability.