La Cave du Prieuré Gamay Rosé — Jacquère Jongieux, Savoie, France

The Savoie -- Home to fresh whites and light spicy reds

If you’re a fan of crisp, fresh white wines and light spicy reds, and super-clean Rosé (especially during the hot weeks of late summer), wines from the Savoie will be your new favorites!

The Savoie

Savoie = Savoie

Tucked away in eastern France, nestled on the Swiss and Italian borders, the Savoie (pronounced sav-wah) is best known as one of Europe’s favorite winter sports playgrounds. Wines produced in this Alpine region rarely made it out of the area. They were consumed almost entirely by the local population and the hordes of thirsty tourists annually drawn to the region. Local winemakers would joke that any wine that made it past Lyon was considered an export! Until recently, the region was best known in France for exporting vines, not wine — twenty to thirty million plants are grown annually by nurseries in the Savoie.

Over the last twenty years, wine importing pioneers like Kermit Lynch and Charles Neal have successfully introduced wines from the Savoie to aficionados of crisp clean whites and light and spicy reds. These wines are mostly available in small quantities and usually only found in major metropolitan areas.

I’m happy to report that we can add Kate Stamps, owner of Asheville’s Rise over Run Imports and former AWM Staff Member to that list of wine importing pioneers. Over the last three years, Kate has provided Asheville with a superb collection of new wines imported directly from the Savoie. Her selections are gorgeous examples of small production, hand-crafted wines, and I believe they are the finest examples from the Savoie I’ve encountered during my career.

The Gamay Rosé and Jacquère are two of Kate’s newest arrivals and they are spectacular!

Perfect Local-Global

Recently, I had the opportunity to taste these exciting new arrivals from the Rise over Run Savoie portfolio. Once again, it was love at first sip! These wines perfectly represent everything that excites me about the Savoie — wines with a crisp, super fresh balance of minerals and fruit that happen to be a bargain for the incredible quality. These hand-picked selections are the heart of Kate’s portfolio and the fruit of her trips to the Savoie. It’s exciting for me to add these new vintages to our ever-growing Rise over Run Savoie section.

The Barlet Family has cultivated the limestone scree-filled slopes of Jongieux for five generations. Brothers Pascal, Noël, and Julien now manage the estate under their father’s oversight, vigneron emeritus, Raymond. Over time, the family has acquired 27 hectares across the crus of Jongieux and Marestel. These villages are located in an isolated, hanging valley north of Chambéry, separated from Lac du Bourget (the largest natural lake in France) by Mont Charvaz, an extension of the famous “Dent du Chat.” Here, the native varieties, including Gamay and Jacquère, are grown at nearly 400 meters and are brought to ripeness thanks to the steep, southern exposure of the vineyards and the protection from the cold Alpine air provided by Mont Charvaz.

The estate just received the new certification in France designated for all-around clean environmental practices that encourage biodiversity. Despite the estate’s relatively large holdings, all vineyard work is done by hand. You’ll find the same care and attention to detail in the winery with fermentations are done in large, neutral vessels using ambient, natural yeasts.

If you’re looking for a White and Rosé to quench your thirst through the hot summer months, look no further! This fresh, crisp pair is the perfect answer to the scorching days and balmy evenings of summer.

I love that these are two of the best examples of Local-Global you’ll find in Asheville. They hit all of the check-boxes — small, independent, family-owned vineyard, local independent importer-distributor, and locally owned independent wine retailer. Your purchase supports three independent businesses!

In the glass, the pale salmon color of the Gamay Rosé introduces aromas of crushed red berries, especially wild strawberry and raspberry. The palate offers nicely lingering notes of red berry with just a touch of herbs and spice that last all through the crisp, pleasingly dry finish.

When it comes to whites, Jacquère isn’t the generally first wine that comes to mind. I think that’s getting ready to change as the wine world continues to discover the charm of this crisp, fresh elixir. It’s the Savoie’s quintessential white wine –bursting with the notes and nuance of Alpine herbs and flowers gliding around a mineral-driven backbone that’s balanced on the palate by a generous dollop of fruit. The crisp palate is redolent of white peach and yellow apple, along with subtle notes of citrus and white flowers.

There’s a limited supply available, so call early to secure your order.

$18.99

$ 16

In a mixed or solid case

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