If you're a fan of crisp, fresh white wines and light spicy reds, (especially during the hot weeks of late summer), the wines of the Savoie just might be your new favorites!
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 and 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 very recently, the region was best known in France for export of 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 were mostly available in small quantities and usually only found in major metropolitan areas.
I'm happy to report that we can add Asheville's own Rise over Run Imports to that list of wine importing pioneers since they are now providing our region with a superb collection of new wines imported directly from the Savoie. Their selections are gorgeous examples of small production, hand-crafted wines and I believe they are the finest examples from the Savoie I've ever tasted.
Kate stopped in last week with three new arrivals for me to taste from the Rise over Run import portfolio. It was love at first sip! These wines represent exactly what excites me about the Savoie -- wines with a crisp, super fresh balance of minerals and fruit -- that just happen to be a bargain for the quality. These hand-picked selections were a result of Kate's trip to the Savoie last year and it's exciting for me to add them to our ever growing Rise over Run Savoie section.
LA CAVE du PRIEURÉ
The Barlet Family has cultivated the limestone scree-filled slopes of Jongieux for 5 generations. Brothers Pascal, Noël, and Julien now manage the estate under the oversight of their father, vigneron emeritus, Raymond. Over time, the family has acquired 27 hectares across the crus of Jongieux and Marestel. These villages are situated in an isolated, hanging valley north of Chambéry, one ridge over from the glacially carved Lac de Bourget. The elevation is nearly 400 meters above sea level. Here, the native varieties are brought to ripeness by virtue of the steep, southern exposition of the vineyards and the protection against cold high-Alpine air provided by Mont Charvaz.
The brothers Barlet adhere to tradition when working the vines. Despite the estate’s relatively large holdings, all vineyard work is done by hand. Fermentations are done in large, neutral vessels using ambient yeasts. Malolactic fermentation is spontaneous. A large proportion of whole clusters is utilized for the reds. These are quintessentially Alpine wines — redolent of mountain herbs and charged with freshness brought on by steep slopes and high elevations.
2016 La Cave du Prieuré Jongieux Mondeuse
- Fermented and aged in stainless steel prior to bottling
- This is a much more polished and elegant expression of Mondeuse than many
- Red and dark fruits, some earth and savory notes. Lovely lift. Reminiscent of a good Beaujolais
$16.99 per bottle
$15.29 in a 6-pack
$14.44 in a case
PASCAL et ANNICK QUÉNARD
The surname Quénard is ubiquitous in the quaint, pre-alpine hamlet of Chignin. The signpost at the entrance of town indicates the breadth of this pedigree, with arrows pointing in all directions to various “Quénard” cellars. Pascal Quénard and his wife, Annick, live and work on the north side of the village where the rocky vineyards turn seriously steep, ultimately transitioning into the limestone cliffs at the base of the Massif de Bauges. The terrain requires long hours of manual work in the vineyard for minimal yield. Honoring the long tradition of their wine-growing family, Pascal and Annick only work with the traditional varieties of Chignin: Jacquére, Bergeron (Roussanne), Gamay and Mondeuse.
The Quénards oversee 8 hectares just above their home and cellar. Many of their vines are over a century old and represent the initial wave of replanting that occurred after phylloxera swept through Europe. They farm organically and adhere to many of the ecological practices associated with Biodynamics, though they are not dogmatic and don’t pursue certification. In the cellar they take a hands-off approach, fermenting their wines with native yeasts and using the minimal effective dose of SO2.
Until recently, Pascal and Annick’s wines were mostly consumed locally. However, they have now been “discovered” elsewhere in France and Europe, and we are extremely privileged to procure these beautiful, singular wines.
2016 Quénard Chignin
- 100% Jacquére
- A more rounded and full expression of Jacquere, still steeped in minerality with hints of mountain herbs and white flowers
$17.99 per bottle
$16.19 in a 6-pack
$15.29 in a case
2016 Quénard Chignin ‘Vieilles Vignes 1903’
- 100% Jacquére from a small parcel planted in 1903 by Pascal’s great-grandfather, in what would have been the initial re-plantation following phylloxera
- Amazing mineral, saline notes
$21.99 per bottle
$19.79 in a 6-pack
$18.69 in a case