Description

Appellation: AOC Vin de Savoie

Terroir: Clay, limestone and silt. 20 year old vines, in the lieu dit “Les Chateaux” in the town of Chignin (Cru Savoie). There’s only about 15 cm of dirt before you find the rock. The vineyard faces south, on a 25% slope and is planted to a high density of 8000 vines per hectares.

Grape: Jacquere

Farming: Organic, Biodynamic certified

Aromatics: Expressive aromatics of ripe apple, nashi pear, lemon peel and notes of honey. 

Palate: Lively and electric on the palate, leading with notes of ripe green apple and pear. It’s a rich and intensely textured wine, with charming acidity and length to complete the package. There’s qualities here similar to a Loire Chenin Blanc, but the combination of the Jacquare with the magic touch and power from the Altesse is really something unique! 

About the wine: The grapes are harvested by hand and transported in small boxes to ensure they arrive in optimal quality. In the winery, the grapes are then directly pressed, and vinified by gravity before natural fermentation and winemaking techniques, including a very small amount of sulphur, are used to complete the wine. 

The wine is then aged in stainless steel tanks.

Revue des vins de France: 3*** STARS “The domaine confirms year after year its rank as the elite of the region, a reference point, with always higher ambitions."

Located at the foothills of the Bauges massif (French Alps), and bordering neighbouring Switzerland and Valle d’Aosta in Italy, the biodynamically farmed vineyards of Domaine Adrien Berlioz in the Savoie region are as picturesque as you might imagine.

Berlioz took over the family vineyards in 2006, two hectares located near a small village called Chignin at 390m above sea level. With plenty of hard work alongside the pursuit of purity and a certified biodynamic approach to farming, he has grown the vineyard to 6 hectares, transforming it into one of the region’s most prestigious domaines.

The hard work starts with the incredibly steep slopes the vines are planted on – some of which boast an inclination of 50%, on soils composed of rock scree and calcareous clay. Planted here are a mixture of the region’s best known varieties including Jacquere, Altesse, Malvoisie (Pinot Gris), Bergeron (Roussanne) Mondeuse, Douce Noire and Persan, all farmed by hand (with a little help from the horses). Who’d want to manage a tractor on those slopes?!

In the winery, the dedication to purity continues, Adrien makes the wines using artisanal techniques and attention to detail.

The results are evident in the incredibly mineral driven, intense, textured and pure wines, sure to leave a lasting impression of just how good Savoie wines can be.