Wines of the French Alps Savoie, Bugey & Beyond

Home , Altesse, Bia blanc, Jura (department), Mondeuse blanche, Pierre Galet, Roussanne

3/5/2020

Wines of the French Alps Savoie, Bugey & beyond By Wink Lorch

Savoie, Bugey, Isère and beyond The foothills of the southern Jura and the Prealps Limestone and very diverse soils Continental climate with mountain influence Diversity of grape varieties Wines of freshness and lightness

Altesse

Wines of the French Alps by Wink Lorch

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Savoie: Ancient & Modern History

Wines of the French Alps by Wink Lorch

Savoie: the Savoie AOC 2,130 hectares (5,200 acres) which equates to: wine region  0.3% of France’s total vineyards in numbers Less than half of total Chablis area Equivalent to the Pinot Noir grown in Santa Barbara County Production: 17 million bottles per year 68% white; 21% red; 5% rosé; 6% Crémant and other traditional method sparkling Exports 5 –7%

Savoie: 45 degrees latitude Situation 250‐500m (820‐1640 feet) altitude Continental climate with westerly Atlantic and climate influence driving rain and winds Proximity of high mountains bringing complicated weather patterns Frost and hail risk Day/night temperature variations increasing with altitude Steep slopes with varied exposures

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The Geology and soils

Wines of the French Alps by Wink Lorch

The Mont Granier Landslide

Wines of the French Alps by Wink Lorch

Steep Slope Viticulture: Organic Challenges Erosion Manual work Weed control Fungal disease

Training sur échalas –on a single stake

Wines of the French Alps by Wink Lorch

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Savoie: White grape varieties % of total plantings Jacquère 42% Altesse 15% Roussanne 5% Chardonnay 4% Chasselas 3% Gringet 1% Jacquère

Wines of the French Alps by Wink Lorch

Savoie Red grape varieties % of total plantings

•Gamay 13% •Mondeuse 11% •Pinot Noir 4% •Persan 1%

Mondeuse

Wines of the French Alps by Wink Lorch

AOC Savoie/Vin de Savoie white, red or rosé + 16 crus or geographic designated areas + Rosé méthode traditionnelle Crémant de Savoie – white only (minimum 60% Jacquère and Altesse Savoie: with minimum 40% Jacquère) The AOCs AOC Roussette de Savoie (100% Altesse) and IGPs + 4 crus: Frangy, Marestel, Monthoux and Monterminod AOC Seyssel white (Altesse or Molette) sparkling (Molette and Altesse) IGP Vin des Allobroges white, red or rosé

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Wines of the French Alps by Wink Lorch

Ripaille, Marin, Marignan, Crépy white: Chasselas Ayze – sparkling or white: Gringet Chautagne, Jongieux white: Jacquère red/rosé: Mondeuse, Pinot or Gamay Apremont, Abymes, Montmélian, Savoie AOC Saint‐Jeoire‐Prieuré, Cruet Crus white: Jacquère Chignin white: Jacquère red/rosé: Mondeuse, Pinot or Gamay Chignin‐Bergeron white: Roussanne Arbin, Saint‐Jean de la Porte red: Mondeuse

AOC Bugey white, red and rosé still wines; white and rosé sparkling + 3 crus: Cerdon – Gamay/Poulsard méthode ancestrale Manicle –Pinot Noir/Chardonnay Montagnieu – méthode traditionnelle Bugey: AOC Roussette du Bugey Fast facts (100% Altesse) + 2 crus: Montagnieu, Virieu Production: 465 hectares (Cerdon 177ha) 3.5 million bottles/annum Principal grape varieties: Gamay (43% mostly for Cerdon), Chardonnay (33%), Pinot Noir (6%), Altesse (6%), Mondeuse (3.5%), Poulsard (3%)

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Why the French Alps

are home to The French Alps are a geographic crossroads in the centre of western so many Europe and between ‘the north’ and the Mediterranean indigenous Close links with today’s Italy, Switzerland and beyond and rare The success of Savoie’s vine nurseries grapes IGP areas (Isère and Hautes‐Alpes): fewer constraints than AOC areas A variety of macro‐climates and soils?

Advantages of Indigenous Grapes

 Preserve plant biodiversity  Create a bigger and more varied offering  A weapon against climate change:  Many ripen late  Produce naturally low sugars/alcohol  Produce naturally high acidity

Thanks to the Centre d’Ampélographie Alpine Pierre Galet, working with the IVV, INRA and other organisations, many Alpine varieties are being rescued, rehabilitated and replanted.

Wines of the French Alps by Wink Lorch

Savoie: White grape varieties % of total plantings Jacquère 42% Altesse 15% Roussanne 5% Chardonnay 4% Chasselas 3% Gringet 1% Jacquère

Wines of the French Alps by Wink Lorch

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The French Alps: Other indigenous/rare white grapes Molette (Savoie/Ain) Mondeuse Blanche (Savoie) Verdesse (Isère) Clairette (Diois/Hautes‐Alpes) VERY RARE (all Savoie/Isère): Bia Blanc Blanc de Maurienne aka Rèze Petite Sainte Marie Mondeuse Cacaboué…. Blanche Wines of the French Alps by Wink Lorch

Savoie Red grape varieties % of total plantings

•Gamay 13% •Mondeuse 11% •Pinot Noir 4% •Persan 1%

Mondeuse

Wines of the French Alps by Wink Lorch

The French Alps: Other indigenous/rare red grapes Etraire de la Dhuy (Isère) Douce Noire/Corbeau (Savoie) Mollard (Hautes‐Alpes) VERY RARE: Mondeuse Grise (Savoie) Espanenc (Hautes‐Alpes) Mecle de Bourgoin (Isère) Onchette (Isère) Seréneze de Voreppe, Salagnin Mondeuse (Robin Noir), Servanin…. Grise Wines of the French Alps by Wink Lorch

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Domaine des Ardoisières IGP Vin des Allobroges

Photography: Mick Rock – www.cephas.com

Wines of the French Alps by Wink Lorch

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