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| Dominique Belluard's Gringet vines. Credit: Selection Massale. |
I've recently written about some high elevation wines from Arizona and Argentina. I'm fascinated by wines grown in high altitude vineyards. Maybe it's because of the novelty. Maybe it's because I love mountains. Or maybe it's because I find many of them to be crazy delicious.
Whatever the reason, I was excited to get together with some wine nerd friends for a dinner with a loose theme of "Alpine wine."
When you think of the word "Alpine" you, like me, may think: Switzerland. Well, the Swiss make some really good wine, but not much of it. They drink most of it themselves (smart folks, the Swiss), and little of it gets exported. As such, there's only a single Swiss wine in this bunch.
But we did gather up several wines from France's Savoie region (pronounced "Savv-WAH"). This region in far eastern France stretches south from Lake Geneva, abutting Switzerland, and has long been known as a source of après-ski wines. The vineyards are spread out in small enclaves, planted in diverse soils made up of glacial deposits, alluvial soils, lime-rich soils, clay, etc. Some of the grapes here are more recognizable (Roussanne, Chardonnay), but a lot of them are either indigenous or relatively obscure. In terms of white grapes (whites make up the majority of wines from this region) the popular ones are Jacquère, Altesse, Chasselas and Gringet. Mondeuse, Persan, Gamay and Pinot Noir lead the red grapes. While these wines are easier to find here in the States than Swiss wines, let's put them in perspective. Savoie wines make up less than 1% of France's total wine production. But, as this tasting demonstrated, there are some winemakers here doing fascinating things.
Valle d'Aosta is Italy's smallest, least populous region, dwarfed by neighboring Piedmont in terms of size, wine production, and international recognition of the region's wines. This mountainous region where Italy, France and Switzerland meet, is home to the highest elevation vineyards in continental Europe. The topography is so extreme, the amount of land available to plant vineyards is limited, and some of the vineyards are planted at elevations higher than 5,000 feet.
Lastly, we included a few wines from France's Jura region. This region isn't as topographically extreme as the other regions but the vineyards are still planted between 800 and 1,300 feet. The region isn't far from the Alps, this tasting group all loves Jura wines, and we're not sticklers for rules, so we included a few Jura wines into the mix as well.
Lastly, to top things off, I included a wine from the winery who holds the highest elevation vineyards in the world: Bodegas Colomé. Located in Argentina's Salta region, the winery itself sits at 7,500 feet, but it's Altura Máxima vineyard tops out at a mind-boggling 10,000 feet.
My notes on some fascinating and unique wines are below.
Whatever the reason, I was excited to get together with some wine nerd friends for a dinner with a loose theme of "Alpine wine."
When you think of the word "Alpine" you, like me, may think: Switzerland. Well, the Swiss make some really good wine, but not much of it. They drink most of it themselves (smart folks, the Swiss), and little of it gets exported. As such, there's only a single Swiss wine in this bunch.
But we did gather up several wines from France's Savoie region (pronounced "Savv-WAH"). This region in far eastern France stretches south from Lake Geneva, abutting Switzerland, and has long been known as a source of après-ski wines. The vineyards are spread out in small enclaves, planted in diverse soils made up of glacial deposits, alluvial soils, lime-rich soils, clay, etc. Some of the grapes here are more recognizable (Roussanne, Chardonnay), but a lot of them are either indigenous or relatively obscure. In terms of white grapes (whites make up the majority of wines from this region) the popular ones are Jacquère, Altesse, Chasselas and Gringet. Mondeuse, Persan, Gamay and Pinot Noir lead the red grapes. While these wines are easier to find here in the States than Swiss wines, let's put them in perspective. Savoie wines make up less than 1% of France's total wine production. But, as this tasting demonstrated, there are some winemakers here doing fascinating things.
Valle d'Aosta is Italy's smallest, least populous region, dwarfed by neighboring Piedmont in terms of size, wine production, and international recognition of the region's wines. This mountainous region where Italy, France and Switzerland meet, is home to the highest elevation vineyards in continental Europe. The topography is so extreme, the amount of land available to plant vineyards is limited, and some of the vineyards are planted at elevations higher than 5,000 feet.
Lastly, we included a few wines from France's Jura region. This region isn't as topographically extreme as the other regions but the vineyards are still planted between 800 and 1,300 feet. The region isn't far from the Alps, this tasting group all loves Jura wines, and we're not sticklers for rules, so we included a few Jura wines into the mix as well.
Lastly, to top things off, I included a wine from the winery who holds the highest elevation vineyards in the world: Bodegas Colomé. Located in Argentina's Salta region, the winery itself sits at 7,500 feet, but it's Altura Máxima vineyard tops out at a mind-boggling 10,000 feet.
My notes on some fascinating and unique wines are below.
N.V. Lambert de Seyssel Seyssel Petit Royal - France, Savoie, Seyssel
This was a lot of fun, a Pet-Nat blend of Molette and Altesse. Rich nose of peaches, lemon curd, candle wax. Rich texture, nice depth, but really zippy and salty as well. Subtle bubbles, creamy-lees notes add texture. I really liked this stuff. (90 points)
2017 Renardat-Fâche Vin du Bugey-Cerdon - France, Savoie, Vin du Bugey-Cerdon
Perfumed and floral on the nose, with candied red fruit mixed with tea, herbs, cinnamon. Sweetness balanced by vibrant acidity and slight bubbles. Juicy, candied red fruits mixed with cinnamon, herbs and tea notes. Fun, crushable stuff. 7.5% alcohol, this is a unique méthode ancestrale blend of Gamay and Poulsard. (88 points)
2016 Robert Gilliard Fendant Les Murettes - Switzerland, Valais, Sion
Well, this was a pleasant surprise. At first it smelled quite “neutral” but with air and warmth it opened up to show peaches, lemon crème, airy/floral notes. Nice depth of texture, a waxy feel but bright acidity. Dusty mineral and chalk notes with hay, honey. Pleasantly subtle and nuanced. Made from the Chasselas grape (a.k.a. Fendant). (89 points)
Dense nose – there is a lot in here – but it breathes and show lemon curd, honey, sea salt. Killer depth on the palate, there’s this plump texture but the acidity and minerality are laser-liked, focused, and pristine. Pretty apples and lemons mixed with minerals, smashed rocks, chalk dust and salted almond. Deep, pretty, this really started to sing after a few hours open. My wine of the night. (93 points)
2014 Domaine du Pelican Savagnin Ouille - France, Jura, Arbois
This wine evolved a ton with air. Deep yellow color. Heavy aromas, this is a dense wine, but it opens to show honey, nuts, nougat, saline, seaweed and a big heaping portion of lemon crème pie. The palate shows really rich texture, and the oak is evident, but there’s still this great saline aspect and crisp, crunchy acidity. Deep yellow fruits laced with minerals, honey, almond and salted butter. There’s a lot going on here, and it got more and more expressive. I’d love to see what this does with five to eight years of age. (92 points)
2016 Lucien Aviet Arbois Cuvée des Docteurs - France, Jura, Arbois
The funk blew off to show red apple, spiced tea, pepper and green herbs. Bright and spicy with raspberry and red apple peel, dusty tannins. Zippy and spicy with pepper and herbs. This got more and more smooth and refreshing with air. (90 points)
2016 Château de Merande Mondeuse La Belle Romaine - France, Savoie, Vin de Savoie Arbin
So much laffy taffy on the nose, along with pepper and black tea. The palate is dry, the tannins seem a bit bitter and green, medium acidity. Juicy purple fruit mixes with smoky earth, pepper and black tea. Interesting stuff, but not a very balanced wine. Maybe it deserved more time and air. Made from Mondeuse Noir. (85 points)
2017 Domaine des Ardoisières Vin des Allobroges Argile - France, Savoie, Vin des Allobroges
Loving the nose here, as it’s a big mix of spices and savory elements (pepper, leather, spiced tea, scorched earth) on top of juicy raspberries and black cherries. Plush texture on the palate, with dusty tannins and really lively acidity, the balance is lovely. Juicy raspberries and red apple doused in pepper, anise, charcoal, with smashed rocks and mineral notes. This got more and more expressive with air, and it was my favorite red of the night. A Gamay and Persan blend. (92 points)
2016 Grosjean Petite Arvine Vigne Rovettaz - Italy, Valle d'Aosta
Fascinating stuff. The nose is steely and floral with honey and lemon curd. Creamy depth on the palate but there’s bright acidity and a good dose of saline-infused mineral goodness. Fresh and vibrant with yellow apple, lemons, rich fruit but complex non-fruit elements as well. Balanced, complex, a lot going for it. (91 points)
2016 Bodega Colomé Malbec Estate - Argentina, Salta, Calchaquies
Deep purple color. Aromas are dark and tart with blackberry, blueberry, plum, with lots of loamy earth, cocoa, mint and graphite. Tangy acidity frames the wine nicely, balancing the moderate tannins, the balance is on point. Blackberry and tart blueberry, laced with mineral, graphite, earth. So pure and lively, this is showing very well now but I’d like to see it with a few years of age. (90 points)
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