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2020 Savoie Chignin-Bergeron “Les Roches Blanches”

André & Michel Quenard
Discount Eligible $33.00
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When you think of Roussanne, the Rhône Valley’s white-wine blends might come to mind first, but this blanc from Savoie—where the grape is called Bergeron—could change that.Throughout much of the nineteenth century, Bergeron enjoyed an exalted status in the Savoie.Then, around the turn of the century, phylloxera decimated the region’s vines, leaving Bergeron to languish in relative obscurity until the 1970s, when André Quenard played a significant role in its resurrection. As Wink Lorch writes in her benchmark book, Wines of the French Alps, André “is remembered as one of those who fought for Chignin Bergeron to be the quality standard-bearer for Savoie, designated as a specific cru.” The Quenards farm the grapes for this bottling on near-vertical, white, limestone scree slopes—the best terroir for Bergeron, they argue, because of its drainage and sun exposure, allowing the grapes to fully ripen. Even though the grapes achieve full ripeness, Les Roches Blanches is racier than many of its regal, fuller-bodied Rhône cousins largely because Chignin offers a cooler, alpine climate. This medium-bodied white evokes peaches, honey, and pine resin. Perfect for winter nights and dishes like Chris Lee’s hearty, Savoie-inspired fish chowder, it is mouthwatering and refreshing on its own, too.

Tom Wolf


Technical Information
Wine Type: white
Vintage: 2020
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: Bergeron (Roussanne)
Appellation: Vin de Savoie
Country: France
Region: Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Producer: André & Michel Quenard
Winemaker: André & Michel Quenard
Vineyard: 20 to 80 years, 5 ha
Soil: Steep limestone scree slopes
Farming: Lutte Raisonnée
Alcohol: 13%

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About The Region

Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes

map of Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes

Fifteen or twenty years ago, there was little buzz about the wines of Savoie, the Alpine region hugging the Swiss and Italian borders. In fact, most wines from Savoie were some combination of overcropped, thin, searingly acidic, and painfully rustic; even the best examples rarely made it out of the local mountain resorts, where they were served as an après-ski to wash down many a melty croque-monsieur.

But all that has changed, and today Savoie produces a number of top-quality wines in all styles, from simple thirst-quenchers to wines of substantial gravity. Kermit sought out some of these wines early in his career, having imported the spritzy, mineral whites of Apremont and Chignin in the late 1970s.

With vineyards at the foot of the Alps that occasionally climb to higher elevations, Savoie is defined by its mountain-influenced climate and extremely rocky terrain, with abundant limestone. Thanks to a diversity of indigenous grape varieties, quality-oriented growers with the choicest parcels—steep and well-exposed—can craft anything from crisp, low-alcohol whites from Jacquère to deep, gamey reds from Mondeuse. More serious whites are made from Altesse as well as Bergeron, the local name for Roussanne, which the Romans planted on the slopes of Chignin around the same time as they introduced it to the Rhône Valley.

Savoie’s diversity of styles and distinct sub-regions, from Arbin to Seyssel to the Bugey (technically not a part of Savoie, but included here for convenience) makes it a fascinating region for the thirsty explorer. There is no better place to look for brisk mountain refreshment.

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