Savoie, France

Domaine Jean Masson

In the Alpine wine region of the Savoie, the vineyards are planted on the south and south-eastern facing limestone foothills of the Chartreuse Mountains as the land climbs to the towering Alps.  Apremont is one of the best known of the villages, or named crus, in the region. The Domaine Jean Masson, located near the village of Apremont, produces classic Savoie whites that have been declared the new benchmark of quality in the region.  They are intensely flowery, with fresh with invigorating acidity. Jean-Claude Masson, nearly to his 40th vintage on the family estate, is now being joined by his son Nicolas.

“Jean-Claude Masson is the terroiriste of Apremont, bottling separate wines from each of many different parcels or soil types, often varying his techniques of vinification significantly as well. He managed to avoid under-ripeness and achieve some delightful results…his wines can evolve fascinatingly for several years, as he is happy to demonstrate.

David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate #178

Labbé-Pont Royal

This tiny estate is run by the Labbé cousins, Alexandra and Jerome. They took over the farm from their parents who had worked it for decades and turned the estate into a thriving winery.   The 10 hectare estate is located in the village of Abymes, one of the crus of the Savoie appellation. Abymes lies under the dramatic Mont Granier, one of the highest cliffs in France. In the mixed limestone soil, the native grape Jacquère is particularly successful.  It is aromatic and shows brisk acidity. The wine is cold fermented using only natural yeast. The Labbé wines are known for their vibrant fruit, snappy acidity and incredible value.

Vin de Savoie Abymes

Vin de Savoie Rosé of Pinot Noir

Domaine Saint Germain 

Domaine Saint-Germain is located in the Bauges regional park at the foot of the steep Bauges Mountains, facing the Alps. The domaine has around ten hectares of vineyards on the south-facing slopes of the village, Saint-Pierre d´Albigny. From a family of vine growers, brothers Etienne and Raphaël Saint-Germain established their domaine in 1999. The two decided to dedicate themselves to building up a traditional Savoyard family vineyard and domaine.

The brothers strive to produce honest and expressive wines. In the vineyards, they avoid the use of herbicides, practice careful selection of young vineyard parcels and grape varieties, and limit the yields and hand harvest. In the winery, they work traditionally using minimum intervention between harvest and maturation of the wine.  And while the Savoie abounds with good to great white wines, the Saint Germain brothers are producing some of the most compelling reds in the region.