One of Chignin’s ruined fortified towers, with a view across the valley to Mont Granier.
SAVOIE
The Savoie wine region, which incorporates the departments of Haute-Savoie and Savoie, along with neighbouring parts of Ain and Isère, has just over 2,000ha of vineyards, spread over a vast geographic area. Between the high Alpine mountains and the glacial lakes and rivers, the vineyards are scattered in various ‘islands’ from Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) in the north down to beyond Chambéry (see map). I cannot think of one vineyard area in Savoie that does not have a gorgeous outlook, perhaps across to the opposite hillside, maybe to snowy or jagged rocky peaks, sometimes onto a shimmering lake or a verdant river valley. This idyllic situation is only occasionally spoilt by the many industrial estates and factories in the valleys below – this is one of France’s most highly populated and thriving semi-rural areas. Another downside is that in such a mountainous area there’s only certain land suitable for vineyards – and in some areas that is all too often the same land that is in strong demand for housing.
As explored further in Part 1, these islands of vineyard areas were once much larger. Today the only dense vineyard area in Savoie is near Chambéry, where you will find villages such as Chignin, Apremont and Arbin. These areas, known as the Cluse de Chambéry and the Combe de Savoie, produce about two-thirds of Savoie’s wine. This is where you will find wines from Altesse, Mondeuse, Roussanne and the ubiquitous Jacquère grape varieties, among many others. But don’t look for Gringet or Chasselas – they are exclusive to certain crus in the north of the region.
Almost all the vineyards in Savoie lie on the lower slopes of the Prealps or the Jura mountains, on a limestone base at altitudes between 250m and 500m. With a more benign climate than many might imagine, the vineyards are often planted with several different grape varieties, even if to label with a specific cru, varieties are restricted. For example, if a vigneron grows Mondeuse in a cru specified for Jacquère, then the wine will simply be labelled AOC Savoie. While leafing through this chapter, you may wish to keep a bookmark here, where the Savoie crus are listed with their permitted grape varieties – given there are 20 Savoie AOC crus (four of them specifically for AOC Roussette de Savoie), it can be a challenge to remember them all.
This chapter is divided into four parts, roughly from the north: Lac Léman and Ayze, situated either side of the Chablais mountains in Haute-Savoie; Around the Rhône and Lac du Bourget, a large area which stretches from Frangy in Haute-Savoie, through Seyssel, straddling Haute-Savoie and Ain, and to Savoie’s Chautagne and Jongieux areas; Around Chambéry and the Combe de Savoie, with by far the largest number of producers; and finally The Tarentaise and Maurienne Valleys, where producers make IGP Vin des Allobroges and Vin de France wines.
Négociants and co-operatives
Even though average vineyard holdings are increasing (now approximately 5ha), there are numerous tiny growers in Savoie, since the average includes several relatively large estates with over 30ha. Almost all producers of AOC wines in Savoie belong to the Syndicat Régional des Vins de Savoie (SRVS), which includes 391 growers; 113 of these belong to one of the co-operatives, and 94 sell their harvest to négociants. The remaining 184 are vignerons who make and sell their own wine, but this does not preclude them selling part of their production to négociants. These numbers go down each year as growers retire and sell their vineyards.
Savoie AOC figures (2018 vintage)
Area under vine:
2,129 hectares
Volume produced:
126,000 hectolitres
(approximately 17 million bottles)
(% of production) |
|
White still wine |
68% |
Red still wine |
21% |
Rosé still wine |
5% |
Crémant de Savoie and other traditional method sparkling wines |
6% |
Main grape varieties
(% of total Savoie)
Jacquère |
42% |
Altesse |
15% |
Gamay |
13% |
Mondeuse |
11% |
Roussanne (Bergeron) |
5% |
Pinot Noir |
4% |
Chardonnay |
4% |
Chasselas |
3% |
Gringet |
1% |
Persan |
1% |
Others (mainly white) |
1% |
Nicolas Perret runs the only négociant in the Jongieux area.
The négociants represent more than half of total Savoie sales. The largest négociants that buy grapes and some bulk wine (in tankers) are Maison Philippe Viallet and Maison Adrien Vacher, followed by Jean Perrier et Fils, all of which have their own domaines too. Smaller and currently with a somewhat uncertain future is Domaine Perceval. In Seyssel, Maison Mollex and Gérard Lambert buy grapes predominantly from that area. In Jongieux, Vins Perret buys bulk wine from across Savoie. Maison Jean Cavaillé (which exports a little wine to the US), Léon Favre and Maison Routin (also a well-known vermouth producer) buy finished bottles and label under their own name.
A new négociant was set up in 2018, Des Vins d’Envie. It is a joint venture between Guillaume Lavie and Maxime Dancoine, who established a winery in Pontcharra, just across the border in Isère. They are purchasing exclusively organic grapes, mainly from Savoie, Bugey and Isère, to make their own range of wines. Their aim is to help local vignerons convert to organics and biodynamics and to create a reasonably priced range of organic wine. In 2018 they have produced 65,000 bottles and are exporting about half, mainly to the US and Scandinavia. Their plan is to increase to about 100,000 bottles.
Today there are just two wine co-operatives: Cave de Cruet in the Combe de Savoie and Le Vigneron Savoyard/Cave de Chautagne. Between them these two co-operatives produce about 20% of Savoie’s wines.
Where the wines are sold
According to the Comité Interprofessionel des Vins de Savoie (which does not include IGP and Vin de France producers), exports remained below 5% in 2018, but accurate figures are not available and I suspect the real figure is higher. The Comité is running various promotions abroad, hoping to increase this to 10% in a few years. The main markets remain in the three departments of Haute-Savoie, Savoie and Isère, which account for roughly 70% of sales, with ski resorts remaining important.
Château de Ripaille’s vineyards lie on the shores of Lac Léman.