Domaine Adrien Berlioz, Vin des Allobroges, La Pépie Blanc, Savoie, France, 2023

Producer Profile

Located at the foothills of the Bauges massif, and bordering neighbouring Switzerland and Valle d’Aosta in Italy, the organically farmed vineyards of Domaine Adrien Berlioz in the Savoie region are as picturesque as you might imagine. Adrien took over the family vineyards in 2006, two hectares located near a small village called Chignin at 390m above sea level.

Viticulture

With plenty of hard work alongside the pursuit of purity and a certified biodynamic approach to farming, he has grown the vineyard to 5 hectares, transforming it into one of the region’s most prestigious domaines. Its vineyard is characterized first of all by an extreme slope (sometimes 50% declination), on a soil of hard rock and limestone. The grape varieties are typical of Savoie: Jacquère, Altesse, Malvasia, Bergeron (roussanne), Mondeuse and Persian, all grown without chemical inputs.

Winemaking

Manual harvest in two batches in boxes. Direct pressing in whole bunches. Descent into the vat room by gravity. Static settling. Start of spontaneous fermentation on native yeasts. Partial malolactic transformation. Aging 90% vats - 10% 225L barrels

Tasting Note

Aromas that reveal the terroir and countryside that it comes from with ripe pear, green apple, lemon peel and honey. Stone fruits add to the aroma profile on the palate as well as a little yeast and creaminess. The lower levels of alcohol make this incredibly quaffable.

Food Matching

Cheese-based dishes, aged comte, roast chicken or white fish!