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Edmund Jacquin et Fils Roussette de Savoie and Marestel

The appellation Vin de Savoie is diverse. Spread over nearly twenty communes that each specialize in eclectic grapes, it can be challenging to approach. It can also be challenging to drive from village to village, as small mountain roads, tunnels and lakes have to be circumnavigated and traversed to reach the most important villages.

Jongieux is one such village, the capital of the grape Altesse, the sole varietal used in the appellation Roussette de Savoie. To reach Jongieux, one drives along the Lac du Bourget and then mounts the Mont du Chat, then passes through a tunnel in the direction of Bugey. It is along the opposite side of the Mont du Chat that the cru Jongieux lays, facing Lyon rather than Chambéry. In a car, the drive from Lyon to Jongieux takes about an hour and fifteen minutes, while Chignin is about 45 minutes away.

The slope of Marestel

Like the Combe de Savoie within which Arbin lies, the Mont du Chat is composed of a similar soil-calcium rich limestone and glacial deposits.

Domaine Edmund Jacquin et Fils is run by Patrice Jacquin and his brother Jean-Francois. It is spread over 22.5 hectares (55 acres) which are exposed south and southwest (ideal for catching the late sun). While they make a full range of wines including Mondeuse, Gamay, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, it is the Altesse that is of extreme interest. The vines range from 5 to 60 years of age, and their yield is between 45-55 hl / ha (three to four tons / acre). Their vineyards are worked sustainably, that is according to culture raisonnée. The harvest of the grapes is strictly by hand.

The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks after a cold prefermentation. Altesse is a grape with high acidity, and winemakers often compensate by leaving four or five grams of residual sugar to round out the palate. While visiting the domaine in April 2006, most of the tanks did indeed have some residual sugar. However, one tank had passed through full malolactic and had less than two grams. After experimenting with several blends, a cuvée destined for the United States was selected, with 60% of the base cuvée and 40% of the cuvée that had gone through malolactic.

The result is another delicious, thirst-quenching wine from Savoie, this time with more body than Jacquère or Chasselas, and more subtle aromas than Roussanne. Quince, flowers, apricot and a touch of honey rise from the medium-bodied palate, which finishes with just a hint of mountain tonic.

A wonderful match for light to medium-bodied white fish, cold chicken salads, shrimp dim sung, and crab fritters.