Domaine des Ardoisières Erythrite 2023

Erythrite is a new cuvee, following the takeover by Domaine des Ardoisières of the Louis Magnin Estate's vines. Made of indigenous grape variety Mondeuse, with 50% whole bunch inclusion, it's a full bodied wine with fine, supple tannins. Comparisons have been drawn to Northern Rhone Syrah, with its dark fruit, pepper spice, and perfume. 

Domaine des Ardoisières began as a collaboration between the village of Cévins in Savoie's remote Tarantaise Valley, and grower Michel Grisard. The project entailed creating a company to rent around 400 plots of land from villagers (including the town mayor), repair the terraces and stone walls, and plant vineyards in the abandoned Coteau de Cévins, a historic slope once renowned for its wines. The first plot of Altesse was planted in 1998, followed by another 5 hectares of local grapes in 2000-2002. Brice Omont joined the project in 2003, and has been at the helm since 2010. 

The Cévins vineyards sit at 400 - 500m altitude, on precipitous slopes as steep as 60%. Ripening grapes is never a problem, with heat bounced back onto the vines by the schist rock soils of the east and west facing vineyards. Omont has since expanded the Domaine, and also makes wine with purchased fruit under the label Maison des Ardoisières.

Domaine des Ardoisières is certified organic, and practising biodynamic. Farming the steep slopes is so labour intensive that the domaine employs fifteen people in the vineyards — essentially one person per hectare. Work in the cellar is minimal intervention, with fermentation taking place in fibreglass and older oak. The domaine stands at the forefront of Savoie's resurgence, crafting vibrant, terroir-driven cuvees that capture alpine energy, and meticulous craftsmanship.

Savoie is a tiny wine region in Eastern France, nestled West of Switzerland, and south of the Jura, in the French Alps. Planted to vine since pre-Roman times, the region fell out of favour following Phylloxera, due in part to the difficulty of growing grapes on its steep slopes. Vignerons like Domaine Des Ardoisières' Brice Omont are producing increasingly sought-after wines from the local grapes.

Despite the high elevation (often between 250 and 550 metres,) Savoie enjoys a surprisingly warm micro-climate, due to the moderating influence of nearby lakes and rivers. 70% of production is white — alpine and mineral driven — from indigenous grapes like Jacquère and Altesse. The remainder is long-lived reds made from Mondeuse and Persan.