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Savoie Region:
Domaine Jean-Pierre et Jean-François Quénard Chignin

Savoie lies in the foothills of the Alps, mostly between Lake Geneva and Chambéry. From Lyon to Chambéry, it is about an hour and a half drive on the autoroute. Savoie has a long history of producing wine (documentation of grape plantings date to the 11th century). The name Savoie comes from a latin term meaning the country of fur trees, which this alpine region certainly has plenty of. Chambéry is the largest city in the area, and therefore its center. Savoie was annexed to the French from Torino in Northern Italy in 1860, and some of the architecture still retains an Italian feel. In 1889, there were more than 13,000 ha (32,100 acres) of vines in Savoie; after the phylloxéra, that number dropped to 8,940 acres, and today, the Savoie vineyards only cover about 1,500 ha (3,700 acres). However, wine production is small -- the appellation Corbières in the Languedoc annually produces almost four times as much wine as the entire Savoie!

Lance Armstrong lookalike Jean-Francois Quenard

Vin de Savoie is the appellation for all of the villages running the hundred kilometre trek from Lake Geneva to Mont Granier. Crus exist, and are allowed to put their names on the labels. These include Apremont, Chignin, Ripaille and Marin amongst others. In front of Chignin sits the village of Apremont. In November 1248, part of the side of Mount Granier collapsed in a landslide and destroyed an entire village in which more than 5,000 people and thousands of animals were killed in an instant. Across the valley from Apremont is the tiny village of Chignin, whose vineyards line the side of the mountain, planted at about 360 meters elevation. Jacquère is the most important grape variety, but because the vineyards face south and southwest, the grapes become slightly riper and less acidic than Apremont, whose vineyards face east. Soils combine clay and limestone. Not much wine leaves Savoie, and 99% is consumed in the region, generally by tourists who come to hike the mountains in the summer and ski in the winter. The grapes include Jacquèrre, Roussette (also known as Altesse), Chasselas, and Bergeron (also known as Roussanne) for the whites, and Mondeuse (the king of red grapes in the alps), Pinot Noir and Gamay for the reds.

The Vineyards of Jean-Francois Quénard

Domaine Jean-Pierre et Jean-François Quénard own 15 hectares (37 acres) of vineyard around the village of Chignin. There are a number of other wine producers in Chignin named Quénard, including Andre and Michel Quénard and Raymond Quénard. Seems like Quénard is the Smith and Jones of the Alps!

Trying to find the right Quenard in Chignin can be difficult.

Jean-Francois Quénard took over for his father Jean-Pierre in 1987. Having studied at wine school in Burgundy with Yves Chéron from Domaine du Grand Montmirail in Gigondas, Jean-Francois has also studied winemaking in Bordeaux and California.

Their domaine lies in one of the most beautiful spots of Chignin, next to the Tour Villard (part of the ruined Château de Chignin).

The Town of Chignin

The Chignin is made with 100% Jacquèrre from 40-year-old vines planted on clay and limestone soils. Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks, with partial malolactic fermentation. It has wonderful texture for a mountain wine, and shows notes of dried apricot, a touch of nut, minerals and white pepper. A crisp, dry finish completes the package. Delicious good value summer white.

Chignin Anne de la Biguerne: This cuvée is made from 65-year-old vines, grown on chalk and limestone soils. After being harvested by hand, the grapes undergo a long fermentation with full malolactic. The lies are stirred in the tank for two months to give the wine additional richness and complexity. The wine shows mineralled notes (tonic) as well as higher-pitched floral notes. Something like a hypothetical cross of Grüner Veltliner and Muscadet. Production is just over 600 cases a year.

Chignin Bergeron Les Demoiselles: Bergeron is the local name for Roussanne. The Damoiselles or young lady cuvée (the Quenard's have four daughters) is made from 30-year-old Roussanne vines grown on the steep, chalk rich hillside slopes of Chignin. The grapes are hand-harvested parcel by parcel, and undergo a long fermentation in stainless steel. Malolactic fermentation helps give the wine additional richness on the palate. The wine has lots of fruit on the nose, with creamy apricot and white peach rising from the glass. The medium to full body of this wine, along with its subtle minerality, make it an ideal partner for fish in sauce, scallops, poached salmon or white meats.

Chignin Bergeron Vieilles Vignes: This cuvée comes from Roussanne vines which are at least 40 years old. Exposed to the southwest, their yield is just three tons to the acre. The parcel is just over half a hectare (1.5 acres). Two or three passes are made through the vineyards in anticipation of optimum ripeness. The wine undergoes lie stirring during four months. Afterwards, the wine finishes its élevage in tank. The complex nose of this wine combines dried apricot and peach notes with vanilla and spice. A great match with grilled salmon, sea bass, or white sausages.