Maison des Ardoisières 'Silice' IGP Blanc Vin des Allobroges 2022

The setting couldn’t be more dramatic, with Mont Blanc dominating every vista. But it is the inherent quality of the wines that is truly breathtaking. Each cuvée seems to capture the spirit of the Alps: fresh and ethereal but grounded. There’s a degree of complexity that is rare in an area. Brice Omont is the very talented man behind it all. There are five wines that are produced from the estate vineyard set on two distant slopes, Cevins and Saint Pierre de Soucy. The former’s soil is sandy silt over metamorphic rock and schist. The entire vineyard is terraced as the slopes are up to 60%. The real cost for this quality aside from the rising prices, is the back-breaking labor in the steep vineyards with low yields, and no shortcuts anywhere. Because of this, they wanted to produce a wine from their beloved jacquère grape that could be accessible to more people. For this, they purchase grapes from a vineyard in the nearby village of St. Pierre d'Albigny planted on west-facing slopes of schist soil, clay and ardoise - a black schist native to this region. The vines are certified organic by ECOCERT. Only indigenous yeasts are used in its production to truly capture Jacquère’s inherent qualities. One-third of the wine is vinified in used barriques and the remainder in stainless steel tanks, before being aged for 8 months. The result is summery-bright and airy, like pure mountain run-off with a slick texture brimming with cool, green melon and white pear flesh, dried honey, saline and white flowers. Very special. Certified organic, biodynamically grown, low-intervention/natural wine, vegan.