From: Savoie, France
Varietal: Jacquère
Taste & Critical Acclaim: Fresh and complex all at once. The élevage and care for this wine come through in the depth of layering you’ll experience on the nose and the palate. Honeycrisp apple, Asian and Taylor pear and white flower notes open to firmer stone fruits, mandarin zest, wildflower, and spiced herb notes. The palate shows off more stone fruit accompanied by herb, spice, and salt accents. For what we typically see of Jacquère, this is a richer, more nuanced expression of the varietal, with a ton of energy and verve. Delicious!
Working organically since 2017, Romain Chamiot is located under Mt. Granier in the Savoie region of Apremont. This wine comes from Jacquère planted to this land's famous limestone soils - the best place in the world to grow this grape. Incredibly sparky on the nose, with firm yellow cherry and orange zest, accompanied by spicy anise and white flowers. The palate has a lean flavor of apricot accented by salt and green herbs. Medium acidity with a zippy body leads way to a finish that is soft and relaxed. A wonderful wine, full of energy. David Hatzopoulos
A pleasant and straightforward wine, it is clean and lively on the palate, with a bit of flesh brought about by a few grams of residual sugar. All stages of fermentation and élevage are in cuve (a mix of stainless steel and enamel), and the mountainous terrain, coupled with a dry climate, keep the grapes clean and free of moisture-related problems, allowing for an exceptionally low addition of sulphur. - Rosenthal Wine Merchant
Pairing: Raclette, tartiflette, and fondue are natural pairings for this lovely white wine, as are just about any cheese and potato or Alpine cheese, cured meats, and pots with baguette. Regarding spices, historically, saffron, cumin, and dill have been grown in Savoie and would be a delicious pairing adventure with this wine because of its herbed accents and rounded texture (check out the gratin recipe below that combines many of the elements mentioned here). Rice, pasta, and polenta are also staples to accompany fresh lake fish like fera or arctic char, seared scallops or grilled prawns, fresh produce, or braised/cured meats.
Potato and Leek Gratin with Cumin
By Martha Rose Shulman
About. Many thanks to the talented folks at Rosenthal Wine Merchant for importing these lovely wines and providing the following information. Seven hectares scattered among 30 parcels, nearly all planted to the local white cepage Jacquère, make up the vast majority of the domaine.
Our recent foray into the Savoie has brought us wines so compelling that we decided to return to the region in search of new appellations to add to the portfolio. A chance encounter with a bottle of Romain Chamiot’s Aprémont at the table of Francois Bitouzet in Meursault led to this estate, as Francois and Romain were classmates in Beaune several years ago.
The Chamiot family has owned vineyards in the picturesque Apremont appellation of the Savoie for several generations, and the young Romain has recently taken the reigns from his grandparents to continue the lineage. Seven hectares scattered among 30 parcels, nearly all planted to the local white cepage Jacquère, make up the vast majority of the domaine. A miniscule 0.2ha parcel of Mondeuse, near the cepage’s de-facto capital of Arbin, also registers on their holdings, however not enough is made for export.
Most of the vines are tended by hand, due to the slopes characterizing much of the region. A few flat parcels in the valley are farmed by tractor. A large percentage of the vineyards are planted to old vines, the majority 40 to 50 years of age, with some parcels reaching 80 years from the original date of planting. Harvest usually extends over a two-week period and is done parcel-by-parcel as the grapes ripen.
