Placeholder Image

Jean Vullien & Fils, Chignin-Bergeron “Les Divolettes”

Savoie, France 2019 (750mL)
$29.00
/
Your cart is empty.
  • In stock, ready to ship
  • Inventory on the way
Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Jean Vullien & Fils, Chignin-Bergeron “Les Divolettes”

Based on what I’ve been tasting lately, I’ve got France’s Savoie region at the top of my “must-visit” list as soon as travel restrictions are lifted. This is one of world’s most exciting wine regions right now—a cool mountain climate on a warming planet, and about as idyllic a place to grow and make wine as one could ask for. When I see the Savoie’s red and white coat of arms on a label, the response is downright Pavlovian at this point: my mouth waters at the thought of those steely, mountain-stream whites and spicy, mineral-etched reds. 
But then there’s today’s white—crisp and steely for sure but also blessed with the kind of depth, texture and complexity I’d more readily associate with Burgundy. This isn’t just simple refreshment, as refreshing as it is; this is something else. This is Chignin-Bergeron, a Savoie white from the Roussanne grape that dramatically (and deliciously) expands the definition of Savoie white wine to include more powerful, layered expressions. Perhaps you know the Roussanne variety from France’s Rhône Valley, where it is often blended with Marsanne in the heady, exotically fruited whites of Hermitage. Well, there are hints of that in today’s wine from Domaine Jean Vullien & Fils. “Les Divolettes” isn’t a heavyweight like Hermitage Blanc, but instead a taut, muscular middleweight that packs a mineral, floral punch. It’s fascinating, lip-smackingly good, and, considering its remote place of origin, very well-priced. It’s simply one of the best whites I’ve ever had from the Savoie—I’m ready to go a few more rounds with it!
Jean Vullien and his two sons, David and Olivier, farm a total of 69 acres across an assortment of vineyard sites in the Combe de Savoie, the deep valley east of Chambéry that represents the heartland of Savoie wine production. The vineyards are planted on steep, south-facing slopes in several different villages, many of which are considered “crus,” as in Beaujolais, and are referenced on wine labels. Today’s wine, in addition to being a “Vin de Savoie,” carries the “Chignin-Bergeron” designation: Chignin is a cru village and Bergeron is the local synonym for Roussanne. The Vulliens have 15 acres of Roussanne/Bergeron in Chignin, planted in limestone marl soils covered in a pebbly layer of scree. The gradients in some of these vineyards range from 30%-50%, providing excellent draining but also requiring some heroic labor to extract its fruits.

Both David and Olivier Vullien have degrees from Burgundy’s Lycée Viticole and the family is known not just for wine but for an acclaimed vine nursery dating to 1890; they’ve supplied plant material to growers throughout France, and, according their importer, were the source of as much as 25% of the Chardonnay planted in Chablis after phylloxera struck at the turn of the last century.

So—Roussanne from the French Alps. What’s it all about? It’s about bright, peachy fruit, mountain wildflowers, wet stones. It’s about texture, but also lip-smacking refreshment. It’s about remarkable purity and focus. Fermented and aged only in steel, it’s a glistening yellow-gold in the glass, with aromas of white peach, pear, chamomile tea, fresh white flowers, and rain-slicked stones. It is medium-bodied, showing some of the viscosity found in Roussannes from the Rhône but balancing that beautifully with a racy jangle of acidity. This is richly satisfying, lip-smacking white wine for near-term enjoyment, best at about 45-50 degrees in all-purpose stems. There are a host of soft, creamy mountain cheeses this wine would pair well with (like Reblochon), or try it with a fresh, light seafood preparation. Check out the attached recipe and enjoy!
Placeholder Image
Country
France
Region
Savoie
Sub-Region
FranceChignin
Soil
Limestone Marl
Farming
Organic Practices
Blend
Roussanne (aka Bergeron) 100%
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
None
TEMP.
45-50
Glassware
All-Purpose Whites
Drinking
Now-2024
Decanting
Optional
Pairing
Baked Cod

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

Others We Love