This time of year, a wine like today’s can get lost in the shuffle, because (a) we’re getting into the holidays, when lots of people start pulling out the ‘trophy’ wines, and (b) colder weather has many of us favoring reds. But in truth I think today’s soaring tribute to Alpine minerality is actually the perfect wine for the season–especially if your ideal holiday activity is skiing down to a cozy lodge in the French Alps and enjoying some perfect fondue aprés ski. Most important is just how much soil character and regional typicity is packed into a sub $40 bottle of wine. I consider it as much of a trophy as most of the big-dollar bottles, because it’s not only a delicious wine but one that sparks imaginative flights of fancy like mine above. Lovers of white Burgundy and Loire wines take note: This one’s got the mineral footprint you’re looking for!
The hyphenated name Chevallier-Bernard refers to a husband-and-wife team headquartered in the village of Jongieux, which sits in the scree-covered southwestern foothills of a peak called Dent du Chat (“cat’s tooth”). Jongieux falls within one of the designated ‘cru’ zones of the Roussette de Savoie appellation, Marestel, and the wines carrying this AOC designation are derived from 100% Altesse (a.k.a. Roussette, as the “de” in the name suggests). Altesse is a deeper, more substantial white variety in comparison to the region’s other key variety, Jacquère, with a texture that at times can be reminiscent of northern Rhône varieties such as Roussanne (which, incidentally, also thrives in the Savoie). There is a profound minerality to the Savoie’s Altesse-based whites, growing as they do on pebbly limestone soils at relatively high altitudes, and racy acidity is a calling card as well.
Chantal Chevallier and her husband, Jean-Pierre Bernard, met while studying viticulture in Beaune and took over her family’s domaine back in 1996. Now assisted by their son, Antoine, they farm a total of 13 hectares of vineyards according to ‘lutte raisonnée’ principles (i.e. practicing organic, except in extreme emergencies). Today’s wine is their “Grand Cru” Roussette de Savoie, which is labeled “Marestel, and is sourced from old vines in the steepest parcel of their vineyards It is aged only in tank and showing off tremendous varietal purity and deep, almost smoky mineral character. Less than 600 cases are made each year, and much of that tiny production stays close to home. So yes, this is a very limited wine just like those aforementioned trophies!
Serve this incredibly affordable “Grand Cru” at about 50 degrees in an all purpose or Burgundy stem. In the glass, it’s a pale straw-gold flecked with silver, with aromas of winter citrus, apricot, honeysuckle, white and yellow flowers, wet stones, and a hint of gunflint reminiscent of Pouilly-Fumé in the Loire. It is medium-bodied and textural, with a hint of waxiness shot through with crushed-stone mineral grip. And once you realize how effective its Alpine acidity is at cutting through fat, you’ll hardly want to save it for summertime. This wine with a charcuterie/cheese plate would be absolute magic, but as I hinted at above, I’m going to get thematic and try my hand at some fondue—for which this bottle seems almost custom-made. It is ready to drink now and over the next 3-5 years, and is delicious right out of the bottle. Something this evocative at this price doesn’t come around too often, so I’ll be stocking up. I strongly recommend you do the same!
