We’re obsessed with Savoie wine maestro Raphaël Saint-Germain. It’s not only because he works in an unspoiled, stage-lit mountain wonderland, but because the wines he makes evoke that place so vividly. And with this thrilling white blend, he takes us not just to Savoie but to the Swiss Valais and the (nominally Italian) Valle d’Aosta as well. 

As we’ve noted in previous Saint-Germain offers, Raphaël and his team are fiercely devoted to native grapes and their remote Alpine terroir—but the Par delà les Versants (“over the slopes”) project is truly next-level. Saint-Germain obtained vine cuttings from his neighbors around Mont Blanc and planted them in his home village of Saint-Jean-de-la-Porte; the result, in today’s case, is an all-star lineup of the region’s native whites brought together in one archetypal Alpine blend. There’s Petite Arvine, Roussanne, Viognier, and Altesse, all combined to create a richly textured showpiece (an apt follow-up to the squeaky-clean Jacquère we offered earlier today). Stylistically, this chiseled 2019 gives shout-outs to white Burgundy and white Rhône while remaining unmistakably Alpine. “Unique” doesn’t begin to cover it. “Fascinating” comes closer, but ultimately it defies description—in the most delicious way possible!

Saint-Germain’s labels always capture the homespun nature of his operation, which now covers about 12 acres of organically and biodynamically farmed vines in the cru village of Saint-Jean-de-la-Porte, in the shadow of the Arclusaz Mountains. The estate is situated in the heart of the famed Combe de Savoie—a broad, glacial valley wherein the southerly exposures of the vineyards helps ensure ripeness in an otherwise cold mountain climate. Raphaël and his brother, Étienne, originally founded the estate in 1999, farming about three hectares of vines, but Étienne eventually moved on to other things; Raphaël continued to build the estate’s holdings and obtain organic certification in 2012. In soils of clay/limestone, sandstone, and quartz, Saint-Germain and his team showcase native varieties almost exclusively—well-known locals like Jacquère, Altesse, and Mondeuse along with Douce Noir, Persan, Mondeuse Blanche, and Verdesse.

Right on the front label of “Par delà les versants,” Saint-Germain describes the wine as a “mosaïque espiègle” (“mischievous mosaic”) of grape varieties from all sides of Mont Blanc (The Valle d’Aosta, Valais, and Savoie). The wine undergoes a slow, ambient-yeast fermentation in mostly used oak barrels, after which it spends 14 months aging in those same barrels before bottling.

It’s a medium-bodied white, leaning toward medium-plus, with lots of focus and muscularity on the mid-palate. There’s a fleshiness, with white peach, bruised pear, and white flowers hinting at various Rhône Valley whites then lemon zest, green/yellow apple, and oyster-shell notes that evoke white Burgundy. But that pleasing mid-palate texture is also framed by some serious minerality of the “mountain runoff coursing over polished stones” variety. There’s enough tension here to suggest that it will age nicely at least in the short term, but really, why wait: Decant it 15-30 minutes before serving and use its magnificent “cut” to slice through some cheesy fondue. That’s as perfect a pairing as exists in the world. Go for it!