Domaines des Ardoisières - 'Argile Rouge' - Gamay, Mondeuse, Persan - IGP Vin des Allobroges, Savoie, FR - 2023

Satellite's Hot Take

A lean wine with a level of delite that's hard to match. This is an obvious wine, as obvious as any wine we carry... what do I mean by obvious? I mean that when you open it you're gonna say "oh, yeah, that was an obvious choice... my god" Think about mountain violets, pomegranate, spicy tense red fruits that snap and crunch but also make you want to climb in the bottle and get cozy, and a whole backdrop of iron - like a troll harvested it from inside the misty mountains (That's kind of literally the vibe). Age it, if you can. Drink it and make sure you've got fromage to go with! This wine is CLEAN!

Truly one of my favorite wines from one of my favorite wineries. I don't pick many favoirtes but the wines of Ardoisières stand out in a region of exceptional wines and legendary, if underexplored, producers.
For me, Ardoisières free but honed expressions of their high mountain region are the ultimate in pleasure to be found in Savoie. Across the board - the wines age elegantly for their lean and very low alcohol yet structured frames - They give so much and they delight with a wide variety of cuisine. SLAKE ME OFF SOME RACLETTE, DAWG!

Notes from the Winery/Importer

Farming Sustainable, Organic (Ecocert), Biodynamic, Vegan Varietals 65% Gamay, 25% Mondeuse, 10% Persan Vineyards & Viticulture From Saint-Pierre-de-Soucy and Apremont. Vines planted on west facing slopes around 400m altitude. Guyot and Cordon Royal training. Soils Schist and ardoise (a type of hard, black schist native to the region), mixed with clay Harvest & Vinification Only indigenous yeasts are used. The grapes go through semi-carbonic maceration for 12 days, and are vinified 100% in tanks. The wine is aged nine months in tank, then bottled after light filtration.

Notes on the Producer

From Domaine des Ardoisieres, it seems Mont Blanc is everywhere. The towering mountain watches over this small estate near the Swiss border from every angle, shaping the wines so expertly grown and made here.The domaine was planted during Roman times, then became overgrown with forest. A passionate group of supporters cleared the vineyard in 1998 and began piecing the steep terraces back together to create Domaine des Ardoisieres. Since 2005, Champagne native Brice Omont has taken over the winemaking and is now considered one of the most exciting producers in France. For the very first time, Brice’s wines are being imported to the United States.The domaine’s 17 acres of vineyards are planted on steep, rocky slopes high above the town of Freterive. The entire production is sourced from two single vineyard sites: Cevins and St. Pierre de Soucy. The domaine produces five different cuvées (three white, two red) using the area’s unique varietals, including Altesse, Jacquère, Mondeuse, Gamay and Persan. The domaine has employed biodynamic principles in the vineyard since the vines were planted. The reds are produced without any de-stemming, and all the wines are fermented with native yeasts.Brice’s wines are brilliantly unique, capturing the stony and mineral character of the vineyard terraces, and possessing an amazing crystalline purity. Drinking these wines from the side of Mont Blanc is like tasting freshly squeezed juice running off a glacier.