Alpine wine is not terribly common, but after a glass of this, you'll wish it was!
It is as crisp as the air and as bright as the light on the hills, with a creamy mousse, a gorgeous load of fruit flavours delivered with scintillating acidity and freshness. You'd be hard to beat this style as an aperitif, but it also pairs surprisingly well with seafood, salads and even desserts.
The family make 18 different wines in the Alpine foothills including a surprisingly high number (6) of red wines, too. The Alps do a funny thing for vines, which is that they protect against weather fronts and provide a sort of amphitheatre behind the vines to catch as much of the sunshine as the area is able; and this is needed because they are situated so high in altitude that only the hardiest of grape varieties, or the most protected, can ever satisfactorily flourish. It's a relatively new Appellation, receiving its status in 1973, and in a lovely turn of history, it was Jean Perrier who was the first to bottle wines from Savoie, back in 1947, making them very much part of the history of his lovely French appellation.
Also, it's made from a blend of Chardonnay (sure, it's French sparkling wine...) and a grape called Jacquère, which we'd never even heard of before!
91 Points, Decanter
"Made from 85% Jacquère and 15% Chardonnay by seventh-generation winemakers, this lovely fizz has a strong personality. Has a light nose with white peach, apricot and ripe pear/pear drop aromas, then a really nice depth of flavour; still light overall but the fine bubbles coat the mouth with a lovely mix of fruit and floral flavours, with sweet, ripe pear standing out."
Region: Savoie
Country: France
Grape(s): Jacquère, Chardonnay
Style: Medium-Light, Fresh, Elegant, Complex, Bright, Bone Dry
Best food matches: Spicy, Seafood, Salads, Hard Cheeses, Cheeses, Charcuterie, Aperitif
Alcohol: 12.5%
