Domaine Berthollier

This little pocket of the Savoie has been planted to vines since 1850 – first by the Tissot family, and then by the Tissot-Berthollier family. These two families have been pivotal in the shaping of the region of Savoie; being among the first to begin bottling their wines (vs selling in barrel) and then pushing for the development of the inaugural Savoie appellation in 1973. Since 1995, brothers Didier and Denis have been at the helm, refocusing on planting “heroic” steep Savoyard slopes, moving to more parcellaire work and transitioning to organic and biodynamic farming, as well as zero sulphur additions during the vinification and ageing.

Sitting at the Massif des Bauges, Chignin benefits from a pitch-perfect south, south-easterly exposure, protection from the northerly wines by the mountains, steep slots and a soil of limestone scree atop a marl-limestone base. It is a village that is undoubtedly emblematic of great Savoyard wines.

Within Chignin, they have separated their land into three distinct areas:

1.            The hillsides; more exposed the west with clay-limestone scree. They plant some Jacquère (for the Vieilles Vignes cuvée) here, as well as a good chunk of Mondeuse.

2.            The bump; described as being like a “schistose kidney” covered in a thin layer of clay and nestled high in the hillside. They plant Pinot Noir and Gamay here.

3.            The lower slops; gently undulating ancient glacial moraines, on clayey-silty marl. Most of the Vieilles Vignes de Jacquère are found in this area.