DOMAINE DES ARDOISIÈRES
Savoie, France
www.domaine-des-ardoisieres.fr
The setting couldn’t be more dramatic, with Mont Blanc dominating every vista. But it is the wines of Ardoisières and their inherent quality that is truly breathtaking. Each cuvée seems to capture the spirit of the Alps: fresh, herbal, ethereal yet grounded. There is a degree of complexity that is rare in an area that can easily sell the bulk of its simple refreshing wine at high prices to tourists. The real cost for this quality is back-breaking labor in the steep vineyards, with low yields and no shortcuts anywhere. Brice Omont is the very talented man behind it all. He has been rewarded with listings in France’s greatest restaurants.
The vineyards are ancient, boasting more than 2000 years of historical cultivation, but had almost disappeared by the end of the 20th century, falling into disrepair due to phylloxera and poor tending thereafter. In the late 1990s a collective effort was made to reclaim them, at least in part. This led to the foundation of the estate, led by Michel Grisard. Omont joined in 2005 and together, they brought the domain back from the precipice to being one of the most consequential and celebrated in the region.
The vineyard is on two distant slopes, Cevins and Saint Pierre de Soucy. The former’s soil is sandy silt over metamorphic rock, with micaschist and schist. The entire vineyard is terraced as the slopes are up to 60%. The latter is clay-limestone schistous marls over sedimentary rock. The grapes (Gamay, Persan, Mondeuse Noire for reds, Jacquere, Altesse, Chardonnay, Mondeuse Blanc, Malvoisie and Roussanne for whites) are trellised on medium to very steep slopes. Domaine des Ardoisières is certified biodynamic.
Wines
Domaine des Ardoisières Silice Blanc IGP Allobroges
Domaine des Ardoisières Argile Blanc IGP Allobroges
Domaine des Ardoisières Quartz Blanc IGP Allobroges
Domaine des Ardoisières Schiste Blanc IGP Allobroges
Domaine des Ardoisières Argile Rouge IGP Allobroges
Domaine des Ardoisières Amethyste Rouge IGP Allobroges