Take a new look at Apremont and Abymes wines

Largest appellations of Savoy, Apremont and Les Abymes produce white wines made from Jacquère grapes. Quality and diversity of these wines are on the rise and some wineries are worth discovering.

Largest appellations of Savoy, Apremont and Les Abymes produce white wines made from Jacquère grapes. Quality and diversity of these wines are on the rise and some wineries are worth discovering
Made from Jacquère, a white grape barely known because underrated, Apremont and Les Abymes wines might have disappointed you in the past but they are now worth another try. A new generation of winemakers indeed produce better and better wines highlighting the Jacquère quality potential by lowering yields, harvesting grapes later in order to get an optimum ripeness and having longer maturation in casks or steel vats.
Long considered as light, crispy, fresh and without much complexity, wines from the two appellations are thus becoming more opulent, richer, more complex, sometimes with a fatty expression, while keeping freshness and a low alcohol content of 11 – 11.5%. They also age well for three years, even more.
In addition, the range and diversity of wines on offer are increasing as more and more winemakers vinify their parcels separately because they have quite often different types of soil on their land. In 1248 the Granier mountain overlooking the region indeed partly fell off spreading unevenly thousands of tons of limestone rocks across slopes and plains. So, nowadays, some wineries produce several wines from the same appellation but having different aromatic profiles and styles. This is a plus for wine lovers.


 Our picks
AOP Abymes
- Domaine des Anges, Abymes 2019, €6.
Floral nose with hints of mango. Slightly buttery palate with mango and pink grapefruit flavors.
- Ravier Pascal et Benjamin, Abymes 2019, €7.95.
Citrus nose. Elegant palate with citrus flavors as well as spicy and salty notes.
- Earl Cartier, Abymes 2019
Mineral wine with a citrus nose and a slightly buttery palate with citrus and white fruits flavors.
- Domaine de Chevillard, Abymes 2016, €12.
Crispy and fruity wine with a green apple nose and a slightly wooded palate with citrus flavors.

AOP Apremont
- Jean-François Maréchal, Perle des Dames, Apremont 2019.
Wine with a complex nose combining white and tropical fruits. Rich in the mouth with yellow-fleshed fruits and citrus flavors
- Philippe Viallet, Apremont Vieilles Vignes 2018, €6.50.
Crispy wine with a mineral nose and a palate offering aromas of white fruits and citrus
- Philippe Viallet, Château d’Apremont 2019, €9.
Fruity and slightly spicy nose. Slightly buttery and peppery on the palate with white fruits flavors
- Jean Claude Masson, Mé Kouilles Apremont 2017.
Mirabelle plum nose. Slightly buttery palate with white fruits flavors as well as hints of saltiness and minerality.
- Jean Claude Masson La Déchirée Apremont 2018. €17.
Crispy wine with a very complex nose offering white flowers scents. Slightly buttery palate with citrus and white fruits flavors.
- Domaine de Chevillard, Apremont 2018, €14.
Slightly mineral nose. Palate with citrus flavors as well as toasted and iodic notes.
- Domaine de l’Epervière, Apremont Le Jumelles 2019.
Green apple and citrus nose and with. Palate with white fruits and citrus flavors as well as aniseed notes.


 We also liked
AOP Abymes
- Château de la Violette, Abymes 2019
- Adrien Vacher, Abymes 2018

AOP Apremont
- Domaine Perrier, Apremont 2019 et 2018.
- Château de la Violette, Apremont 2019.
- Guillaume Pin, Apremont 2019.
- Les 13 Lunes, Apremont 2019


November 11, 2020
Thierry Joly