10/4/25 - 

This weekend's offering started with our excitement over the new arrivals from Domaine des Ardoisières in the Savoie. The Ardoisières wines are favorites of our staff and clientele, expressing their alpine influence from vineyards in the shadow of Mont Blanc. Given our penchant for wines from off-the-beaten-path locales like the Savoie, it seemed only right that we put together a wider offering, including wines from Bugey, Jura, and Alsace. Joining the Ardoisieres wines, a new Bugey Cerdon from the tiny Domaine de la Dentelle, a handful of bottles from Ratapoil and Marnes Blanches in the Jura, a slew of Alsatian bottles and a few rare wines from a private collector to round it out!

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In her book, Wines of the French Alps, our friend Wink Lorch describes Domaine des Ardoisières’ mid-90s beginning as a “phoenix [rising] from the ashes.” This estate of roughly 15 hectares of very steep slopes comprises two vineyards: Cevins and Saint Pierre de Soucy above the town of Freterive. These are ancient plots that were, in a sense, rescued by a group of local enthusiasts (including Savoie winemaking legend and Biodynamic pioneer, Michel Grisard), who began to replant them in 1998. Now the estate is under the directorship of the talented Brice Omont, who began working with Grisard in the early 2000s. With formidable success, the project restored slopes to functional, workable conditions and replanted more than 400 plots of Coteau de Cevins with Altesse, Roussanne, Jacquère Mondeuse Blanche, Pinot Gris, Persan and Mondeuse Noir, according to Wink. Geographically, Freterive is due east of Lyon, and due south of Geneva, in the southern part of the Savoie, with an arresting view of Mont Blanc. The soils here are clay, limestone, and schist, giving the wines pronounced minerality, a lovely complement to their freshness and crunchy acidity on the palate. 
 
In 2008, shortly before Grisard retired and Omont fully took over, the two located vineyards in the villages of Laissaud and Apremont, both about an hour drive west from Cevins. Laissaud, near Saint Pierre de Soucy, is where the Mondeuse for the Silice Rouge is grown, and Apremont, under the shadow of Mont Granier, is where Domaine des Ardoisières harvests the Jacquère for their Silice Blanc bottling.

The wines of Domaine des Ardoisières are known in wine circles throughout the United States and prices for many of Brice Omont’s cuvées push past the $100 mark. Look no further than the Silice bottlings, however, if you’re interested in getting to know the producer and experiencing the incredible qualities of complete, terroir-driven wines of the Savoie. Under the organic and biodynamic practices imparted early on by Michel Grisard, this estate continues to work their land well. The Silice wines feel healthy and full, with a great briskness and transparency, allowing the delicious flavors to do the real talking.