France | Savoy | Domaine Lupin | Frangy Roussette de Savoie

Frangy Roussette de Savoie

Varietal
Altesse

Notes
VINEYARD: Frangy lies outside of the main production area of Savoie, in the valley of a river called Les Usses. Rather than producing light, quaffable wines made with jacquère, as is the custom in the majority of Savoie, the vineyards in Frangy are predominantly planted with an indigenous grape called altesse, also known as roussette, for which the village is recognized as a privileged place. As such, Frangy has the special status of Cru de Savoie, one of four villages allowed the right to the Roussette de Savoie appellation with the village name. Within Frangy, Lupin’s estate vineyards all lie on a hillside called Les Aricoques. Bruno Lupin considers this the best site in the region due to its full southern exposure and the relatively low altitude (350-500m asl) which protects the vines from the cold northern winds. The soil is a crumbly calcareous soil which is a result of old mountain erosion. Most of the vines are 25 years old though there is one plot of vines aged over 60 years old.

VINIFICATION: In the winery, Bruno is hands-off; employing a minimal interventionist approach.  The key to making low-intervention wine always begins with the healthiest grapes, harvested at optimal maturity. Bruno works his vineyards organically, as his prized position on the alpine slopes allows for incredible viticulture. All of his work on the steep Frangy slopes is done by hand.

After a manual harvest, native yeasts start the fermentation in stainless steel, and sulfur levels are kept to a minimum. Malolactic fermentation is partial, around 20%, in order to maintain the right balance of body and freshness. The acidities are never corrected (a common practice in the region), and the wines ferment to dryness (less than 4g/liter). The latter point is important, as Altesse has very high acidity, and most producers leave a certain amount of residual sugar to cover that up, to the detriment of the wine’s structure and ability to age.