Grapes: Pinot Noir, Cab Sauv, Mondeuse
Region: Savoie, France
Vintage: 2023
Viticulture: Biodynamic
Soils: Limestone
Yeasts: Native
Vinification: Whole bunch fermentation in concrete vats with natural yeasts and no added sulphur. Neither pumping-over nor punching down is performed.
Aging: 1 year in neutral barrels
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: Minimal
Notes from the Importer: Nicolas Ferrand is a first generation winemaker who founded his domaine in 2011, naming it for the reddish alpine soils he works.
He currently farms around five hectares of vines in the village of Saint Jean de la Porte planted with Mondeuse, Altesse, and Jacquère. All of the vineyard plots are south-facing at an altitude of 350 to 580 meters. The native herbs and trees on the slopes of the Bauges mountain ranges create a sort of alpine “garrigue.”
The winery and cellar are at a family farm in La Motte-Servolex, using old stables that used to house Nicolas' grandparents' cattle. (The hay hatches have proven useful to working by gravity.) In the cellar, Nicolas is as non-interventionist as possible, using only natural yeasts and old barrels. When racking and bottling, he works according to the biodynamic calendar.
