Bottler: Domaine des Orchis,67, rue de la Fontaine, 68340 Zellenberg / France
In the glass
Colour
Pale straw yellow with silvery reflections.
Nose
Delicate white flowers, green apple and citrus, underpinned by a cool, stony note from the glacial moraine slopes near Frangy.
Palate
Slender and light-footed at just 12% ABV, crisp acidity, delicate fruit and a fresh, mineral-driven finish.
Character
An uncomplicated, lively Alpine wine – honest, refreshing and shaped by the steep-slope terroir of Haute-Savoie.
Pairing
The ideal companion to Fondue Savoyarde, freshwater fish such as whitefish (féra), or as a classic aperitif alongside a cheese board with Tomme de Savoie.
Notes
Molette is a rarity – this autochthonous Alpine variety is only rarely vinified nowadays. Philippe Héritier tends his vines on steep slopes entirely by hand, ferments with wild yeasts and relies on minimal sulphur – the result is a wine of unadulterated, distinctive expression.
Tasting note
Character
A slender, mineral-driven white wine from the Alps that demonstrates lightness and tension with just 12.0% alcohol. Cool, crystalline, carried by fine acidity – a wine of high altitudes that quenches thirst yet possesses real substance. Vinified dry, without any excess weight.
Terroir & Origin
The Domaine des Orchis is located near Frangy in Haute-Savoie, where Philippe Héritier – once a bank manager, now a self-styled farmer – began reclaiming abandoned steep slopes in 2006. The roughly five hectares are rooted in glacial moraine, that barren, stony foundation which lends Savoyard wines their electrifying minerality. These are terroirs long considered forgotten, now given a voice once more.
Grape Variety & Vinification
Molette is one of the autochthonous rarities of Savoie – an old, undemanding variety that has long since vanished from the radar elsewhere. It yields light, floral-fruity wines with palpable acidic tension. At Orchis, the musts ferment with wild yeasts and are minimally sulphured; the vines are tended with herbal teas and treated with biodynamic preparations. Ageing takes place unhurriedly in a cellar specially designed according to the Golden Ratio – modelled on ancient precedents, with up to 18 months of maturation. A total work of art you are allowed to taste.
Food Pairings
Classic Alpine cuisine is its natural domain: Fondue savoyarde, Tartiflette or Raclette all benefit from its fresh, acid-driven structure. Equally harmonious with mountain stream trout, freshwater fish in butter or a simple local goat’s cheese. For the more adventurous: the low alcohol level and fine tension make this wine an ideal companion for sushi or a platter of oysters. It is no coincidence that Michelin-starred chefs such as Marc Veyrat and Jean Sulpice rely on the wines from this estate.
