A dry, alpine white wine made from the Altesse grape, grown on steep slopes in Haute-Savoie, captivating with its delicate floral aromatics, citrus freshness and electrifying minerality.
28,15€37,53€ / l
Excl. VAT
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Bottler: Domaine des Orchis,67, rue de la Fontaine, 68340 Zellenberg / France
In the glass
Colour
Pale straw yellow.
Nose
Fine and fresh with acacia blossom, honeysuckle and jasmine, accompanied by yellow citrus fruits along with their zest, some ripe pear as well as pâtisserie and lightly roasted nuts.
Palate
Subtle richness with ripe yellow fruit, mealy apples, pears and a hint of lanolin; cool lemon zest, prominent acidity and an electrifying minerality provide tension, while the wine remains round and silky.
Character
A multi-layered alpine white wine that elegantly balances richness and freshness – proof that Savoyard Altesse can do far more than rustic mountain wines.
Pairing
Trout or char from mountain lakes, Reblochon cheese and tartiflette, alongside light poultry or freshwater fish with lemon butter.
Notes
Pressed from whole bunches and aged for twelve months on the gross lees in used barriques; the terroir of glacial moraine and Jurassic bedrock at an altitude of 420 to 480 metres lends it its cool, crisp alpine freshness. A creation by Philippe Héritier, whose wines are served in Michelin-starred restaurants across the Alps.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Pale straw yellow, clear and vibrant in the glass — a wine that visually heralds what its homeland promises: altitude and coolness.
Nose
A fine, fresh opening with a pronounced alpine character: acacia blossom, honeysuckle and jasmine form the floral core, joined by yellow citrus fruits along with their zest, some ripe pear as well as a hint of patisserie and lightly roasted nuts from the lees ageing.
Palate
A wine with two souls. First comes a discreet fullness: ripe yellow fruit, mellow apples and pears, extract and yeast sweetness, a touch of lanolin. Yet beneath it pulses the alpine side — cooler, more austere notes of lemon zest, a ripe but present acidity and that electrifying minerality which makes Altesse from the moraines of Savoy so unmistakable. Round and silky in its basic tone, multi-layered in detail.
Finish
Long, taut and saline-mineral; the bitterness of the citrus zest and the yeast notes fade cleanly, positively calling out for food.
Terroir & origin
The grapes come from a 2.5-hectare vineyard in Designy Clarafond-Arcine at an altitude of 420 to 480 metres. The subsoil combines Jurassic rock and Alpine glacial moraines — the terroir that Philippe Héritier reclaimed from abandoned steep slopes near Frangy when he hung up his banking career in 2006 to follow the example of his winemaker grandfather.
Grape variety & vinification
Altesse — usually called Roussette in Savoy — is the region’s indigenous white noble variety. Whole bunches were pressed, the lees settled over 24 hours, after which the must fermented in used barriques and matured for a year on the gross lees. This explains the creamy texture while retaining tension.
Food recommendations
A natural choice for Alpine cuisine: Fondue Savoyarde or Raclette, trout from Lake Geneva with beurre blanc, pan-fried sea bass with fennel, chicken in cream sauce or aged Beaufort. Also a revelation with light poultry and mushroom dishes.
Special features
Behind this wine stands an exceptional producer: Héritier works with wild yeasts, minimal sulphur and biodynamic preparations; his casks rest in a hexagonal cellar built according to the golden ratio and modelled on the ancient theatre of Epidaurus. That his wines feature on the lists of Michelin-starred chefs such as Marc Veyrat and Jean Sulpice comes as no surprise after the first sip.
