The terroir of Chignin
The family vineyard was born in the commune of Chignin in Savoie . Following our grandparents and parents, we still cultivate the white grape varieties , Jacquère, and the red grape varieties , Mondeuse, Gamay, Pinot Noir and Persan.
"from a few ares to half a hectare."
This entire part of our vineyard is very fragmented, comprising a good thirty plots, from a few ares to a maximum of half a hectare.
From the “bomp” of the Châteaux, view of the hillsides and the “bas” of Chignin, in the background the Belledonnes .
But this "scattering", associated with the topographical and geological diversity of Chignin, becomes an extraordinary testing ground provided that the winemaker has the desire to respect and work the singularity of each of these plots.
The hillsides of La Savoyarde in Chignin
In Chignin , our plots are divided into 3 sectors, each with a particular profile:
- THE Savoyarde hillsides , exposed to the west, on clay-limestone scree, where we cultivate some of our jacquères, for the Vieilles Vignes vintage, the majority of our mondeuses for the Et ma Goutte de ... and Les Granges Tissot vintages, and our persan for the Arbyolâ vintage.
- There "bump" of the Châteaux , schistose kidneys, covered with a layer of fine clay, blocking the north side of the vineyard, up to the hillsides of the Savoyarde. This is where our single-plot cuvée Clay on Schist. The red grape varieties pinot noir And Gamay for the Marius Salt, for their part, benefits from the intercalary zone located between this “bump” and the hillsides of Savoyarde.
- THE “lower” slopes , gently undulating ancient glacial moraines, on clayey-silty marl. Most of our Old Vines Jacquère trees are found in this area.
The “bump” of the Castles
And not long ago... the forgotten hillsides of Savoy
It was in 2001 that we completed our small vineyard and brought back into cultivation several plots in the southernmost part of Savoy (communes of Francin and Montmélian).
"very abrupt,"
Our ancestors, at the beginning of the 20th century, had abandoned these very steep parts, which were much too difficult to cultivate.
But these hillsides reveal tremendous potential to us every year. Exposure, soils, topography, climate... all the fundamentals are there, firmly in place!
“It’s up to us to know how to transmit…”
Here, nature seems to lend the vine all that is most extraordinary!
It is up to us to know how to transmit what the terroir can express here... A vast program that we try to implement year after year.
Our “new” vineyard includes plots spread over 3 locations, each characterized by a specific type of scree and soil:
Each of the plots is vinified separately and contributes either to a single-plot cuvée or to a blended cuvée.
- Place called “ Les Toises ”: 2 single-plot vintages, Roussette Baron Decouz ( vine. Altesse ) and Chignin Bergeron The Proserpine Flow ( roussanne ). Large scree of limestone, very little compacted, rather very draining, several meters thick. Colors white/grey to brown/black. South/southwest exposure.
- Place called “ Les Salins ”: single-plot cuvée of the same name, Chignin Bergeron Les Salins ( roussanne ). Still on scree, but with a finer grain size and consisting of 3/4 very white limestone layers. White/grey colours. Very steep slope. South/southwest exposure.
- Place called “ La Perette ”: for the aging vintage Chignin Bergeron Saint Anthelme ( roussanne ) and for part of the blended vintage Chignin Bergeron Exception (vine. bergeron ). Limestone scree, inserted with fine clay, brown/red colors, iron oxide. Very steep slope. South exposure.
The Salins and the Perette