Adrien Berlioz from Savoie

I first came across Adrien Berlioz's wine at Juste, a very cozy wine shop in Middelburg – Of all places . The bottle stood out because of its wax capsule, and that's always a hit with me. A wax capsule, a cheerful label, and from Savoie too. Yeah, you can sweep me up in that case. I have to try it.

Say what? Savoie!

Savoie is a mountainous wine region in eastern France, bordering Switzerland. It's said to be incredibly beautiful, with the French Alps towering over everything. The mountains are precisely the reason for the vast fragmentation of the vineyards – as you can see in the map below.

The climate is predominantly cool, so it won't surprise you that about 75% of the production is white. The main grape varieties are Jacquère and Altesse (the latter is known here as Roussette). Surprisingly, Roussanne is also planted, the grape we know from the Rhône, but which has also found a home around Chignin-Bergeron. Chardonnay, the all-rounder, also plays a role. In the red category, the local Mondeuse grape dominates. You'll also find Gamay, Pinot Noir, and Persan.

On to Chignin

There's plenty to say about the grape varieties and the rest of Savoie, but we're here for Adrien Berlioz. He's based in Chignin, a subregion in the south of the region. Chignin is also a town and, according to Wink Lorch of the book " Wines of the French Alps ," the most memorable wine town in Savoie. Mental note .

Chignin's main grape is Jacquère. It's a hardy variety that can be very productive if left unchecked. Jacquère wines are often more savory than fruity. Me like-y . The mountain air comes through. Fresh as a babbling brook. In short, it has minerality (there, I said it). The biggest challenge lies in finding the balance between the high acidity and sometimes low aromatic intensity.

Chignin's vineyards are situated on steep slopes (sometimes as steep as 50%). They face south or southwest, enjoying abundant sunshine. This partly explains why Chignin wines are slightly riper and fuller-bodied than those from Apremont.

Adrien Berlioz is the second cousin of Gilles Berlioz, a renowned winemaker in Savoie who helped Adrien get started. He currently owns approximately 5.5 hectares, which he farms biodynamically. The vineyards are planted with:

• altesse
• jack
• Roussanne
• Pinot Gris
• mondauze
• Persian
• sweet black

He makes many different cuvées, including 'Cuvée des Gueux' or 'Cuvée of the beggars', a blend of altesse and old vine jacquère.

That tastes like more

That was the wine with the wax capsule. A fantastic wine, very delicate with apple, white citrus, chalk, and a hint of salt (yes, let's just call it minerality). The wine underwent natural malolactic fermentation and was aged on lees for four months.

For sale at Juste in Middelburg, but also at Chabrol Wines in Amsterdam .