The colour is pale yellow. On the nose some melon, pear, green apple and herbs. In the mouth very fresh with a marked citrusy flavour. The aftertaste is medium long.
Apremont is one of the best known white wine crus of the Vin de Savoie appellation of the Alps in eastern France. The wines are often made from Jacquère alone. However, the AOC law states that a selection of other grape varieties, including Altesse, Chardonnay and Aligoté, may make up to 20% of the final blend.
Altesse is a white grape variety mainly used in Savoie to make dry wines. It is one of the region’s most highly valued grape varieties. The best examples of Altesse wines come under the Roussette de Savoie and Roussette du Bugey appellations, Roussette being a common synonym for the variety.
Aligoté is most famous as the “third” grape variety of Burgundy, a poor cousin of the more prestigious Chardonnay. Aligote has been a part of the Burgundian wine landscape for more than 200 years, planted alongside Chardonnay. It has now found its place in the less-rated sites. Nowadays the variety is at its best in the wines of the regional Bourgogne Aligoté appellation.
Jacquère wines have high acidity, characteristic of cool climate vines, and are often described as “mountain fresh” or “alpine clean”. They can also be quite herbaceous. A Jacquère is usually best consumed young. It is a high-yielding variety.
This exemplar is made by Famille Viallet with 100% Jacquère grapes.
I bought this bottle at the supermarket Colruyt in Dampierre-sur-Salon for 6.99 EUR. Dampierre-sur-Salon is a town in which I stopped for a full day during my walk from Pontarlier to Reims on the Via Francigena. I needed to let the bad blisters on my feet heal enough to allow me to continue the Cammino.
Country: France
Region: Savoie
Grapes: Jacquère
Type: White
Vintage: 2021
Producer: Famille Viallet
Price range: Economic (<15 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 2/5