Schiste Blanc, Domaine des Ardoisieres 2021

Brice Omont’s Domaine des Ardoisières was originally the project of now-retired grower Michel Grisard – founder of Prieuré St Christophe. Michel took up the idea of a local association Vivre En Tarantaise who was looking for a vigneron to replant abandoned mountain terraces above the village of Cévins, in the remote Tarantaise valley. The project entailed creating a company to rent around 400 plots of land from villagers (including the local mayor), restore the terraces and stone walls as well as the vineyard cabins. The domaine is named after the local slate (ardoise) that makes the cabins and stone walls, a sought-after material used to build the roof of the monastery of the Grande Chartreuse.

One of the domaine’s three top cuvées made from the great terroir of Cévins – the origin of Domaine des Ardoisières (see profile). A south east-facing terraced vineyard on a vertiginous 60% slope, bush vines 'sur échalas' straight into the bedrock of metamorphic mica-schist. Yields are just 25hh, and the wine is aged in 3-5yo barrels for a year.

There is a great balance of dense fruit, apricot, pears, spice with a lick of acidity and a lip-smacking salinity on the finish.

Producer  Domaine des Ardoisières of Brice Omont

Origin Fréterive, Savoie, France

Grapes 40% Jacquère, 30% Roussette, 20% Malvoisie, 10% Mondeuse Blanche

Vintage 2021

Alcohol  13.5% ABV

Style Medium body white

Bottle size 750ml

Winemaking Manual harvested, direct press, fermented with indigenous yeast. Aged in barrels for 12 months. Unflitred, unfined.  

Notes Organic, Biodynamic, Natural