Notify me
2013 Royal Seyssel
Lambert de SeysselIn the Alps of Savoie, the town of Seyssel is home to a long tradition of sparkling wine production. Its local grape varieties, Altesse and Molette, are ideally suited to the mountainous limestone terroir, giving a refreshing vin mousseux of character and nuance at a fraction of the price of Champagne. Seyssel’s sparkling wines must be produced in the méthode traditionnelle and aged for at least nine months before disgorgement; the Royal from Lambert is aged on its lees for three whole years. This provides a delightful richness of flavor, fine bead, and unrivaled aromatics. Floral notes dominate—iris, violet, and alpine wildflowers come to mind—while the succulent texture recalls fleshy white fruits. At five years of age, secondary notes like honey, brown sugar, and an inviting muskiness have also emerged. A tasty treat all on its own, this unusual dry sparkler will stand up to pretty much anything you put on the table.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | sparkling |
Vintage: | 2013 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 50% Altesse, 50% Molette |
Appellation: | Seyssel |
Country: | France |
Region: | Savoie & Bugey |
Producer: | Lambert de Seyssel |
Winemaker: | Gérard Lambert, Olivier Varichon |
Vineyard: | 20-50 years |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | A liqueur de tirage is added to launch the second (sparkling) fermentation and the bottles are stocked sur latte for three to four years |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2013 Royal Seyssel MAGNUM
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
This bottle of Royal Seyssel had me Royally fooled into thinking I was enjoying a very pricey, very prestigious, vintage Champagne.
Petit Royal
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
From a village in the French Alps with a reputation for floral-scented charmers made from the local grapes.
2015 Royal Seyssel
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
This bottle of Royal Seyssel had me Royally fooled into thinking I was enjoying a very pricey, very prestigious, vintage Champagne.
About The Producer
Lambert de Seyssel
The “Royal Seyssel” label, launched in 1901 by the Varichon and Clerc families, was considered the best sparkling Seyssel on the market. But when the operation was purchased in the 1990s by a Burgundian négociant, quality suffered, and in 2007 the owners closed the winery. Dismayed to see what their great local wine had come to, Gérard and Catherine Lambert teamed up with Olivier Varichon to buy back the Royal Seyssel label and recreate the wine that was once so renowned. The wines of Seyssel indulge in the same traditional methods used for Champagne, and take it a step further by aging for at least three years before disgorgement.
More from Savoie & Bugey or France
2018 Pinot Gris “Dorfburg”
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
2018 Corton Rognet Grand Cru
Domaine Taupenot-Merme France | Burgundy
2022 Île de Beauté Blanc “E Croce”
Yves Leccia France | Corsica
2020 Pic Saint Loup “Guilhem Gaucelm”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2013 Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 1er Cru “Cuvée du Clos Notre Dame”
Veuve Fourny et Fils France | Champagne
NV Rosé Brut Grand Cru
Paul Bara France | Champagne
2020 Rully Blanc 1er Cru “Rabourcé”
Domaine De Villaine France | Burgundy
2021 Savoie Chignin-Bergeron “Le Grand Rebossan”
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône “Poignée de Raisins”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
NV Rosé Brut 1er Cru MAGNUM
J. Lassalle France | Champagne
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Centenaire”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2019 Chinon “Clos de la Dioterie”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2018 Pinot Gris “Dorfburg”
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
2018 Corton Rognet Grand Cru
Domaine Taupenot-Merme France | Burgundy
2022 Île de Beauté Blanc “E Croce”
Yves Leccia France | Corsica
2020 Pic Saint Loup “Guilhem Gaucelm”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2013 Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 1er Cru “Cuvée du Clos Notre Dame”
Veuve Fourny et Fils France | Champagne
NV Rosé Brut Grand Cru
Paul Bara France | Champagne
2020 Rully Blanc 1er Cru “Rabourcé”
Domaine De Villaine France | Burgundy
2021 Savoie Chignin-Bergeron “Le Grand Rebossan”
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône “Poignée de Raisins”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
NV Rosé Brut 1er Cru MAGNUM
J. Lassalle France | Champagne
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Centenaire”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2019 Chinon “Clos de la Dioterie”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
You don’t have to be rich to cellar a great wine.