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2018 Savoie “Les Abymes”
A. & M. QuenardIn the year 1248, an entire mountainside collapsed on the western end of the French Alps, burying multiple villages and all their inhabitants in the rubble. That pile of limestone now makes up the Savoie cru Les Abymes, a vineyard responsible for an outrageously thirst-quenching expression of the Jacquère grape. Expect a prickle of carbon dioxide, naturally left over from the fermentation process, to tickle the tongue, while an intensely cool, stony sensation on the palate mimics Alpine meltwater rushing down a steep waterfall. Now that’s what I call a landslide victory!
—Steve Waters
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Jacquère |
Appellation: | Vin de Savoie |
Country: | France |
Producer: | André & Michel Quenard |
Winemaker: | André & Michel Quenard |
Vineyard: | 50 years, 1.14 ha |
Soil: | Marl, Limestone |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 12% |
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About The Producer
André & Michel Quenard
The Savoie is a picture of fairy-tale perfection: snow-capped peaks, rolling hills, and sparkling mountain streams. This idyllic region is where Michel Quenard farms twenty-two hectares of vineyards along the steep slopes around Chignin. His grandfather started the domaine in the 1930s. Though he slowly increased his vineyard holdings, he mostly sold off his wine. It wasn’t until 1960 that Michel’s father, André, began bottling under their own label. Michel joined the domaine in 1976. Today, he is joined by his sons, Guillaume and Romain. Their cuvées go beyond the simple “eclectic” that categorizes wines from Savoie; they are unique revelations that reflect the complexity of their terroir and the artistry of this master.
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Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch