2022 ChevernyDomaine du Salvard
France | Loire
$22
Producers
Mostly known and beloved for its white wines, the Savoie is also home to a noteworthy red grape called Mondeuse. Likely a relative of Syrah, Mondeuse thrives along the impossibly steep and scree-laden slopes of the pre-Alps, just down the road from France’s renowned ski mountains. For seventy years, the Quenards’ vines for this cuvée have clung to this stony rubble, enjoying great health and complete ripening courtesy of the slope’s quick draining, sunny southern exposure, and cool Alpine air currents.
Looking up at the sharp incline and the rocky soil, you might wonder how third-generation Guillaume Quenard is able to harvest grapes here, much less tend to them all summer. Somehow, he manages to do so, all manually, before aging the wine for a year in old, neutral foudres before bottling. The resulting fine-grained rouge shows some northern Rhône Syrah qualities—an irresistibly savory, peppery hint and note of black olive—but it also delivers a tart brightness and impressive acidity that make it extremely versatile at table. Pour this beautiful Mondeuse alongside a tender steak, pasta topped with grilled mushrooms, or Chris Lee’s fried rabbit with semolina and herbs for a wonderful late-summer or early-fall feast.
You can find Chris Lee’s recipe here.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Mondeuse |
Appellation: | Savoie |
Country: | France |
Region: | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes |
Producer: | André & Michel Quenard |
Winemaker: | Guillaume Quenard |
Vineyard: | 70 years, 2.8 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Wine is aged in foudre for one year before bottling |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes | Savoie Chignin
André et Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes | Vin de Savoie
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes | Savoie Chignin-Bergeron
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes | Savoie
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes | Savoie
André et Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes | Savoie Chignin-Bergeron
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.
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes | Savoie
André et Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes | Savoie Chignin-Bergeron
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes | Savoie Chignin-Bergeron
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes | Crémant de Savoie
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes | Savoie Chignin
Lambert de Seyssel France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes | Seyssel
André et Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes | Vin de Savoie
Lambert de Seyssel France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes | Seyssel
Lambert de Seyssel France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes | Seyssel
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes | Savoie
Patrick Bottex France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes | Bugey
Domaine Ostertag France | Alsace | Alsace Grand Cru
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.
Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol
Many food and beverage cans have linings containing bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to cause harm to the female reproductive system. Jar lids and bottle caps may also contain BPA. You can be exposed to BPA when you consume foods or beverages packaged in these containers. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/bpa