Roussette de Savoie

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The Roussette de Savoie vineyard stretches in an arc across the foothills of the Alpine massif, from Thonon-les-Bains in the north to west of Albertville in the south, passing through Frangy, the Lac du Bourget, and the southern outskirts of Chambéry.
• Certain Roussette de Savoie vineyard sites rest on substrates resulting from the collapse of Mont-Granier, a recent geological event dated to 1248, which reworked Cretaceous marls and limestones.
• Older rocks outcrop locally at Marestel and Monthoux, principally marls and limestones of the Upper Jurassic.
• The climate shows oceanic tendencies under the influence of westerly winds that bring moisture and moderate temperature variation, while also being subject to continental and southern influences, with northerly flows bringing cold, dry conditions and southerly flows bringing milder weather.
• The humidity of the Roussette de Savoie climate is reinforced by the presence of water reserves such as lakes, snow, and ice, which feed an extensive permanent hydrographic network; sunshine amounts to around 1,600 hours per year, with a warm late season.

• The altesse grape variety is documented in Savoie from the fourteenth century onwards, first cultivated on the terraced hillsides of the communes of Jongieux and Lucey to produce a wine reserved for the tables of princes.
• The name Marestel derives from the ennoblement of Claude Mareste, counsellor to Duke Emmanuel Philibert of Savoie, in 1563, while the name Roussette refers to the russet colour the berries take on at maturity.

• The attack on the palate of Roussette de Savoie wines is generally marked by freshness, with a bouquet very often characterised by notes of white fruit and honey.
• Wines bearing the additional geographical designation «Marestel» display a greater gustatory breadth, linked to a more advanced ripeness of the grapes.
• Wines bearing the additional geographical designations «Frangy», «Monterminod», and «Monthoux» present a dry style in which floral notes dominate on the nose.

• The presence of mountain ridges, with pronounced aspects and particular air currents, combined with a dense hydrographic network of lakes, springs, and rivers, results in the Roussette de Savoie vineyard being established in pockets of varying size.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Dénominations géographiques complémentaires

• Roussette de Savoie Frangy AOC (PDO)
• Roussette de Savoie Marestel AOC (PDO)
• Roussette de Savoie Monterminod AOC (PDO)
• Roussette de Savoie Monthoux AOC (PDO)

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF)
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — CIVS — Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins de Savoie