Vin de Savoie ou Savoie

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The Vin de Savoie ou Savoie vineyard stretches in an arc along the Alpine foothills, from Thonon-les-Bains in the north to west of Albertville in the south, passing through Frangy, the Lac du Bourget, and Chambéry.
• The delimited parcels rest notably on ancient Quaternary glacial moraines forming veneers at the foot of the mountains or on valley slopes, at Marignan, Crépy, Chautagne, and Seyssel, as well as on post-glacial scree deposits at Chignin, in the Combe de Savoie, and at Ayse, and on Tertiary molasse at Frangy and Chautagne.
• At Abymes, the substrates derive from the collapse of Mont Granier in 1248, a geological event that reworked calcareous clay marls and Cretaceous limestones.
• At Arbin and Jongieux, older rocks not covered by recent alluvial spreads crop out locally, principally Upper Jurassic marls and limestones.
• The climate shows oceanic tendencies under the influence of westerly winds, but also receives northerly flows bringing dry cold and southerly flows bringing mild conditions.
• The Vin de Savoie ou Savoie vineyard receives high rainfall always exceeding 1,000 millimetres per year and benefits from around 1,600 hours of sunshine annually, with a warm late season.
• The vines are oriented south and south-east, or west, and planted at altitudes of between 250 and 500 metres.

• In 1884, the Vin de Savoie ou Savoie vineyard reached its peak with 21,143 hectares producing 504,943 hectolitres, before being almost entirely destroyed by the phylloxera crisis.
• The jacquère and altesse varieties, which yield low alcohol and retain liveliness, have been favoured for the production of sparkling wines made by a second fermentation in the bottle.
• Chasselas is almost exclusively grown on the shores of Lake Geneva, gringet along the Arve valley, jacquère in the Chambéry cluse, roussanne at Chignin on fully south-facing slopes, mondeuse in the Combe de Savoie, and gamay in Chautagne.

• The generic white wines are pale yellow to golden yellow in appearance, refined and fresh, often with a light spritz in their youth when kept on fine lees, with a range of floral and fruity aromas.
• The red wines show a ruby colour, sometimes deeper, bright red or with violet hints, with a nose and palate frequently marked by red or black fruits and sometimes spiced or peppery notes.
• The wines of the Apremont sub-denomination show mineral notes on the finish linked to the calcareous terroir, extending the wine's aromatic expression.
• The rosé quality sparkling wines draw on the lively, low-alcohol character of the varieties that go into their production, giving them freshness and lightness.

• The deep, predominantly silty-clay soils of the Lake Geneva sector allow chasselas to establish easily, producing a dry, light white wine with hazelnut aromas.
• In the Chautagne moraine, where jacquère, chardonnay, pinot, and mondeuse find their natural home, the moraine contributes minerality, fruitiness, and some spice notes to the wines.

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

Dénominations géographiques complémentaires

• Vin de Savoie Abymes ou Les Abymes AOC (PDO)
• Vin de Savoie Apremont AOC (PDO)
• Vin de Savoie Arbin AOC (PDO)
• Vin de Savoie Ayze AOC (PDO)
• Vin de Savoie Chautagne AOC (PDO)
• Vin de Savoie Chignin AOC (PDO)
• Vin de Savoie Chignin-Bergeron AOC (PDO)
• Vin de Savoie Cruet AOC (PDO)
• Vin de Savoie Crépy AOC (PDO)
• Vin de Savoie Jongieux AOC (PDO)
• Vin de Savoie Marignan AOC (PDO)
• Vin de Savoie Marin AOC (PDO)
• Vin de Savoie Montmélian AOC (PDO)
• Vin de Savoie Ripaille AOC (PDO)
• Vin de Savoie Saint-Jean-de-la-Porte AOC (PDO)
• Vin de Savoie Saint-Jeoire-Prieuré AOC (PDO)

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 14 juin 2023 publié au JORF du 22 juin 2023, JORF 22 juin 2023
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — CIVS — Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins de Savoie