July 2025 - Alpine Franche
July 2025
Alpine France
Featuring:
Domaine de l’Idylle
Domaine Guillaume
Alpine France is a loose term roughly describing the part of France found along the Swiss and Italian borders within - you guessed it - the Alps! While most people think of the Alps for hiking, skiing, mountaineering, skydiving, and posh European apres-ski parties, there are some of us whose minds go directly to cool climate wines made by quirky characters who adore their native grapes. This region of France has become more and more popular in recent decades, helped along immensely by the natural wine scene and their cult-heroes of Overnoy, Ganevat, and the late Belluard.
Alpine France, in wine terms, usually covers the Jura and Savoie, with the lesser known Bugey also included. Wines from these regions are often a bit pricier due to the limited arable land, harsher growing conditions, and unpredictable weather events. When searching for wines to feature, we found a very exciting producer in the lesser known (and less Alpine) Franche-Comté that we felt would be remiss not to include. We will cover all of these regions and implore you to take a look at the included map. Burgundy and Beaujolais are included for reference, as is Jura. The two villages in red are where our chosen producers are.
Savoie
Savoie is by far the most Alpine of these regions. It is a larger but sparsely populated region, with small villages allowed to use the Savoie name dotted through the mountainous countryside. Starting on the south side of Lac Lémon (where Switzerland’s Lausanne and Geneva share shores) and making a half circle down to Cruet, there are a smattering of small areas allowed to make AOC Savoie. Cruet is along a line of nine villages along the valley floor that are within the AOC. This area is 40-50 miles from the peak of Mont Blanc, and sits between 500m and 1000m elevation. Winters are frigid and summers are cool, but do enjoy some warm spells from the Mediterranean Sea to the south (it's only 150 miles away, after all). Regardless, cool-climate loving white grapes excel here, making up 70% of Savoie production. With only 5000 acres planted, only a ½ percent of all French wine is made here.
There are 23 varieties allowed/planted in Savoie. For whites, the most popular/important are Jacquère, Altesse, Roussanne, Chasselas, and Grignet. For reds, Mondeuse is by far the most popular. Other grapes like Gamay, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc can also be found here, but those are far from why we are talking about this region.
Overall, Savoie wines are interesting and unique. White wines exhibit plenty of fruit and floral aromatics, plus vibrant acidity. Red wines show firm, grippy tannin, tart red fruits, and love some age. White Vin de Savoie is the common appellation, one should also look out for Roussette de Savoie (100% Altesse from four different villages) and Seyssell (Altesse and Chasselas from two specific villages)
Bugey
Bugey is a small, somewhat obscure region located on the North side of the Rhône River when it makes a big U bend. On our handy map, is it just to the West of Aix-les-Bains. Bugey only covers about 1200 acres of vines and produces most of its wine for local consumption. The wine most people know the region for is Bugey-Cerdon, which is a lightly sweet sparkling wine that has a Rosé tint. This wine is made from Gamay and Ploussard, and is fermented in the method ancestrale, meaning the bubbles are naturally there from the primary fermentation, rather than the secondary (ie Champagne, Crémant).
While a whole host of wines - white, red, rosé, etc - are made in Bugey, this is the one you are likely to find stateside. Look for it as an alternative the next time you’re in need of a Moscato or other lively dessert wine!
Jura
The Jura is definitely the ‘cool kid’ on the Alpine French wine scene. Located just 40 miles to the East of Burgundy, this region has started to enjoy a lot of ‘spillover’ success from the explosion of Burgundy-lovers in the past couple decades. This is incredibly well-deserved, as the wines are fantastic, but proximity to Burgundy sure does help the cause.
Located along the same valley floor as Burgundy, Jura is a north-south region that follows a streak of marl over limestone along the Jura Mountains. This mountain range runs from southern Germany to eastern France (and along the Swiss border). It is a sub-Alpine range that, in many ways, contrasts the rugged and drastic Alps to the south.
Jura, as a wine region, has a continental climate and is a bit cooler than Savoie to the south due to the lack of Mediterranean influence. The two have roughly the same amount under vine and the white:red split is also similar. What differentiates the two, however, is the styles of wine made.
In addition to oxidative dry whites - primarily from Chardonnay or Savagnin - Jura also makes a range of fortified, flor-aged, and sweet wines all unique to the region. These can be a bit confusing so we will try to break them down.
Oxidative whites: Regular table wines, but with an oxidative component that adds a soft hazelnut & baked apple component. Usually still, but can also be sparkling (Crémant de Jura). No designation is given to these but usually producers are known to either make their wines in an “oxidative style” or not.
Vin jaune: White wine from Savignin that has been slowly fermented and aged in a wooden cask. As the alcohol evaporates, head space is created and a yeast called voile (similar to flor in Sherry speak) covers the wine. This protects it from oxidation. The wines will have a higher glycerin component on the mouthfeel (a byproduct of this yeast) and a pronounced nuttiness alongside dried fruits and other spices. Alcohol generally ranges 13-15%.
Vin de Paille: This “wine of straw” is made from white wine grapes dried on straw mats. The drying of the grapes concentrates the sugar levels, allowing the fermented wine to reach a higher ABV (almost 20%) while also maintaining varying degrees of sweetness. Aromas often include honey, spiced bread, dried fruit, and some nuttiness from oxidation. Wines can be lusciously sweet, lightly sweet, or anywhere in between. These are often sold in 375ml bottles.
Macvin de Jura: This is a fortified wine (ie Port, Vermouth, etc) made by blending un-fermented or partially-fermented grape must (juice) with Marc de Jura (a clear brandy/eau de vie made from grape pomace). The high-spirit brandy kills the yeast during fermentation, allowing the sugar from the grapes to remain in the wine without fermenting into alcohol. This is the same method as Port, however with less extraction and much different grapes. The resulting wine shows stewed fruits, chestnuts, and straw, with high acidity and alluring sweetness.
The three above styles of wine are incredibly unique and delicious, albeit quite expensive due to their incredibly laborious process and small production.
For regular dry table wines, the Jura is also a gold mine. Grapes include: Savagnin and Chardonnay for whites and Poulsard (Ploussard), Trousseau, and Pinot Noir for reds. Whites tend to be textured and savory, often with oxidative notes, while reds tend to showcase light body, lower extraction, and higher acidity.
Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté is not a wine appellation but rather a geographical and historic region. This is a larger administrative area that encompasses the departments of Doubs, Jura, Haute-Saône and the Territoire de Belfort. It was an administrative region from 1956 to 2015, and then became part of the larger Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region when France restructured their administrative regions.
Like much of Europe, even though it is not an official wine region, grapes are still grown here. The region as a whole is perfect for agriculture. High plains between the Vosges mountains in Alsace and the Jura mountains along the Swiss border allow for cattle grazing and dairy industries to flourish. Cheesemaking is particularly popular here, with the eponymous Comté cheese being produced here.
As far as viticulture, the greater Franche Comte region (excluding Jura) produces relatively low-cost table wines without AOC designation. Grapes are usually a mix of those found in Alsace, Burgundy, and Jura. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Auxxerois, Savagnin, and Poulsard are popular. Generally speaking, the wines are affordable, uncomplicated, and approachable - a nice contrast to the cult favorite Jura wines just south.
Domaine de l’Idylle, Jacquère, Cruet, Savoie 2023
Domaine de l’Idylle is a multi-generational story of admiration for the land, hardship, and endurance. In 1840, François Tiollier purchased a plot of fruit trees and vines, christening it ‘Domaine de l’Idylle’ (Idylle means romance, or love story). Unable to have children, François passed the estate to his nephew, Albert. Albert focused on wine production, rather than expanding acreage, and gained the first ‘Gold medal’ recognition for the wines in 1920.
Before WW2, Albert passed the estate to his son André and daughter-in-law Henriette. The two of them worked on the property through the war, becoming the first to bottle wines on site. Their sons, Philippe and François Tiollier, took over in 1975. The siblings focused on planting native varieties, eventually expanding the estate to its current size of 50 acres. In 2011, Phillipe’s eldest son, Sylvain Tiollier, joined the estate and worked alongside his father before his retirement in 2012. Today, the estate is run by Sylvain (5th generation Tiollier), who acts as winemaker, with a guiding hand from his uncle François.
The winery and vineyards sit within the National Park Massif des Bauges, in the Cruet sub-appellation (village) of Savoie. Vineyards sit on a south-facing facing slope drenched in sunlight. The grapes are grown organically, with almost all vineyard tasks being done by hand due to the steep terrain. Here is a beautiful, concise video showing harvest time at the Domaine.
In the cellar, wines are produced with little intervention outside of the usual mechanical methods. Fermentation temperatures are kept low, ensuring long, slow fermentations and minimizing chemical intervention (outside of limited sulfur) needed to stabilize the wines. Most wines are fermented and aged in stainless steel for a year, while some sit in locally produced Oak barrels for a longer period of time.
This wine is not the flagship, but the most ‘known’ of their estate; a lovely introduction to the crisp whites of the Alps. It is 100% Jacquère, fermented and aged in stainless steel before bottling in spring. The nose showcases typical pear and grapefruit notes, with a touch of white flowers. On the palate it is crisp and acid-driven, with a lemon-y note and a touch of minerality.
The common pairing recommendation for Jacquere is fondue, however that may be more suited to a log cabin in winter than this week’s weather. Being a white-hot Portland summer and all, we’d recommend some fresh fish. Trout a la Meunière (à la Julia Child) would be a simple yet perfect pairing.
Domaine Guillaume, Pinot Noir, Charcenne, Franche-Comté 2023
Xavier Guillaume's day job is his family’s vine nursery, where he propagates cuttings and grows plants to supply vineyards with rootstocks and cuttings. However, this isn’t any old nursery. Located in Charcenne, 50 miles east of Beaune, the Guillaume Nursery supplies vine products to some of the best wineries in Burgundy, including Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (who makes the world’s most sought after wines). With incredible products at his hands, it is no wonder to anyone why he also grows some grapes on the side.
Being a nursery professional first and a winemaker second, Xavier experiments with a lot of grape varieties, likely a large number of the ones mentioned earlier in this writeup. We’re told they’re good enough to stand on their laurels (rather than being novelties). However, what we have access to stateside are his two best representations that go far above just being ‘good enough’ - the Domaine Guillaume Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
While Guillaume’s Pinot Noirs aren’t fetching thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars per bottle, they are supremely undervalued for what is in the bottle - delicate, expressive Pinot Noir that jumps out of the glass with notes of strawberries, cherries, violets, and pomegranate. There is just a touch of woody spice and bright, elegant acidity. It is a simple wine, but one that showcases the allure of lighter Pinot Noir so very well. The wines aren’t dripping with luscious, overpowering fruit as much as they are delicately leading you through a meadow to graze on freshly-ripened berries straight from the vine.
While we’d be happy to drink this all on its own, a fine pairing for this style of Pinot Noir is Duck Confit with potatoes. The fat from the duck matches the acidity in the Pinot perfectly. In a perfect world, confit the duck and roast the potatoes in the morning when the house is still cool, then sear them off in the warm evening when you wouldn’t dare turn the oven on!