Verdesse

Unicorn, in that This Savoie is Verdesse. Kind of like a challenging mountain hike— may not always feel good on the way, but grateful for the view, & the process. Some of its dichotomy is in its intense (Alpine!!) aromatics- intense minerality, freshness, pine needles, grapefruit pith, & it’s absolute dry mouthfeel. On palate it’s like a Chenin Blanc but zero RS, including the texture which is thick & smooth. Medium acidity.

Nose is a wonderful. Complex and so wonderful. Baked apple, spice, apple cider, minerals and alpine flowers. Lovely. Huge acidity and freshness. So elegant and wow that acid and minerality wakes you up! Electric wine. So juicy and unique. Huge concentration and purity. Excellent. There is a serious core here and I think this is a great candidate for short term aging. As this airs it gets so complex. Brilliant. Great tropical fruit after air.

Super expressive nose of incense, wool, salty caramel, peaches, mango, some “natural wine aroma” as well. But it works so well as only a small part that complements. Palate is juicy and super clean. Loads of lanolin, minerals and and alpine flowers and grasses. Good concentration and density and a super impressive structure. This wine changes a lot. I’ll be back.

Another Isere wine. Lots of peach and sweet grapefruit plus some bitter raw almond.

Awesome nose. Fruit salad galore. Confectionary sugar. Floral and pears. Wonderful nose. Mineral as well and really dense. Juicy and laser like precision and so fresh. Long and delineated with more mineral than the aromas suggest. Concentrated and texture and so pure. Really unique and compelling wine from Isere. Awesome.

Special wine here: great darker color for 2019 with gorgeous complex aromas that went from mineral & saline to white peach & salt water taffy to citrus, high tone spearmint on to herbaceous foresty alpine meadow & flowers. I know weird but good weird. Palate had some silkiness to it astride a firm acidic backbone. It has some tart citrus to it - quinine, but also a sweet spot with some peach & taffy - there’s also that wild alpine element tough to describe. Beautiful harmony & balance - to superb finish. Drink @ cellar temp. thanks @Lyle Fass

Really a delicious and unusual wine. Definitely an excellent wine. Quite a bit of apparent confectionary / sweetness on the nose and even the early palate, but this is certainly dry. Wonderful mouthfeel and nice length and acid. Nice wine.

I self-declared Savoie Week in San Marcos. Love Verdesse. Lemon Verbena and well balanced. Fresh.

Candied violets

At Galopin in Annecy, a few days after tasting/buying the 2022 at the Domaine in the Isère subregion of Savoie. Rare grape, only about 12 hectares planted worldwide. Nice lemon profile with a bit of mineral and saline, and good acidity. Enjoyed it quite a bit! Also have a few bottles of the ‘21 via @Lyle Fass that I have not tried yet.