It’s always lovely to make a new wine discovery and this week we did just that.
Altesse is a local white grape variety found in the Savoie region of France. There are many tales of how it got there but most have been disproved by recent DNA testing.
We were first introduced to this grape by friend and wine writer Wink Lorch who has written two wonderful books on the wines of Jura and the French Alps.
When we saw a bottle in the little epicerie in Vouvray we were surprised and delighted.
As a grape it has lovely acidity which means it also has the capacity to age. It also has lovely floral notes, hints of white stone fruit like peach and apricot, a touch of herbs, sometimes a pineapple note and a certain stoniness.
If you’re a fan of Albarino or Viognier you might like to give this wine a try if you see it at your local wine merchant.
Only around 200ha of this grape can be found around the world but I can highly recommend it.
The wine we purchased was from Domaine Blard et Fils, whose vineyards are close to Apremont. The wines of Jura and Savoie are popular with wine professionals and can be found relatively easily here in France.
What’s so appealing to us is the lovely bright acidity that makes them a delight to drink and also fabulous to pair with food.
