Domaine Paul Gadenne, La Débaroule Chignin, Savoie, 2020

This lively white, made from Jacquère, is like a soft embrace from a powdery snowman - bracing, fresh and enlivening. Lovely open aromas of yellow apple, lime and pear develop into quince on the palate, with a lemon curd depth. It’s chalky, mineral and zippy, with a refreshing acid line, like a true Alpine wine. One of the most widely planted grape varieties in Savoie, Jacquère tends towards lower alcohol levels, making for dangerously fresh and drinkable wines. This was fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged on lees for eight months before bottling without fining or filtration. Having studied winemaking in Beaune, the young Paul Gadenne returned to his home region of Savoie to begin crafting pure wines from local varieties, working organically in the vineyards and intervening only minimally in the cellar. This is a new domaine with great promise.