Domaine Les Aricoques
Savoie
For a label that only began with the 2021 vintage, the duo of Romain Dupont and Guillaume Bellon have sure generated incredible excitement amongst wine lovers. The high school friends took over the farming of a nearly-5-hectare vineyard in Frangy (the locals are dubbed "Frangypans", hence the exuberance behind PAN!) within the Haute-Savoie.
It definitely draws our attention when young winemakers spend their formative years in dominant wine-producing regions - in the case of Romain and Guillaume, that includes the Rhône and New Zealand - and return to their home regions and implement what they've learned; the subtext there is the great hope of the producer to elevate their native appellations' wines and, by virtue of increasing the quality, thereby the notoriety as well!
They are in the extended process of converting their new home vineyard to biodynamic viticulture, which is in their estimation, paramount to creating the finest wines, especially given the poor soils that greatly reduce yields.
The new release, as alluded to earlier, re-introduces the PAN! line of wines: Altesse, a native grape to the Savoie, is complex and exotic in aromas, naturally low-yielding and bright With the duo's guiding hands, 50 year old vines and the 6 months in concrete eggs, this version of Altesse possesses a beautiful, luscious texture akin to Roussanne (but with acid for days!).
Le Rouze is entirely Gamay, with a focus on the freshness of the grape. Coming from the same poor soils, already Gamay here takes on a beautifully, compact, complex flavor of red fruit and spice, but the grapes see very little extraction before their fermenting in egg-shaped vats. There are some whole clusters maintained, which provide that lifted, delicate spice aromatically. The color may more closely resemble a rosé, but don't let that fool you into thinking it's anything less than seriously delicious.
THE 2023 VINTAGE - SATELLITE COLLECTION
Only a couple years into our partnership, we received the text that no importer, wine fan or really anybody ever wishes to see: a tornado whipped through the Savoie, causing a near-total loss in the vineyards in late July of 2023. Grapes are not the sort of thing you can whip together overnight, as each vine is a living embodiment of long-term investment, benefitting greatly from time with its soil and its vignerons. Yet Romain and Guillaume dusted themselves off, assessed the damages, and pivoted with some help from their friends.
Per the Domaine: "In mythology, Saturn represents patience, wisdom, and rigor essential qualities in viticulture. As a planet with spectacular rings, Saturn is surrounded by many natural satellites, each with unique characteristics, just like the vineyard plots that produce these cuvées. Atlas, Rhea, Methone, Dione, and Calypso evoke exploration. Just as satellites orbit Saturn, each of these single-vineyard cuvées tells a story that reaches beyond the Aricoques estate while carrying the same intent and remaining deeply connected to our core expertise and savoir-faire."
"Just as satellites stay in orbit around Saturn due to subtle gravitational forces, these cuvées remain closely tied to the estate through a shared philosophy. Each cuvée is crafted with the same care, respect for the grape, and pursuit of excellence as wines made from the estate’s own vines. This approach reveals a captivating balance: the satellite cuvées revolve “outside” but always “around” the estate. They enrich the estate’s identity while broadening its horizons, demonstrating that diversity and openness are strengths that enhance the whole."
We are proud to be able to continue our partnership with vignerons so dedicated and respectful of their land and that of their friends that they would only choose to continue with the vintage if they could source from like-minded (read: respectful) vignerons. Knowing their work, the 2023s from Romain and Guillaume are sure to excite and be endlessly satiating!
