When it comes to mountain wines it really doesn't get much more Alpine than the uniquely delicious wines of Domaine Giachino.

The brainchild of brothers Frédéric and David, the domaine sits on the slopes... Read More

When it comes to mountain wines it really doesn't get much more Alpine than the uniquely delicious wines of Domaine Giachino.

The brainchild of brothers Frédéric and David, the domaine sits on the slopes and in the shadow of Mont Granier (the Alps’ largest volcano and most glaciated mountain) in the Chartreuse Hills, high up in the French Alps. For centuries, their family worked these soils producing fruits, nuts, and grains with just 1.5 hectares planted to vines. When Frédéric took over from his grandfather in 1988, he decided to focus on viticulture and gradually expanded his holdings to today’s 9 hectares. After lots of gruelling work and endless research Domaine Giachino achieved organic certification in 2006.

The land in this part of Savoie is rugged, the climate is harsh, and the plots of vines are minuscule. It’s backbreaking work to hike up and down the steep slopes at the base of the mountain, manually harvesting grapes into wicker baskets. Frédéric and David take it on with a smile, making wine “based on respect for humanity and the environment.

The estate comprises various small, organically farmed vineyards on the slopes of Mount Granier, encompassing the communes of Chapareillan, les Marches and Aprement. The soils are made of clay, limestone and moraine, a particular terroir which is the source of the uniqueness of their wines. Many of these sites are well above 5000 feet in elevation, making for challenging climatic conditions.

These harrowing conditions provide Frédéric and David with almost perfect alpine growing conditions. They work exclusively with the region's local varieties including Persan, Mondeuse, Gamay, Jacquere and Altesse. In order to coax out and display the complexity of these local grapes they practice minimal intervention in the cellar. The grapes are very gently extracted in order to preserve a high degree of freshness and in service of this goal, no new oak is ever used. Even their Mondesusse, a grape that can easily become clunky and obtuse is full of vim and vigor. Only minimal sulfur is ever used.

These wines were such a treat to taste. They brought us back to when we first started drinking European wines and were blown away by their ability to be concentrated with flavor and complexity while remaining light and joyful. Like those wines these boast low ABVs, something that's getting harder to find as Europe continues to break heat records. The whites are layered and exotic with crystalline minerality. The reds are fresh, spicy and complex with rich earthy mineral notes and bouncy bright fruit. There is even a pet-nat, honestly one of the best I've tasted, with all of the crisp minerality in a leaner, bubbly frame.