Jacquère has come a long way in the past 10 years. If you still think it’s just an après ski quaffer with minimal texture and low fruit, here is yet another example to show otherwise. Precise farming and attentive winemaking have proven to unlock the layers of complexity in Jacquère. And although Paul Gadenne is a very young man, this wine proves he has the touch. The word ‘Debaroule’ is a local word from Lyon that means to land, fall and roll - which is how Paul feels he came into viticulture.

Chignin-Bergeron is, in the quixotic, sometimes overly complicated langue of Savoie wines, always Roussanne (locally known as Bergeron). It is one of the 16 crus of the Savoie and the only one to include the name of the grape (albeit a local name) and the only one to allow this particular grape - Bergeron or Roussanne. Historically, it has been prized because it is so different from all the other wines of the region made mostly of Jacquère or Altesse. It can be rich and fat whereas the others are linear, lean and acid driven. We generally shy away from ‘rich and fat’ in our white wines, and thankfully so does Paul Gadenne. This version of Chignin-Bergeron has the unique aromatics and the complexity one would hope for and perhaps a bit more texture than his Jacquère wines, but it’s still lean and acid driven and absolutely delicious.