Chignin

I should add as subtitle: the pearl of the crown. First, the scenery is intriguing—towers and castles everywhere, some so ancient that archeologists are not yet quite sure of their exact dating. The high Alps and the Granier face you across the valley of the Isère, and then, of course, there are the vines. The grapes climb up the hills and are being replanted higher and higher every year for better exposure to the sun.

Besides the Jacquère, another grape, the wonderful Bergeron is used here to make some of the least-known, best-vinified and best-tasting white wines in France. There are many good producers, but go directly to Monsieur Yves Quenard, who, in the small village of Tormery, produces what I consider the very best wine in the Savoie, his Chignin de Bergeron. You can definitely find it in the better restaurants all over the Savoie, but it is at a premium since only about 50,000 liters are produced each year. The grape was grafted from the Roussanne (one of the components of the Côtes du Rhône); also called Barbin, it is probable that the two names are those of the people who brought the original plants into the Savoie. In great years, the alcohol reaches between 13 and 14 percent. I can always discern the taste of hazelnut in this wine, which rolls on the palate like velvet. It is one of the greatest white wines in France, comparable for me, given the differences of grape, soil, and exposure, with the best Condrieu.