Domaine Des Ardoisieres Amethyste Rouge 2017

Nestled within the French Alps, the French region, Savoie, sits quiet and unassuming as its growers produce a level of wine to rival that of Burgundy. Previously a powerful wine region with 20,000 hectares planted on the complex slopes of the mountain, it had been drastically reduced to 3,000 hectares. Most of the vineyards were removed and replanted on flat ground, where it is easier for machine use but unfortunately compromised the grape quality.

The Coteau de Cevins was replanted in 1998 with the original, high quality vines of Persan and Mondeuse noire (red) as well as Altesse, Roussanne, Mondeuse blanche, Malvoisie and Jacquère (white). The slope reaches 60% of inclination, and the vines are planted on terraces of very old, complex mica-schists, loam and sand. With 8,000 vines planted per hectare and 25 hectolitres per hectare produced, it is the Grand Cru hill of Savoie! Out of this magnificent hill, three wines are produced, Quartz, Schiste and Améthyste. The first real crop was harvested in 2002, then in 2005, Brice Omont was appointed wine grower and director of Domaine des Ardoisières, continuing the work Michel Grisard had begun.

In addition to the Coteau de Cevins, Brice Omont rented a vineyard on the Coteau de St Pierre de Soucy in 2008 in order to produce wines from clay and limestone soils and schist. The two Cuvée ARGILE white and Red were born. Then in order to expand, in 2015 Brice Omont began renting another vineyard of high quality Jacquère to produce SILICE, a highly addictive cuvée of white wine.