Savoie, France

Having travelled and tasted many wines over the last few years from young emerging talents, we have to say that it is not often that we come across first vintages that are simply exceptional. Experience, conviction, as well as better logistics often enable winegrowers to progress in delivering more precise and refined wines with time. However, this is not the case for the wines of Mathieu Goury of Domaine de Chevillard based in St Pierre d’Albigny in Savoie, whose 2016 was the 1st official vintage of his. Mathieu, who studied in many wine regions of France (Beaujolais, Loire, Rhône) and travelled extensively making wines abroad (Canada, Australia) has a deep understanding and passion for wine and a “no compromise” approach to quality that is impressive.

The 12ha of vineyards he tends at altitude are mostly on South East exposure, favoring great maturity. The white varieties (Jacquère, Altesse, Chardonnay, Mondeuse Blanche) are pressed very gently using an old Coquard press (widely used in Champagne for the quality of extraction) and fermented directly in oak (large & small barrels). The red varieties (Pinot Noir, Mondeuse Noir) are destemmed and macerated for a long period in concrete tanks, and the rare pump overs are done with buckets. Mathieu has an old school approach, with wines being racked only once before bottling and a minimum amount of sulphur is added at that time.

Mathieu has also been awarded “Discovery of the Year” in 2019 by France’s most prominent wine publication La Revue de Vin de France. Savoie and Mathieu definitely have a bright future.