2023 Domaine Labbé Jacquère ‘Abymes’

100% sustainably farmed Jacquère from 50 year old vines on calcareous soils. Abymes is one of 17 crus allowed to add their names to the Savoie appellation. The name “Abymes” comes from the French word for “broken” and refers to the vineyard’s unique soil, which consists of the limestone rubble from a massive landslide in 1248.  Fermented and aged simply in stainless steel. 5,250 cases made. 11.5% alcohol. 

We love Jacquère! This is light, bright, pure alpine wine. Full of crisp orchard and citrus fruits and rocky minerality, this is dry but not bracingly so. Despite the high acidity, it doesn’t feel sharp at all, but has an almost soft, lightly honeyed feel in the mouth. Pair with sushi, simple fish preparations, fondue, raclette and salads. 

Domaine Labbé was founded by the fathers of cousins Alexandra and Jérome Labbé in 1975. At the time, their parents were subsistence farmers (a little bit of everything: milk, cows, beef, hay, wheat and some table grapes). To survive economically, one brother, a charcutier (pork butcher) and the other, a construction entrepreneur, worked on the vines on the weekends and in their spare time planted Jacqueres. In 2004, after their parents successfully launched the domaine, they took over in 2004.

Comprised of 25 acres, Domaine Labbé is located 9 miles south of Chambéry, a village famous for its Vermouth and cheese. Vinification practices preserve both varietal typicity and freshness – the cellar temperature is controlled, fermentation occurs through indigenous yeasts in non-reactive tanks/foudres.

The Savoie region is an Alpine region in Eastern France neighboring Switzerland with many of its vineyards lying close to the Rhone River as it winds its way from Geneva southward. Very little of its wines are found outside of the region as they are mostly consumed locally, given the region’s popularity as both a winter and summer vacation destination.