Romain Chamiot, Vin de Savoie Blanc, 'Apremont'

If you’ve ever skied in the French Alps, chances are you’ve drunk this wine without ever knowing its name.It is poured in ski huts perched high above snowy valleys, mountain cafés overlooking glacial lakes, and tiny family restaurants where the menu hasn’t changed in generations. After a day spent hiking beneath snow-capped peaks or carving through fresh powder, few things are more satisfying than a cold glass of Apremont.

What makes today’s bottle particularly special is just how small the production really is. There are very few wines of this quality still being made from such a fragmented collection of vineyards. Romain Chamiot farms roughly thirty tiny hillside parcels scattered across the slopes surrounding Apremont, amounting to just under fifteen acres in total.

Thirty tiny hillside parcels. Just fifteen acres of remarkable white wine terroir.

Savoie occupies one of the most beautiful corners of Europe. Wedged between France, Switzerland, and Italy, it is a land of towering Alpine peaks, emerald lakes, grazing cattle, stone villages, and winding mountain roads that disappear into the clouds. This is a place where life still revolves around the mountains. The food is hearty, deeply local, and designed for long winters. Wheels of Beaufort age in ancient stone cellars. Raclette melts beside crackling fires. Fondue appears on tables after a day spent outdoors.

The wines evolved alongside this culture.

For centuries, the people of Savoie made wines not for critics, collectors, or export markets, but for themselves. Wines that refreshed after a day in the mountains. Wines that paired effortlessly with local fish, Alpine cheeses, and simple country cooking.

The first time I tasted Apremont, I remember thinking that it felt like drinking liquid limestone pulled straight from a mountain spring. Not thin. Not simple. In fact, the best examples carry a surprising amount of texture despite their modest alcohol levels. Imagine the stony minerality of Chablis, but lighter on its feet, fresher, and infused with the cool air of the Alps.

There is no oak to hide behind and very little fruit sweetness to soften the edges. What remains is pure mountain character.

Today’s bottle comes from Romain Chamiot, one of the young growers helping bring new attention to this remarkable corner of France. The Chamiot family has farmed vineyards around Apremont for generations, and Romain recently took over the Domaine from his grandparents. He farms seven hectares spread across roughly thirty small parcels, most planted to Jacquère, the grape variety that defines Apremont. Many of the vines are between forty and eighty years old, and much of the work is still done by hand on the steep Alpine slopes.

The vineyards sit beneath the imposing Mont Granier on limestone-rich soils that naturally produce wines of tremendous freshness and precision. Fermented and raised entirely in tank, the 2025 preserves every ounce of Alpine energy and purity.

Brilliant pale gold in the glass. Aromas of lemon zest, green apple, white flowers, wet stone, and fresh mountain herbs leap from the glass. On the palate, the wine is crisp and energetic, yet carries more texture than many expect from Jacquère. Citrus oil, orchard fruit, oyster shell, crushed limestone, and a subtle saline note build through the mid-palate before giving way to a long, mouthwatering finish driven by mineral tension rather than fruit weight.

This is the kind of wine that feels almost impossible to tire of.

If I were sitting in Savoie, I’d pair this with fresh trout pulled from an Alpine stream, a bubbling raclette, or a wedge of aged Beaufort.

At home, think oysters, steamed mussels, shrimp, crab, grilled prawns, sole, halibut, sushi, sashimi, roast chicken, fondue, Comté, Gruyère, or simply a loaf of good bread and good company.

Serve just above refrigerator temperature in a proper white wine glass. No decanting necessary.

Drink now through 2029. While this wine is built primarily for freshness and vibrancy, the best examples often gain additional complexity over several years in bottle, developing subtle honeyed and nutty notes while retaining their hallmark mineral backbone.

At roughly 11.5% alcohol, it delivers all the refreshment that has made Apremont a local favorite for generations while still carrying enough substance to satisfy serious wine lovers.

Intellectual and delicious.

A tiny piece of the French Alps in a bottle.