2024 Domaine Labbe - Savoie Abymes (750ml)

Domaine Labbé sits ten hectares strong in the Alpine foothills fifteen kilometers south of Chambéry, a small family estate founded in 1975 by brothers Roger and Marc Labbé, who began as mixed farmers raising cattle, hay, and wheat alongside a modest planting of table grapes. Today cousins Jérôme and Alexandra Labbé run the property, having steered it fully into viticulture while holding to sustainable farming and a light hand in the cellar that lets the estate's high-altitude terroir speak clearly through the wines.

This bottling comes entirely from Jacquère, the white grape native to Savoie, grown on the stony, avalanche-scarred slopes of the Abymes cru, whose name derives from the French word for "broken," a reference to the shattered limestone and marl left behind by a catastrophic Mont Granier rockslide centuries ago. Grapes are vinified in temperature-controlled, non-reactive tanks and foudres with native yeasts, a straightforward approach designed to preserve the variety's natural freshness rather than mask it.

The wine pours pale with faint green highlights and offers a bright, mineral-driven profile of lemon zest, green apple, and white pear, framed by the chalky, stony finish characteristic of the appellation. Light on its feet and lively on the palate, it makes an excellent aperitif and pairs beautifully with shellfish, soft cheeses, or a simple vegetable tart.