Description
Domaine Marc Portaz, Apremont “Tête de Cuvée”
Normally, a wine designated tête de cuvée carries a much higher price point. But this perennial standout from Marc Portaz is “top of the line” in both quality and value. In fact, when I take the full measure of this wine, I’m hard-pressed to think of a better white wine value—not least because it isn’t merely a delicious wine but as dramatic an evocation of “terroir” as one could ask for, regardless of price.
From the classic label to the wine inside, Portaz’s Apremont tastes like it flowed over wet stones en route to the bottling line. Crafted from Savoie’s native Jacquère grape, it’s as evocative of its place as any wine you’ll ever try. If you love Chablis—or Austrian Grüner Veltliner, or any white wine of the world with a real mineral footprint—you need to work this crystalline Jacquère into your rotation. Just make sure to have it in good quantity because once you start, there’s no stopping. Luckily for all of us, the price makes it easy to pull the cork on a second (and third) bottle without hesitation.
Marc Portaz farms 10 hectares of vines in Apremont, which is one of the Savoie appellation’s designated ‘crus,’ named for the village it surrounds. Located at the base of the 2300-foot sheer face of Mont Granier in the Chartreuse Mountains (part of the greater Alps), the east-facing Apremont offers great sun exposure while being sheltered from inclement weather. The massive precipice that towers above Apremont was formed all the way back in 1248 when a limestone mass slid off its marl base and toppled into the fields at the foot of the mountain. Full of glacial moraines—soils that have been moved by glaciers—and cretaceous fossils imprinted in limestone, this devastating landside formed what now is the mineral-rich soil for Apremont (which translates to “bitter mountain,” a reference to the landslide, which killed thousands).
After learning the ins and outs of winemaking through his studies in Dijon and internships in California and New Zealand, Portaz returned to the remote Savoie to craft wonderful wines from Jacquère. His small acreage is planted to vines with an average age of 40 years and farmed sustainably without the use of pesticides. The old-vine grapes are always harvested by hand and whole-pressed prior to a fermentation initiated by indigenous yeasts. The wine is then rested on its lees (the spent yeast cells left after fermentation) in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks. The result is a mix of lip-smacking acid and a touch of creaminess—kind of a yogurt-and-fruit effect that is both satisfying and refreshing.
In the glass, Portaz’s “Tête de Cuvée” reveals a straw-yellow core leading out to a silvery/clear rim. The nose takes you to the high altitudes of the Alps: crushed river rock, mountain herbs, lemon blossom, honeysuckle, green peach skin, dewy wildflowers. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied with crisp minerality through and through. It is piquant, electric, and works wonders as an apéritif or simply to serve as a relaxant after a long day. I would drink this over the next year around 45-50 degrees in all-purpose white stems. Please note that the wine disappears quickly, so don’t short yourself! As far as pairing, it is incredibly pleasing as a standalone, but a flavorful Quiche Lorraine with a side of sautéed Swiss chard would absolutely hit the spot. Enjoy!
