CQU0920RW
Materia Rouge
2020
Savoie
Certified Organic
Certified Biodynamic
Wild Yeasts
Low Sulphur
Savoie, also spelled Savoy, is a French department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France. As a wine region, Savoie consists of many isolated sub-regions and plots of vineyards scattered across four French departments: Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Isère, Ain. Savoie neighbours Switzerland (to the East), the Jura region (to the North) and the little-known Bugey region, which is west across the Rhône river. The climate is continental with alpine and Mediterranean influences. Vines in Savoie are often planted on mountain slopes between 820 ft. and 1804ft. Despite their elevation, Savoie vineyards enjoy a surprisingly warm microclimate due to the southern/south-eastern sun exposure and the moderating effects of nearby rivers and lakes. Apricot, fig, olive and almond trees can share the growing space with vineyards in Savoie. Although the vineyard soils are mostly lime-rich glacial material and scree, there is a great diversity of soil types in Savoie: moraines (glacial deposits), alluvial soils, river terraces (river stone over clay), terraced steep limestone scree slopes, and the molasse basin … Ultimately, Savoie presents an incredible patchwork of soils that came from the epochs that erected the Alps during the Cretaceous and Jurassic periods.
Domaine Claude Quenard & Fils is rooted in the commune of Chignin, Savoie. The estate’s history dates back to 1905 when the Quenard family acquired the land at auction after the separation of Church and State. Originally a Carthusian farm, the domaine evolved from mixed farming and livestock rearing into a dedicated vineyard under Claude Quenard’s leadership in the 1960s. His sons, André and Guy, joined in the late 1980s, further expanding the estate. By the 1990s, with 14 hectares under vine, the domaine began phasing out vineyard treatment products, fully eliminating them from the soil by 2000. They achieved organic certification and, in 2007, became one of the pioneers of ethical viticulture in the region. Today, the vineyard spans 20 hectares across two municipalities, with vines planted on the steep, rocky scree slopes of “La Savoyarde,” the first foothill of the Bauges massif, at an altitude of 350m. These conditions create the perfect terroir for indigenous varieties such as Altesse (Roussette de Savoie), Roussanne, Jacquère, Chardonnay, Gamay, Mondeuse, Persan, and Pinot Noir. Now led by third-generation winemaker Vincent, the domaine continues its commitment to biodynamic and low-intervention farming, working closely with the microbial life of their soils and minimising sulphur and copper use. Adding a modern touch, Vincent has also introduced an organic craft brewery on-site, further embracing the family’s spirit of innovation. This is one of Savoie’s leading organic estates, producing elegant, terroir-driven wines that reflect the purity and energy of the region.
Wine details
CQU0920RW
Claude Quenard & Fils
Materia Rouge
2020
Savoie
Certified Organic
Certified Biodynamic
Wild Yeasts
Low Sulphur
Savoie, also spelled Savoy, is a French department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France. As a wine region, Savoie consists of many isolated sub-regions and plots of vineyards scattered across four French departments: Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Isère, Ain. Savoie neighbours Switzerland (to the East), the Jura region (to the North) and the little-known Bugey region, which is west across the Rhône river. The climate is continental with alpine and Mediterranean influences. Vines in Savoie are often planted on mountain slopes between 820 ft. and 1804ft. Despite their elevation, Savoie vineyards enjoy a surprisingly warm microclimate due to the southern/south-eastern sun exposure and the moderating effects of nearby rivers and lakes. Apricot, fig, olive and almond trees can share the growing space with vineyards in Savoie. Although the vineyard soils are mostly lime-rich glacial material and scree, there is a great diversity of soil types in Savoie: moraines (glacial deposits), alluvial soils, river terraces (river stone over clay), terraced steep limestone scree slopes, and the molasse basin … Ultimately, Savoie presents an incredible patchwork of soils that came from the epochs that erected the Alps during the Cretaceous and Jurassic periods.
Domaine Claude Quenard & Fils is rooted in the commune of Chignin, Savoie. The estate’s history dates back to 1905 when the Quenard family acquired the land at auction after the separation of Church and State. Originally a Carthusian farm, the domaine evolved from mixed farming and livestock rearing into a dedicated vineyard under Claude Quenard’s leadership in the 1960s. His sons, André and Guy, joined in the late 1980s, further expanding the estate. By the 1990s, with 14 hectares under vine, the domaine began phasing out vineyard treatment products, fully eliminating them from the soil by 2000. They achieved organic certification and, in 2007, became one of the pioneers of ethical viticulture in the region. Today, the vineyard spans 20 hectares across two municipalities, with vines planted on the steep, rocky scree slopes of “La Savoyarde,” the first foothill of the Bauges massif, at an altitude of 350m. These conditions create the perfect terroir for indigenous varieties such as Altesse (Roussette de Savoie), Roussanne, Jacquère, Chardonnay, Gamay, Mondeuse, Persan, and Pinot Noir. Now led by third-generation winemaker Vincent, the domaine continues its commitment to biodynamic and low-intervention farming, working closely with the microbial life of their soils and minimising sulphur and copper use. Adding a modern touch, Vincent has also introduced an organic craft brewery on-site, further embracing the family’s spirit of innovation. This is one of Savoie’s leading organic estates, producing elegant, terroir-driven wines that reflect the purity and energy of the region.
