Winemakers: Domaine des Côtes Rousses

Native Savoyards Nicolas and Marielle Ferrand cultivate just over six hectares of vines, five of which are located on the steep slopes of the Bauges mountain range in the Saint-Jean-de-la-Porte Cru. The name of the domain pays tribute to its unique and fascinating terroir, composed of a base of schistous marl-limestone covered by varying types—and oxidation levels—of clay, the majority of which is red. At elevations ranging from 350-600 meters, regional varieties of Jacquère, Altesse, and Mondeuse Noire are supplemented with small amounts of Chardonnay, Roussanne, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.  

Equally compelling are the winemakers’ backgrounds. After completing a Master’s in Rural Territory Management from Sciences Po, Nicolas quickly discovered his desire to be amongst everything rural rather than managing it from a distance. Following a herding season in the alps, he performed his first vinifications in 2010, and subsequently founded the domain in 2011. Marielle, also holding an environmental degree from Sciences Po and who formerly worked for the region in the environmental sector, joined him full time in 2020. 

The couple’s precision and innovative perspective are reflected in the vineyards, where all work is carried out in accordance with the biodynamic calendar, with the addition of fermented plant extracts to help boost the natural resistance of the vines. This intuitively extends to the winery and cellar, which are located at Nicolas’ generational family farm in La Motte-Servolex (where his grandparents once raised cattle) and where almost all work is done by gravity. Vinifications take place in aged barrels and Alsatian foudres, with a small amount of sandstone jars, terra cotta amphoras, and concrete tanks also used. For all white cuvées,  alcoholic fermentation occurs directly in barrel, on full lees—lending a pronounced roundness and complexity to the wines. All reds undergo an average of eight day, whole-bunch maceration, without any additional extraction (no pumpovers, no pigeage) in order to best reflect the elevated minerality of the terroir. Longer-aged wines, kept in barrel in the house’s oldest cellar, are used to provide further complexity to the newer vintages (with up to 15% from the prior vintage blended to current vintages before bottling). All cuvées are unfiltered, unsulfured, and certified organic.

The wines are defined by an intense minerality, crisp fruit, and distinct structure and precision, which are in turn so fully reflective of the meticulous and inventive nature of Nicolas and Marielle and the unique terroir they cultivate.