Where altitude
brings clarity.
At the mountain edges of France, wine takes on a different rhythm. Altitude, winds and marked day-to-night temperature swings produce wines defined by brightness, aromatic precision and a natural energy that is almost impossible to replicate anywhere else.
These two estates sit at France's geographical extremes : one beneath the dramatic cliffs of Savoie's Alps, the other at the base of the Pyrenees where Atlantic winds meet mountain air. Both farm biodynamically. Both harvest by hand. Both make wines that carry a vivid sense of altitude and place, wines that feel genuinely alive in the glass, shaped by landscapes you can almost feel when you taste them.
Alpine tension, crystalline freshness.
Perched on steep slopes above the Rhône near the village of Lucey, Domaine de Lucey represents a new generation of Savoie producers redefining the region through careful farming and an uncompromising focus on site expression. The vineyards lie between 320 and 400 metres on clay and limestone soils beneath the dramatic cliffs of the Dent du Chat. Here, the local variety Altesse, known in the appellation as Roussette, produces wines of striking freshness and mineral character. Hand harvested, fermented with native yeasts, bottled without fining or filtration. Each cuvée is a precise portrait of a single parcel.
Contemporary Jurançon, biodynamic conviction.
Located at the foothills of the Pyrenees in Monein, Château Lafitte offers a focused and contemporary interpretation of Jurançon, a region better known for its traditional sweet wines. Under the direction of Antoine Arraou, the estate focuses primarily on dry, gastronomic expressions of the Manseng varieties. The five-hectare vineyard is farmed biodynamically through a holistic approach that integrates vines with fruit trees, grains, grazing sheep and beehives. In the cellar, gravity is favoured, sulfites are minimised, and each wine is vinified with the same patient curiosity : in amphorae, concrete eggs and large-format oak, depending on the character of the vintage.
