GRAPE VARIETAL
100% Gamay.
APPELLATION
Vin de Savoie AOP, from the village of Jongieux in Savoie (eastern France).
TERROIR
Clay-limestone soils with a southwest exposure; stony, well-drained parcels that favor fresh, finely detailed fruit.
VINIFICATION
Direct-press rosé, raised on fine lees; bottled young for immediate drinking (best within 1–2 years).
TASTING NOTES
Pale salmon color with red-berry notes redolent of strawberry and raspberry, finishing with a pleasant beam of herbs and crushed flowers.
FOOD PAIRING
A natural fit for apéritif spreads, tabbouleh, charcuterie, poultry and other white meats, and anything off the barbecue.
Savoie sits in France’s Alpine foothills, north of Chambéry and a short hop from Lac du Bourget. In the hanging valley of Jongieux and Marestel, vineyards climb to roughly 400 meters and face south toward the sun while Mont Charvaz shields them from harsher mountain air. It’s a landscape of broken limestone and chalk that keeps roots searching and flavors precise.
It’s the perfect setting to produce this exceptionally tasty, high-elevation Gamay Rosé. The grape ripens reliably on these steep slopes, and the region’s cool nights keep the wine brisk without losing depth. Direct pressing, native fermentations, and stainless steel are the norm here, letting the site—rather than cellar tricks—do the talking.
The Barlet brothers of La Cave du Prieuré
photo courtesy of the winery
Five generations of family vignerons have worked the steep slopes of La Cave du Prieuréand the estate is now led by sixth-generation vigneron Simon Barlet. The estate farms about 20 hectares across Jongieux and Marestel, and despite being quite sizeable by Savoie standards, everything is still done by hand. Local villagers and family handle the vineyard work, paid well above standard, and the approach in the vines is straightforward: no chemical inputs, careful canopy, and sane yields.
La Cave du Prieuré Gamay Rosé is sourced from a three-hectare, high-elevation, chalky parcel. It’s 100% Gamay, direct-pressed, fermented with ambient yeasts in stainless, then left on fine lees for a bit of mid-palate polish. The result is a Savoie rosé that’s clear, focused, and built for picnic, party or porch and is sure to make any meal shine.
Steeply sloped vineyards at La Cave du Prieuré
photo courtesy of Kate Stamps
In your glass, you’ll love the vibrant hit of vivid strawberry and redcurrant, with barely a touch of pink grapefruit lingering with hints of Alpine herbs. The palate is dry and pleasingly taut, with a clean chalky edge that keeps the finish tidy. The very modest ABV makes that second glass a most viable option.
Pair it classically with charcuterie, grilled lake fish, rotisserie chicken, or a tomato-and-olive salad. Or go a little out of the box with watermelon–feta–mint, smoked-trout rillettes on toast, bánh mì with herby pickles, soba noodles with sesame and cucumber, or harissa-rubbed chicken off the grill. It’s also a quietly excellent picnic wine—one bottle for the spread, one for the stories.