Domaine Giachino
Giac’ Potes 2018
Savoie, France

Without question some of the most exciting wines I tasted over the past 12 months. It was only by luck that I heard of Giachino on my last visit to France. I charged into the mountaints to meet and taste their wines. An unbelievable place with wines to match!

Frédéric Giachino has been producing wine in his domain for more than 20 years, and utilising organic techniques for half of that time. Located in the Chartreuse Hills, the vines of Giachino grow along the limestone slopes of Mount Granier. The soil here is a result of an ancient tragedy. In 1248, a huge landslide sent 500 million square metres of rock crashing down onto the surrounding villages, completely destroying five of them. The soil today, rich in limestone and clay, is made up of that rock. It is argued that only vines are capable of being cultivated in such conditions. It sounds quite remarkable that such conditions can lead to such excellent wines. Savoie has an average altitude of 1,500 metres, with 36 peaks reaching more than 3,500 metres. The climate can be unforgiving, and the landscape offers only limited space for viticulture. However, ancient glaciers managed to create large valleys with rocky outcrops as they retreated. So, against the odds, the land is actually perfect for growing vines.