The Coteau de Torméry rises so steeply above Chignin that every row has to be worked by hand. It is on this rocky Alpine slope that the Quenard family has built one of Savoie's reference addresses.
Backstory
Winemaking in the Quenard family reaches back to the 17th century, but the domaine in its current form was created in 1976. Today Guillaume, son of Michel and grandson of André, carries the work forward. In 2020 he launched a side project, Domaine Coteau de Torméry, as an outlet for more experimental wines.
The Region
The Quenard estate is in Chignin, in the Savoie region of the French Alps, about 90 minutes east of Lyon. The vines occupy the famous Coteau de Torméry, a steep, sun-facing mountain slope that is one of the most celebrated sites in Savoie, particularly for the Bergeron grape (Roussanne).
Vineyards and Farming
The Quenards farm 22 hectares of very steep, terraced vineyards, planted between roughly 300 and 400 meters of elevation on slopes of 40 to 70 percent. The soils are limestone scree built up over millions of years of mountain erosion. Farming is sustainable and largely organic, and all the vineyard work is done by hand through to harvest.
Winemaking
The Quenard cellar work is traditional and gentle. The Jacquère, for example, is fermented dry and aged about nine months in stainless steel with gentle lees stirring, preserving its crisp, Alpine freshness. The aim throughout is transparency to site rather than heavy intervention.
The Wines
The Quenard range centers on the local Savoie grapes: crisp, mineral Chignin from Jacquère; richer Chignin-Bergeron from Roussanne, including a Les Terrasses bottling; the floral white Altesse; and the spicy red Mondeuse. These are precise, high-altitude wines that capture the cool clarity of the Alps and have made Chignin-Bergeron one of Savoie's benchmark whites. Guillaume's separate Domaine Coteau de Torméry label, launched in 2020, gives the next generation room for more experimental cuvées alongside the classics. Current bottlings include the Chignin Gamay and the Les Abymes.
