Domaine de Chevillard

The story

The Press Upstairs

At Domaine de Chevillard, Matthieu Goury uses an antique basket press positioned on the second floor. He avoids pumps and relies on gravity to move the wine. Pressing happens in the basket press, while transfer happens by gravity. Goury pairs that physical cellar method with wild yeast fermentation and complete dryness. The final movement is simple: no pump, only wine moving by gravity.

From the atlas

Domaine de Chevillard

Domaine de Chevillard in Saint-Pierre-d'Albigny, founded by Matthieu Goury, makes Mondeuse, Pinot Noir, Jacquère and Altesse with manual harvesting and wild yeast fermentation.

At A Glance

The Producer

Domaine de Chevillard farms 10 hectares in Savoie and works with Mondeuse, Pinot Noir, Jacquère and Altesse. Matthieu Goury founded the domaine, which farms organically and harvests by hand. The cellar uses wild yeasts, and fermentation is carried to complete dryness.

The red wines centre on Mondeuse and Pinot Noir, while Jacquère and Roussette de Savoie Altesse form the white side of the range. The bottles move between firm tannin, floral acidity, red fruit and bitter citrus finishes, depending on the grape and cuvée.

Place

The domaine works parcels in Saint-Pierre-d'Albigny, Saint-Jean-de-la-Porte, Fréterive, Chignin, Chapareillan, Les Marches, Saint-Jean-de-Chevelu, Apremont, Abymes and Monthoux. Saint-Pierre-d'Albigny is the home village, while Saint-Jean-de-la-Porte appears in the name of the Cru Mondeuse bottling.

That place name gives one red wine a specific Savoie address. The rest of the range uses grape names and other village names to show the breadth of the domaine's holdings.

Story

After completing his studies, Matthieu Goury spent several years managing vineyards and making wine in Australia, Canada and the Rhône Valley. From 2013 to 2015, he worked for a Savoie négociant and made wine with fellow vigneron Matthieu Appfel.

Goury then chose to establish Domaine de Chevillard. The first vintage was 2016. The domaine's range grew from that beginning around Savoie grapes, organic farming and dry fermentations with wild yeasts.

Vineyards And Cellar

Organic farming and manual harvesting define the vineyard work. Guillemette Renard, Goury's wife, trained in Agricultural Phytotherapy and prepares the plant based treatments used in the vines.

The cellar uses wild yeasts, with fermentation carried to complete dryness. White wines go directly into old barrels and undergo malolactic fermentation, except Altesse. Red wines ferment in concrete and age in barrels. Sulfur is withheld until bottling, with around 15 ppm total added at that stage.

Wines

The red range is built around Mondeuse and Pinot Noir. Mondeuse Cru Saint-Jean-de-la-Porte is the named Cru bottling, with firm and delicate tannins, a juicy palate and ageing potential over a good decade. Pinot Noir provides a separate red expression within the range.

The white wines include Jacquère and Roussette de Savoie Altesse. Jacquère is light and refreshing, while Altesse is vivid and well structured, with a bitter citrus peel finish. The range therefore moves from a tannic named red to lighter white wines with different acidity and finish profiles.

In The Glass

Mondeuse shows faintly salty bacon fat, dried thyme and sage, and forest berries. The 2018 Mondeuse brings saddle leather alongside boysenberry and black cherry, touched by dried herbs. Pinot Noir smells of crunchy red berries and has a balanced mouthfeel.

Jacquère is floral, light and refreshing, with delicate acidity and a slight salinity. Altesse is subtle and vivid, finishing with bitter notes that recall citrus peel.

A Bottle To Understand It

Open with the 2017 Domaine de Chevillard St Jean de la Porte Mondeuse. It is a red Mondeuse carrying the Cru Saint-Jean-de-la-Porte name, putting one grape and one named Savoie place on the same label.

The rest of the range widens into Pinot Noir, Jacquère and Roussette de Savoie Altesse. This bottle keeps the red grape and village name together, giving the range a concrete starting point without requiring a tour through every cuvée.

Anecdote

In late 2015, Matthieu Goury chose to pursue his dream of having his own estate and created Domaine de Chevillard. The first vintage was 2016. Goury had been raised in the Chevillard hamlet just outside Saint-Pierre-d'Albigny, then spent several years working in Australia, Canada and the Rhône Valley before returning to Savoie. The new domaine took its name from the hamlet where he grew up.

Final Word

Domaine de Chevillard works across Savoie with hand harvested fruit, wild yeast fermentations and a named Mondeuse from Saint-Jean-de-la-Porte. Its range also includes Pinot Noir, Jacquère and Roussette de Savoie Altesse.

Sources

• https://domainedechevillard.com/en/
• https://terresblancheswine.com/producer/domaine-de-chevillard/
• https://www.vinography.com/2021/12/chiseled-brilliance-the-wines-of-domaine-de-chevillard-savoie
• https://www.sacredthirstselections.com/domaine-de-chevillard
• https://domainedechevillard.com/en/our-wines/