Vins Vivants Village: Andert et Condon Appellation: 4 ha Bugey Savoie Grower: Juliette Gest Website: https://www.vins-vivants.fr/ In early 2024, we were lucky to meet Juliette Gest at a large tasting of organic Alpine wines where her wines stood out for their purity and energy. Only later did we discover that the name of her winery is Vins Vivants. Juliette worked for 20 years as a judge in Paris. In 2020, overwhelmed by confinement and the anguish in the city caused by the COVID epidemic, Juliette left Paris and began a new chapter in her life by moving to the Alps and studying agriculture and oenology in Chambery. After finishing her studies, she worked for several organic and biodynamic producers in the Savoie. Quickly, she found four hectares for sale in the village of Andert et Condon, which is in the southeast corner of the Bugey appellation, very close to Savoie. In 2023, Juliette planted a couple of hectares in the Bugey hills with nearly a dozen different varieties and converted an existing barn into a winery. While her vines are coming of age, she is buying organic and biodynamic fruit from her friends and former employees in Bugey and Savoie. All of Juliette’s grapes are hand harvested and fermented with their natural yeasts. She doesn’t use SO2 until adding a small amount before bottling. Chardon'Air As the name subtly suggests, this cuvée is a blend of Chardonnay and Jacquère. The Chardonnay comes from the Montagne de Tentanet in southeastern Bugey. It is fermented and matured in stainless steel. The Jacquère is from the Combe de Savoie. It is fermented and matured in400L barrels. The assemblage is made in the spring and bottling is done soon after. Coup de Grisou The cuvée name conjures up an explosion and indeed the combination of Pinot Gris and Molette creates some popping aromatics. Molette, which makes up one-third of the blend, is an obscure grape almost exclusively grown in the Seyssal appellation where because of its high level of acidity, it is used primarily to make sparkling wine. The Molette’s lively acidity makes it a perfect partner for Pinot Gris. Both varieties are fermented and matured “sur lie” in 228L Burgundian barrels which are 5 years old. Yogamay The Gamay grapes are from a vineyard in the village of Manigod in the Haute-Savoie and are hand harvested by Juliette’s “yoga buddies.” The grapes are partially de-stemmed by hand, and then fermented using the semi-carbonic method. The wine macerates for 10 days before racking and then matures in fiberglass tanks until the spring when it is bottled. This alpine gamay is both light and firm. Alc. by volume is 12.5%.