Home >Wine Store >Domaine Labbe Abymes

Apple, pear, fresh brioche, almond, mineral and quince.

The Alpine Savoie region is in Eastern France neighboring Switzerland. Many of its vineyards lie close to the Rhône River as it winds its way from Geneva southward. Domaine Labbé is located 15 km south of Chambéry, a village famous for its Vermouth and cheese. Roger Labbé’s Abymes is 100 percent Jacquère, a varietal that grows especially well in the Savoie. At the high altitude, yields are carefully controlled by the labor intensive practice of de-budding the vines in the spring. To help fertilize and oxygenate the soil, grass is allowed to grow in the rows between the vines, which also force the vine’s root systems to go deeper in search of nourishment. There are 17 crus entitled to append their names to the Vin de Savoie appellation, of which Abymes is one. The appellation controllée Abymes comes from the French word “abimé” which means broken and refers to the broken stones that crumble off the mountains and cover the vineyards.

This simple, fresh Jacquère’s mouth-watering acidity makes it easy to drink on its own. Great with salads or my “Grown Up” grilled cheese sandwiches.

Jacquère is the most widely planted variety of the Savoie region but the grape is not well known because most of the production is consumed locally.