Domaine des Côtes Rousses

A vineyard artisan rooted in the Combe de Savoie

A peasant-scale, human-sized approach

Nicolas Ferrand is a winegrower based in Savoie since 2013, where he works on a 6-hectare estate in organic farming located on the slopes of Combe de Savoie, under the Bauges massif. He has chosen a peasant and artisanal approach, favoring exploitation on a human scale in order to preserve the nature and quality of his wines.

Mountain vineyards, living and demanding

Indigenous grape varieties and steep slopes

Its vines are planted on marl-limestone hillsides facing south-east, with slopes ranging from 15 to 45%, some of these plots reaching an altitude of up to 600m. The vines are on average 30 years old and are mainly planted with indigenous Savoie grape varieties such as Jacquère, Altesse, and Mondeuse.

Manual labor, horses, and respect for natural cycles

The work in the vineyard is not very mechanized, partly carried out by hand and/or with the help of horses, due to the steep slopes of the terroir. This approach allows for winemaking with minimal intervention, using indigenous yeasts to highlight the authentic character of the grapes and reflect their terroir.

Long aging for honest wines

Whole-cluster reds, whites on lees

Nicolas Ferrand works on long aging periods of 8 to 15 months in a multitude of containers, such as wood (foudres, demi-muids, barrels) and terracotta and sandstone amphorae. Its red wines are vinified whole bunch without pumping over or punching down, with sulfur-free vinification. They are not filtered, and only a small quantity of SO2 is possibly added during bottling, depending on the needs linked to the conditions of each vintage.

Natural fermentation and lunar-timed bottling

White wines undergo light settling by gravity, and fermentation takes place to obtain dry wines. They are aged on total lees, in barrels of several wines, in tuns, and in amphorae. The bottling date is determined based on this stability and the lunar calendar, with moderate use of SO2 if necessary.

Growing recognition for a bold winemaker

Nicolas' bold approach, combined with meticulous attention to every step of the process, has earned him well-deserved growing recognition.