Les Vignes de Paradis, Ballaison
Dominique Lucas has been making wine from his beautiful 6 hectares of vineyards situated down the slope from the village Ballaison overlooking Lake Geneva since 2008. He has his roots in Burgundy but fell in love with Savoie after biking in these beautiful green mountains. He had just finished with oenology school and, handy enough, found great terroir in Marin, the south of AOC Crépy.
Dominique likes challenges. He’s making Chasselas with the aim to end up with wines comparable to the best white wines of France. He is determined to show what great juice you can get out of this underestimated grape and has planted it on really serious terroir. And he’s right; the Chasselas, together with the other wines he’s making from Savagnin, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc, are something you’ll remember for sure.
Dominique has been farming organically and working biodynamically since day one. His vineyards are divided in 27 different plots and each parcel is vinified separately so the harvest normally takes 2,5 months. He strives to give pure and true expressions of every place. Dominique likes to work with amphora and different shapes of concrete. He uses everything from a homemade pyramid of sand and rock to old foudres when he vinifies.
Besides his great wines from Savoie, Dominique makes a small amount of Burgundy from his family’s 2 hectare near Pommard.
These wines are all focused on pure fruit, good acidity and minerality. They show such a nice balance between freshness and depth.
2019 Chasselas Quintessence
Soil: Yellow marl, granite and silex on Limestone base.
Grape: Chasselas
Appellation: Vin de Savoie
Age of Vines: Planted 2007
Vinification: Direct press, then slow fermentation on both concrete egg and foudres. Left on the lees for 10 months ageing before blending and bottling.
2020 Un Petit Coin de Paradis
Soil: Yellow marl, Granite and Silex on Limestone base
Grape: Chasselas
Appelation: IGP Pays Allobroges
Age of Vines: Planted 2007
Vinification: Direct press, then slow fermentation on both concrete egg and foudres. Left on the lees for 6 months ageing before blending and bottling.
2019 IGP Chardonnay
Soil: Yellow marl, Granite and Silex on Limestone base
Grape: Chardonnay
Appellation: IGP Pays Allobroges
Age of Vines: Planted 2008
Vinification: Direct press, then slow fermentation on both concrete egg and foudres. Left on the lees for 9 months ageing before blending and bottling.
2019 IGP Savagnin
Soil: Yellow marl, Granite and Silex on Limestone base
Grape: Savagnin
Appellation: IGP Pays Allobroges
Age of Vines: Planted 2008
Vinification: Direct press, then slow fermentation on both concrete egg and foudres. Left on the lees for 9 months ageing before blending and bottling.