Bergeron is the local name for the Roussanne grape in the Savoie region of France. In the Savoie, nestled in the foothills of the French Alps, Bergeron produces wines very different from the Southern Rhone’s Roussannes: lighter-bodied, with more minerality and brighter, lemony acids. At Tablas Creek, we select Roussanne for our Bergeron bottling from the vineyard’s coldest sections of Roussanne vines, pick them earlier while they still have high acids and lower sugars, and ferment them in traditional Savoie style in neutral wood.

The 2009 Bergeron shows a nose of green apple, mineral, herbs and preserved lemon. In the mouth, it is very mineral and notably saline, quite rich for a Bergeron, almost buttery. The finish shows notes of caramel apple and the wine cries out for shellfish. Drink now or for the next five years.

*The Roussanne grapes used in our Bergeron were grown on our 120-acre certified organic estate vineyard.