Avant La Tempête blanc 2024 Camille et Mathieu Apffel | Savoie

Avant la Tempête from Wine Estate Camille et Mathieu Apffel is a Savoie wine that lives up to its name. Nestled at the foot of the Bauges Mountains, this cuvée evokes the alpine calm just before the wind picks up: a vast, hushed silence, a gentle tension. Behind this poetic name lies a dedicated winemaking couple, Camille and Mathieu Apffel, who craft their wine with patience, intuition, and an unshakable faith in nature. The winemakers cultivate their vineyards biodynamically and plant them on the limestone scree of Apremont, where the Jacquère grape expresses its full finesse. The wine estate produces natural wine, without additives, using a minimally interventionist approach. Each vintage is an unfiltered snapshot of life. *Avant la Tempête* is a fine example: a taut and precise Jacquère, both crystalline and expressive.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin: “This cuvée moves me with its sincerity. It captures all the freshness of Jacquère, without jarring acidity.” It embodies the freshness of high altitudes, the energy of life, and the grape variety’s unique signature. It is a wine in a class of its own, reconciling emotion and precision, naturalness and balance. In my view, it is one of the finest current expressions of Savoie’s Jacquère.

The nose frankly evokes white spring flowers, fresh lemon zest, and a hint of wet stone. A delicate herbaceous note, almost menthol-like, emerges as the wine breathes.

On the palate, the texture is fine and elegant, supported by a finely honed acidity. The balance is remarkable: everything is in its place, nothing overpowers. A subtle salinity extends the finish, leaving a lasting sensation of freshness. This natural wine from Savoie stands out as a mountain white that is both elegant and crystal-clear.