Camille et Mathieu Apfel 'Avant La Tempête' Blanc

The Savoie is something straight out of a storybook. Tucked into the French Alps along the borders of Switzerland and Italy, the wines taste like the mountains themselves—crystalline, electric, full of alpine herbs and glacial minerality. Mathieu Apffel is originally from the Jura but moved to Savoie in 2013 to start making wine with a friend. A few years later he struck out on his own, and Camille joined him to help convert their newly acquired vineyards from conventional farming to biodynamics. Jacquère is one of those grapes that always catches us off guard with its precision. It's high in acidity, but not in an aggressive way... well, at least not after the second sip. 😂 The first sip wakes you up. Then that crystalline, mineral-water quality starts to wash over your palate, and suddenly you want to drink it the way you'd reach for a cold glass of water after a long hike. It just makes you feel *good.* Think jicama, crab apple, seaweed, and fresh tarragon. We know those tasting notes sound a little strange, but trust us on this one.

We love it with… Sushi, especially from lean fishes like bream, fluke, and squid

Type: White
Vintage: 2023
Size: 750mL
ABV: 10.5%
Grape: Jacquère
Region: Savoie, France
Vinification: Certified organic. Planted in 1956 on soils composed of clay, limestone, mica schist, and quartz. Direct press. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel, aging on the lees in barrique. Unfined/Unfiltered, zero SO2 added to the wine.

For the nerds: This wine is called "Before The Storm". 2018 was a great vintage in quality and quantity, but Mathieu lost 80% of his crop due to a hail storm in 2019, when this cuvée began. It's now made every year.