A New Wine with Deep Roots

Today is especially exciting as we are introducing a brand-new wine from one of our favorite producers. Brett and I tried Domaine des Ardoisières’ new Aigue Marine 2024 last week, and it exceeded our already high expectations. We were both quiet for a good 15 seconds after the first sip, which for us, says everything!

Aigue Marine (pronounced “egg mah-REEN,” French for “aquamarine”) is made from Roussanne, known locally as Bergeron.  If you’re a Hermitage Blanc lover, you’ll recognize its fleshy white fruit, depth, and texture. In Savoie’s Alpine setting, though, you get a fresher take, with lively energy and a more chiseled mineral edge in place of the Rhône’s waxiness.

While this cuvée is new to Ardoisières, its story has deep roots in the region. These vines previously belong to Domaine Louis Magnin, one of Savoie’s most respected domaines long celebrated for its wines from a steep Arbin hillside. When Louis retired after the 2021 vintage with no family successor, he approached Ardoisières about taking over. Brice Omont and his team took over in 2022, bringing the Roussanne and Mondeuse vines from one celebrated Savoie domaine into the care of another.

For Ardoisières, it was a landmark addition: a historic hillside, decades of vine age, and a chance to make wines that had never existed in their range. For Louis, it meant his vineyard would stay in the hands of people who understood it. Brice now farms it biodynamically, and Aigue Marine 2024 is the first taste of what he’s doing with the Roussanne. It carries Magnin’s history forward while showing the freshness and precision that definesArdoisières.