L'Aitonnement

History of the Estate

The Aiton vineyard at the heart of Savoie has existed for at least 400 years, renowned for the quality of its Mondeuse Noire. Despite its reduction to a few hectares today, it is farmed with passion and commitment. The domaine de l'Aitonnement began in 2016, when Bernard and Marido Bachellier-Gauthier, a retired winemaking couple from the domaine du Sartos du Bec, passed the torch. This project represents the fulfillment of a winemaker's life, with a deep respect for previous generations. Maxime Dancoine is today at the helm of this estate! Highly talented, he now produces refined and precise wines using biodynamic methods, in order to bring the wines of Savoie to the forefront of the scene. 

Terroir, Vines, and Winemaking

The Aiton vineyard is located at the western tip of the Massif de la Maurienne, benefiting from south-facing slopes and soils of grey and schistose marls that are ideal for vine cultivation. Farmed organically and in accordance with biodynamic principles, the vines are maintained in a privileged ecosystem, fostering biodiversity and resilience in the face of climate change. The estate cultivates a great diversity of grape varieties, including Mondeuse Noire, Jacquère, and Altesse. Winemaking techniques are meticulous, with particular attention paid to every step, from the harvesting of the grapes to the bottling: Maxime Dancoine brings an especially careful, almost maternal, attention to it all! 

You will discover point by point the characteristics of the estate, from vine to bottle. 

A brief geographical/geological overview
The Aiton vineyard is nestled at the western tip of the Massif de la Maurienne. From there, one can see the Massif de la Lauzière and its Grand Arc, the Belledonne range, as well as the Combe de Savoie leading to the Chartreuse park. The Aiton vineyard is distinguished by its beautiful south-facing slopes. The wind blows regularly from late morning onwards. The soils, composed of grey and schistose marls, are poor, shallow, and well-drained — ideal conditions for the vine.

A (very) old story
The presence of a vineyard in Aiton has been attested for at least 400 years; this vineyard is renowned for the quality of its Mondeuse Noire. Of its glorious years and its 250 hectares, only a handful of hectares remain today, but these are cultivated with conviction and passion.

A privileged ecosystem
To respect this unique environment, Maxime Dancoine farms the vines organically and takes care to maintain biodiversity by preserving natural spaces and ecological niches. This allows the vines to better withstand the climate changes we must face every year. Another characteristic of the Aiton vineyard is the great diversity of grape varieties it harbors. Around thirty have been counted across the four active estates.

The adventure of the domaine de l'Aitonnement
The adventure began with a few ares of old Mondeuses Noires, young and old white Jacquères, as well as white Altesses of around fifteen years of age. Since then, the Douce Noire conservatory, a plot of Persan, old plots of co-planted varieties, and new plantings have expanded the estate, including a massale selection of Mondeuse Noire and Joubertin, with a final objective of 2.5 hectares.

The choice of co-planting
The choice of co-planting on the new plots became obvious to Maxime Dancoine as a way to partly address climate change. This is why certain plantings include up to nine different white grape varieties, endemic to the region. These include varieties such as Blanc de Maurienne, Mondeuse Grise et Blanche, Verdesse, Molette, Gringet, Petite Sainte Marie, Petite Arvine, and Bia Blanc.

The foundations
This estate is a winemaker's life project, aimed at creating a viable wine-growing operation on a former vineyard that has now almost disappeared. The Domaine de l'Aitonnement was launched in 2016, with the handover of 58 ares of vines previously farmed with care by Bernard and Marido Bachellier-Gauthier, a retired winemaking couple from the Domaine du Sartos du Bec. Maxime Dancoine has a deep respect for them and for the winemakers of previous generations who were able to develop, maintain, and pass on these beautiful vines on a hillside that is difficult to farm.

By the strength of arms and legs
Maxime Dancoine has decided to carefully preserve the old vines that were passed down to him and to maintain the same cultivation techniques. The characteristics of this complex vineyard, with its small plots without access paths, led him to maintain a very high planting density (above 10,000 vines per hectare), with gobelet training and stakes to facilitate work in the vines, which sometimes have a slope of 100%. For these reasons, all tasks in the vines, from pruning to lifting, including phytosanitary treatments, soil maintenance, and harvesting, are carried out by hand. The vine nurtures both body and mind!

Vinification and aging
Vinification is a crucial moment that concentrates an entire year of effort. The most important lesson, according to Maxime Dancoine, is the importance of taking one's time. Even after 40 years of winemaking, Maxime still considers himself a young winemaker. One must remain humble and adapt objectively to the unique conditions of each vintage, in his view.
From the arrival of the grapes in the vat to the aging of the wines, every step is meticulously adjusted to respect the quality of the grapes, the musts, and the wines in the cellar. 

This includes:

- Long pressing times for whites (approximately 4 hours) and short pressing times for reds, with a minimum of remixing to avoid excessive extraction.

- Maceration times for reds, adapted to the different grape varieties.

- The choice of varied containers: demi-muids (400-liter barrels), stoneware amphorae, clay amphorae, cocciopesto amphorae, and micro-ceramic amphorae, used differently according to the organoleptic characteristics of each vintage and the desired aging approach.

A brief note on sulfur
Sulfur has been and will always be present in his wines, adjusted according to the nature of the wine and its evolution. Several reasons led him to this choice:

Wine quality: Maxime cannot tolerate the mousy taint that completely masks the aromas on the palate. Producing wines without this flaw is possible but very complex, requiring production and storage conditions that are extremely delicate and that he is not yet able to achieve.
Wine storage: Some of his wines travel many kilometers under storage conditions that are not always ideal. Sulfur, even in small quantities, helps to compensate for these flaws to a certain extent.
Wine aging over time: Maxime hopes to produce wines that keep well. Sulfur is a preservative that enables this aging and allows the wines to be kept for opening on a special occasion.

Wine preparation
All transfer, filtration, and bottling tasks are carried out, as far as possible, following the lunar calendar, particularly on fruit days during a descending moon. Wine transfers are kept to a strict minimum and preceded by inerting with neutral gas (carbon dioxide or nitrogen), always at a temperature above 10°C to avoid the use of sulfur.

Wine filtration is not systematic and depends on the turbidity, clarity, and stability of the wines. The free SO2 and total SO2 levels are available on the technical data sheets of each cuvée from l'Aitonnement.

Filtration and bottling are carried out by OENO CONSEIL / OENO SERVICE, a company based in Apremont, in which Maxime has trust and for which he previously worked as an oenologist. Filtration is done using the Jumbo Star system by Sartorius, allowing waste-free filtration at low pressure to preserve the structure of the wine. Bottling is carried out with a Costral Galaxy-type bottling machine, with systematic cleaning of the bottles (new but not clean!) and inerting of the empty bottles to further reduce the contact of oxygen with the wine.

The Cuvées

The estate offers a range of expressive cuvées, reflecting the diversity of the terroir and the passion of the winemaker. Among the grape varieties cultivated, one finds wines from Mondeuse Noire, Jacquère, Altesse, and other varieties endemic to the region. Each bottle embodies the estate's commitment to authenticity and quality.

Discover the Cuvées Big Bang, Vesta, Jacquère Genesis, Mondeuse Dark Side, directly from the estate, on Vinsetmillesimes! 

Dark Side: A beautiful cuvée that expresses Maxime Dancoine's vision of Mondeuse Noire. Notes of dark fruit, pepper, and licorice. A wine for aging that deserves 2 years of rest in the bottle before being fully appreciated! 

Solar: The Radiance of the Altesse, at the zenith of Alpine grape varieties. An exceptional vine exposure allows this cuvée to achieve beautiful minerality, luminous finesse, and a brilliant structure! 

Genesis: An elegant Jacquère producing a delicate, fresh wine with lemony and chalky notes, which deserves to wait one or two years before revealing its full potential. 

Big Bang: a beautiful blend of Altesse, Jacquère, Mondeuse Gris, and Blanc de Maurienne! Discover the beauty of Savoyard grape varieties! Previously 2, now 4, and soon 10 grape varieties for this cuvée, characterized by aromatic complexity, beautiful freshness, and a certain salinity. 

The Other Leading Estates of Savoie

Beyond domaine de l'Aitonnement, Savoie is home to many renowned wine estates. Among them, one can mention the Domaine Belluard, the Domaine Blard et Fils, Axel Domont, or the domaine des Ardoisières, all renowned for the quality of their wines and their attachment to the Savoyard terroir.

In summary, the domaine de l'Aitonnement embodies the passion and dedication of Savoyard winemakers, producing exceptional wines that reflect the unique identity of the region.

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