L'Aitonnement

History of the Domain

The vineyard of Aiton in the heart of Savoie, has existed for at least 400 years, known for the quality of its Mondeuse noire. Despite its reduction to a few hectares today, it is worked with passion and dedication. The domain of L'Aitonnement began in 2016 when Bernard and Marido Bachellier-Gauthier, a retired couple of winemakers from the Sartos du Bec estate, passed the torch. This project represents the realization of a vinegrower's life, with deep respect for previous generations.

Maxime Dancoine is now at the helm of this estate! Highly talented, he currently produces fine and precise wines using biodynamic methods, aiming to bring the wines of Savoie into the spotlight.

Terroir Vines and Winemaking

The vineyard of Aiton is located on the western tip of the Massif de la Maurienne, benefiting from south-facing slopes and soils of grey marls and schists, ideal for grape cultivation. Managed through organic agriculture and in accordance with biodynamic principles, the vines are maintained within a privileged ecosystem, promoting biodiversity and resilience to climate change. The estate cultivates a wide variety of grape varieties, including Mondeuse noire, Jacquère, and Altesse. Vinification techniques are meticulous, with particular attention given to each stage, from grape harvest to bottling: Maxime Dancoine applies a special care, almost maternal!

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

Geography/Geology Overview
The Aiton vineyard is nestled on the western tip of the Maurienne Massif. You can see the Lauzière Massif with its Grand Arc, the Belledonne range, and 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. The soils, composed of grey marl and schist, are poor, thin, and well-drained, ideal conditions for growing vines.

A (Very) Old History
The presence of a vineyard in Aiton has been attested for at least 400 years; it is renowned for the quality of its Mondeuse noire. From 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 works the vines organically and ensures the maintenance of biodiversity by preserving natural spaces and ecological niches. This helps the vines better withstand the climatic changes we face each year. Another characteristic of the Aiton vineyard is its great diversity of grape varieties. Thirty different varieties have been counted across the four active vineyards.

The Adventure of Domaine de l'Aitonnement
The adventure began with a few ares of old Mondeuse noire vines, young and old Jacquère blanche vines, and fifteen-year-old Altesse blanche vines. Since then, the conservatory of Douce noire, a plot of Persan, old co-planted plots, and new plantations have expanded the estate, including a massal selection of Mondeuse noire and Joubertin, with a final goal of 2.5 hectares.

Choice of Co-plantation
Maxime Dancoine chose co-plantation on the new plots to partially address climate change. That’s why some plantations include up to nine different white grape varieties endemic to the region. Varieties such as Blanc de Maurienne, Mondeuse Grise and Blanche, Verdesse, Molette, Gringet, Petite Sainte Marie, Petite Arvine, and Bia Blanc can be found.

Foundations
This estate is a lifelong project of a winemaker, aiming to create a viable vineyard on an old vineyard now almost disappeared. Domaine de l'Aitonnement was launched in 2016, with the transfer of 58 ares of vines previously cultivated with respect by Bernard and Marido Bachellier-Gauthier, a retired winemaking couple from Domaine du Sartos du Bec. Maxime Dancoine has deep respect for them and for the winemakers of previous generations who developed, maintained, and passed down these beautiful vines on a difficult-to-cultivate hillside.

With the Strength of Arms and Legs
Maxime Dancoine decided to carefully preserve the old vines passed on to him and to maintain the same cultural techniques. The characteristics of this complex vineyard, with its small plots without access roads, prompted him to maintain a very high planting density (over 10,000 vines per hectare), with a goblet and stake training system to facilitate the work of vines, some of which have a 100% slope. For these reasons, all tasks in the vineyard, from pruning to lifting, including phytosanitary treatments, soil maintenance, and harvesting, are done by hand. The vineyard maintains both body and mind!

Vinification and Ageing
Vinification is a crucial moment that concentrates a whole 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 objectively adapt to the unique conditions of each vintage.

From the arrival of the grapes in the vat to the ageing of the wines, all stages are carefully adjusted to respect the quality of the grapes, musts, and wines in the cellar. This includes:

-Long pressing times for whites (about 4 hours) and short for reds, with minimal rebêchage to avoid excessive extraction.
-Maceration times for reds, adapted to the different grape varieties.
-The choice of various containers: demi-muids (400-litre barrels), amphorae made of sandstone, clay, cocciopesto, and micro-ceramic, used differently depending on the organoleptic characteristics of each vintage and the desired ageing orientation.

A Note on Sulphur
Sulphur has been and will always be present in Maxime's 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 mouse taste that completely masks the aromas in the mouth. It is possible to produce wines without this defect, but it is very complex, requiring delicate production and conservation conditions that he is not yet able to achieve.

Wine storage: Some of his wines travel many kilometres in less-than-ideal storage conditions. Sulphur, even in small quantities, helps to mitigate these defects to some extent.

Wine preservation: Maxime hopes to produce wines that age well. Sulphur is a preservative that allows this ageing and enables the wines to be kept for a special occasion.

Wine Preparation
All transfer, filtration, and bottling tasks are carried out, as much as possible, following the lunar calendar, especially on fruit days during the descending moon. Wine transfers are minimized and always preceded by an inert gas (carbon dioxide or nitrogen) blanketing, and always at a temperature above 10°C to avoid the use of sulphur.
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 sheets of each cuvée from l’Aitonnement.

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

The Cuvees

The domain offers a range of expressive cuvees, reflecting the diversity of the terroir and the winemaker's passion. Among the cultivated grape varieties, there are wines from Mondeuse noire, Jacquère, Altesse, and other endemic varieties of the region. Each bottle embodies the domain's commitment to authenticity and quality. Discover the Big Bang, Vesta, Jacquère Genesis, Mondeuse Dark Side cuvees, directly from the domain, on Vinsetmillesimes!

Dark Side: A lovely cuvée that reflects Maxime Dancoine's vision of Mondeuse Noire. Notes of black fruits, pepper, and liquorice. A wine for ageing that deserves 2 years of rest in the bottle before being fully enjoyed!

Solar: The brilliance of Altesse, at the zenith of Alpine grape varieties. An exceptional exposure of the vines allows this cuvée to achieve a lovely minerality, luminous finesse, and vibrant structure!

Genesis: An elegant Jacquère that produces a delicate, fresh wine with lemon and chalky notes, which deserves to be aged for one or two years to reach its full potential.

Big Bang: A beautiful blend of Altesse, Jacquère, Mondeuse Grise, and Blanc de Maurienne! Discover the beauty of Savoie grape varieties! Formerly 2, today 4, and soon 10 varieties for this cuvée characterized by aromatic complexity, delightful freshness, and a certain salinity.

Other Leading Estates in Savoie

In addition to the L'Aitonnement estate, Savoie is home to renowned wine estates. Among them are Domaine Belluard, Domaine Blard et Fils, Axel Domont, and Domaine des Ardoisières, all known for the quality of their wines and their attachment to the Savoyard terroir. In summary, the domain of L'Aitonnement embodies the passion and dedication of Savoyard winemakers, producing exceptional wines that reflect the unique identity of the region. A new trend to discover!