The Quénard family has been farming vines in the quaint Savoie village of Chignin since 1644. In the early 1900s, Anne-Sophie’s grandfather loaded barrels of wine onto a wagon and carefully descended their hilltop village down to Chambery to sell to wine merchants and bistro owners. By the 1960s, he had begun to estate-bottle, laying the groundwork for his son Jean-François to take over in 1989. After nearly 30 years of refining his approach and expanding the family's terrain, including plantations of Roussette and Mondeuse, Jean-François and his wife, Catherine, were joined at the domaine by their daughter, Anne-Sophie. In 2020, for the first time in nearly four centuries, the domaine was handed over from father to daughter.

Facing the majestic Belledonne mountain range and sandwiched between two dramatic peaks – the Savoyard and the Granier – the family vineyards are at approximately 370 meters in altitude, planted in soils predominantly composed of clay-limestone, limestone scree, and moraine. The landscape is dotted with the remains of old towers, medieval symbols of wealth and stature. Once walled in stone, today les tours are surrounded by vines and serve as a reminder of the rich history of the region. 

Anne-Sophie and her team naturally farm 16 hectares of native grape varieties such as Jacquère, Roussette (Altesse), Bergeron (Roussanne), Mondeuse, and the extremely rare Persan, of which just 9 hectares exist in the world!  They also grow grapes in the nearby village of Saint Jean de la Porte, celebrated as a source for spicy, floral, mineral-driven Mondeuse. Since most of the family’s vineyards are planted on hillsides, all work is done by hand throughout the season, including hand-harvesting. The domaine earned certification from ECOCERT in 2024, the culmination of a multi-generational commitment to live and work in tandem with nature. According to the Quénards, there is a “spiritual dimension to tending to the vines” which brings humility and connection. 

In the cellar, all wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts in a diversity of vessels, including stainless steel, 350L barriques, demi-muids (600L), concrete eggs, and old foudres, depending on the cuvée. From the fresh and zippy Jacquère to the rich and textured Altesse and Roussanne, the white wines are lively and complex. The range of reds, some of which see a percentage of whole-cluster fermentation, is highlighted by a snappy, peppery Mondeuse and the utterly singular Persan with its racy acidity, dark fruit, and incredible depth. 

With profound respect for the generations before her and an ambitious plan in hand, Anne-Sophie is ushering in a new era at this historic alpine domaine.