Seyssel is Savoie's only single-village appellation, located some 20 miles (32km) south of Geneva on the western edges of the French Alps. Wine has been made in Seyssel since the 11th Century, and over the years the area has built up a reputation for the high quality of its wines, helped along by the tourists who have always flocked to the area. While still white wines are permitted under the appellation's law, the area is most famous for its rich, floral sparkling wines that are made primarily from the Altesse and Chasselas grape varieties.
The village of Seyssel is located on a stretch of the upper Rhone river as it forms the westernmost border of Savoie before heading south to the famed slopes of the Rhone Valley wine region. Curiously, Seyssel is in fact split between two administrative departments: Ain (home to the Bugey appellation) on the western banks of the Rhone, and Savoie on the eastern side. This split has created an unusual situation whereby the two halves are recognized as independent communes, both called Seyssel. The little village of Corbonod (on the Savoie side of the river) is also covered by the Seyssel appellation.
Seyssel's vineyards sit on the slopes of the mountains and ridges that surround the river. In these steep vineyards, vines are able to take advantage of the warm sunshine during the growing season, helping the ripening process along by promoting the development of phenols in the grapes. Seyssel is protected from harsh Atlantic weather systems by the Grand Colombier mountains to the west, and the presence of both Lake Geneva in the north and the Rhone river helps to moderate temperatures in both winter and summer.
The soils that surround Seyssel are particularly diverse, with vineyards found on sand, gravel and clay with high proportions of limestone or sandstone (or a mixture of the two). These soils are the result of both glaciations in the area and erosion from the Alps. As a whole, these soils provide good drainage and ensure that the vines receive only limited amounts of hydration – an important consideration given Savoie's relatively high levels of rainfall.
Seyssel wines are amongst the few from Savoie which are exported on any scale. Altesse (known locally as Roussette, as in the Roussette de Savoie appellation) is the dominant grape variety in the title's still wines. These are light and fruit-driven, ranging in sweetness from dry to off-dry. It is joined by Chasselas in the production of Seyssel Mousseux, where Molette is also sometimes used. The distinguishing feature of Seyssel wine is its notes of violets and white blossom.
