Seyssel, Haute-Savoie
Some time ago, I read of former French President François Hollande, an informed wine enthusiast, drinking wine from Seyssel, an appellation I had never heard of.
So I went straight to Google. Seyssel is a little town in the Haute-Savoie and Ain departments, which fortunately has a train station. Indeed, it is on the train line that goes through the mountains from Lyon to Geneva. A wonderful train trip!
On my first visit to Seyssel I discovered that it is a lovely, though not spectacular, little town split in two by the Rhone river. There is a nice little bridge for both pedestrians and cars crossing the Rhone (see photo).
But Seyssel’s vineyards sit on the middle and lower slopes of the mountains and ridges above Seyssel on the west side of the Rhone, generally between 200 and 400 meters.
I tried walking up to the vineyards, but it was a very hot day, and just a little too far for my old legs. I obviously thought of the case of Michael Mosley, the British television and radio personality who tragically died while hiking under the midday sun in Greece.
I then tried to get a taxi. Now taxis are almost impossible to get in regional France because they seem to be fully employed transporting seniors to medical appointments and hospitals. It’s a good business, as they are reliably paid by the French social security system.
But one taxi driver did offer to transport me on a future occasion. So, yesterday it was, that I did my taxi-assisted visit to the Seyssel vineyards. It was very much worth my heroic efforts!
Driving up the hills on the west side of Seyssel, you suddenly arrive at an area full of vineyards, with beautiful mountains in the background. It is one of the most beautiful vineyard areas that I have ever seen.
We soon arrived at a vineyard, Maison Mollex, in Corbonod, the village above Seyssel, where wines of that appellation are mainly made. The Mollex family have been making wine there since the year 1359. The current Mollex enterprise appeared in 1931.
We were greeted by the lovely Stephanie (see photo), who gave us an informative explanation of Seyssel wines and offered us a tasting. The Mollex vineyard, which is typical of the region, only makes white wine, using the Altesse (also known as Roussette) and Molette grape varieties. Some other winemakers in the area do make red wine with Gamay and Pinot Noir.
I tasted a dry white wine from both grape varieties. They were both lovely fresh and crisp white wines, with the Molette having a little more fruit. They would be ideal as an aperitif or with seafood, although for my taste, they would go well with very many dishes.
I also tasted a Roussette from old vines, a lovely wine with more character. Then I tasted a slightly sweet version of the white wine, which was less to my taste. They also make a sparkling white (Cremant), which I did not taste.
Following Stephanie’s advice, we then drove to the hill tops to enjoy a wonderful view back across the valley.
France’s fine wine regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne have much to offer and are well known. But there is much to be enjoyed and learnt in smaller, lesser well-known areas like Seyssel.