In short: Roussette de Savoie is an AOC for dry white wines made from a single grape, Altesse. Fuller and more aromatic than Jacquère, with notes of white fruit and honey, it’s the Savoyard white to choose when the raclette is generous, the rind well aged or the cured meats plentiful. It can handle a few years in the bottle: a recent vintage does the job nicely, and 2021 or 2023, praised in Savoie, are worth seeking out if your wine shop still has some.
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Why Roussette de Savoie goes with raclette
If Apremont is the lively, slightly rowdy friend at the table, Roussette is the more composed cousin, the one who shows up with a bottle and a real conversation. The appellation’s specifications describe wines whose attack is “generally marked by freshness”, with a bouquet of white fruit and honey. Vinatis adds apricot, almond, hazelnut and floral notes.
This combination is, in our opinion, ideal with melted cheese: the freshness cleanses the palate, while the wine’s roundness stands up to a characterful raw-milk raclette, an aged rind or a plate of smoked cured meats. The official text says as much in its own way: pairings with local products, “especially fish and cheeses”, are part of the appellation’s image. The Guide Hachette des Vins names Beaufort and Reblochon among the cheeses that suit it.
As for raclette cheeses, Roussette is at ease with a Raclette de Savoie IGP, a Raclette du Valais AOP or a blend with Abondance. With a smoked raclette, it holds up better than a very light white, because it has more body.
What the appellation says: one grape, four crus
Altesse, and nothing else
The rule is simple: the wines are made “from the Altesse grape alone”. The appellation, recognized in 1973, produces only still whites. The specifications cap fermentable sugars at 8 grams per liter maximum (and no more than total acidity plus two): these are dry wines. Alcohol can’t exceed 13% after enrichment, and 13.5% for the crus.
A bit of history, so you can shine between two potatoes: Altesse has been documented in Savoie since the 14th century, first on the slopes of Jongieux and Lucey, and the wine was then “reserved for the table of princes”. The name roussette supposedly comes from the russet color the berries take on when ripe. Today, it’s served at the table of anyone with a raclette machine, which is a kind of progress.
Frangy, Marestel, Monterminod, Monthoux
Four additional geographical names can be added to the appellation name, with a lower yield (60 hectoliters per hectare versus 64 for plain Roussette de Savoie):
- Frangy (Chaumont, Desingy and Frangy, in Haute-Savoie): a dry style dominated by floral notes, according to the specifications.
- Marestel (Jongieux and Lucey, in Savoie): the text credits it with “greater breadth of flavor”, linked to riper grapes. The name comes from Claude Mareste, ennobled in 1563.
- Monterminod (Saint-Alban-Leysse) and Monthoux (Saint-Jean-de-Chevelu): also dry wines, with a rather floral nose.
For raclette, our preference goes to Marestel when the cheese is powerful, and to Frangy or Monthoux for a lighter evening. A Roussette de Savoie without a cru does the job very well too: no need to turn dinner into a grand cru tasting.
The best Roussette de Savoie vintages
Roussette isn’t a wine for very long aging: the Guide Hachette gives it 2 to 5 years and notes that it improves after a few years, while Vinatis speaks of a nice aging potential of about 5 years. The table below uses iDealwine’s vintage scores (Jura and Savoie whites, scored together, out of 20) and, for 2024, the regional press.
| Vintage | Quality / style | Drink |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Savoie harvest of just over 100,000 hectoliters, below the ten-year average. Quality reported as good, with lighter wines in alcohol (La Radio Plus). | Now and over the next few years |
| 2023 | According to iDealwine, the Savoie vintage “is shaping up to be one of the most successful in recent years”, with elegant, balanced wines. | Now |
| 2022 | Whites 17/20: whites that “often show a lovely fruity generosity”. | Now |
| 2021 | Whites 15/20 for Jura-Savoie as a whole, but iDealwine writes that the Altesses produced very balanced whites, “a benchmark vintage”. | Now |
| 2020 | Whites 17/20. A hot year, but less extreme than other recent vintages. | Drink soon |
| 2019 | Whites 17/20. A rather classic vintage in Savoie, with very varied whites (Jacquère, Roussette, Roussanne). | Drink soon |
| 2018 | Whites 16/20. Some whites a bit heavy and low in acidity, but some successful Roussettes according to iDealwine. | Past the 2-to-5-year window |
We haven’t found a reliable tasting report on the 2025 vintage in Savoie, so no opinion from us on that one. The “Drink” column is our advice for a raclette, based on the 2-to-5-year aging window given by the Guide Hachette.
How to serve Roussette de Savoie
- Temperature: 10 to 12 °C according to the Guide Hachette. Take it out of the fridge a few minutes before sitting down, and keep it cool afterward: next to a raclette machine, a glass of white warms up fast.
- Glass: a classic white wine glass, filled one third of the way to let the aromas breathe.
- Decanter: not needed for a young Roussette.
- Quantity: our benchmark is half a bottle per wine-drinking adult over the evening, with a pitcher of water always on the table. If you’re also serving an Apremont, open it first and keep the Roussette for later.
And to keep the bottle cool despite the heat of the machine:
Other wines for raclette
Back to the complete guide to wines for raclette, or to the raclette pantry. To stay in Savoie, compare it with the livelier Apremont and the fuller Chignin-Bergeron. And if the table is calling for red, move on to Mondeuse from Savoie.
Frequently asked questions
Which grape is Roussette de Savoie made from?
Altesse, and Altesse alone: the AOC specifications require the wines to be made from the Altesse grape only. Roussette is the name of the appellation, and a local name for the grape.
Roussette or Apremont with raclette?
Both work. Apremont, made from Jacquère, is lighter and livelier. Roussette is fuller, with white fruit and honey: in our opinion, it’s better suited to a powerful or smoked raclette.
Does Roussette de Savoie age well?
A little: the Guide Hachette gives it 2 to 5 years and notes that it improves after a few years. For a raclette, a recent vintage is perfect.
What do Marestel or Frangy mean on the label?
They’re two of the appellation’s four crus, along with Monterminod and Monthoux. According to the specifications, Marestel gives fuller wines, while Frangy, Monterminod and Monthoux give dry wines with a rather floral nose.
Sources
- Specifications of the Roussette de Savoie AOC, approved by the order of August 24, 2021 (BO-AGRI, October 7, 2021, in French)
- Guide Hachette des Vins: Roussette de Savoie AOC (in French)
- Vinatis: the Roussette (Altesse) grape (in French)
- iDealwine: 2023 vintage scores (in French)
- iDealwine: 2022 vintage scores (in French)
- iDealwine: 2021 vintage scores (in French)
- iDealwine: 2020 vintage scores (in French)
- iDealwine: 2019 vintage scores (in French)
- iDealwine: 2018 vintage scores, North-eastern France
- La Radio Plus: Savoie wines, lower yields but good quality for 2024 (October 2024, in French)
