Grape Sportlight: Bugey AOP Chardonnay with Cellier Lingot Martin

Bugey is a winegrowing region in the Ain administrative department of eastern France, in the mountainous areas just south of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) and the border with Switzerland. Bugey is most often associated with Savoie as they are close geographically and produce similar wine styles.  Bugey is a very cool climate region and the vineyard area covers a patchwork of communes in the Ain, with the majority of the vineyard area around the town of Belley. Another cluster, further north and more-or-less contiguous with the vineyard area of the sparkling Bugey Cerdon lies just southwest of Bourg-en-Bresse.

Courtesy of Vineyards.com

The best sites are on the south-facing slopes, where the combination of cool subalpine air, a sunny aspect and free draining soils (mostly based on limestone) provides the best chance for the grapes to achieve optimal ripeness. More than half of all Bugey wines are white. Chardonnay is the principal grape variety of the Bugey appellation, and must make up at least 70 percent of Bugey still white wines.  (wine-searcher)

Cellier Lingot Martin is located in Poncin, just a few kilometers from the village of Cerdon. The winery is renowned for producing Cerdon AOP (a sparkling rosé made using the 'méthode ancestrale') as well as Bugey AOP wines.  One of these is their Bugey Blanc Chardonnay, a fresh wine showing a combination of citrus and green apples laved with noticeable minerality and a refreshing lasting finish.  Bâtonnage of the lees provides depth and increased aromatics. This is a delicious wine, but what pie would you pair it with, apple or pumpkin?

Note: In the video I refer to Bugey being in western France. It is obviously in eastern France.