Corentin Houillon may carry the name of one of the Jura’s most revered domaines, but in Savoie, he’s charting his own distinct course. After formative years spent working alongside Pierre Overnoy, Emmanuel Houillon, Stéphane Tissot, and Dominique Derain—not to mention a stint making wine in Switzerland—Corentin returned to the Alps to begin his own project. In the Chautagne region, nestled between forest and slope, he farms five hectares of organically grown vines: altesse, jacquère, pinot noir, mondeuse, and gamay.

     Veronnet Rouge is gamay, but not as you know it. Fermented with a healthy portion of whole clusters and aged with minimal intervention, this is gamay in its alpine form—darker-fruited, more wild-edged, and structured by altitude and stone. It hums with crushed berries, black pepper, forest floor, and a touch of something feral, with tension between lightness and grip that makes it especially compelling at the table.

     Corentin’s wines are still new to the world—his first release was 2019—but already they feel confident, full of pulse and place. Veronnet Rouge is no exception: a vivid expression of mountain gamay with soul to spare.