Julien Viana is the young, quietly driven force behind Cellier de la Baraterie in Cruet, in the heart of Savoie. At just 20, fresh from winemaking studies in Beaujolais, he returned home to take over a single hectare from local vigneron Serge Bouchez—an opportunity that has since grown into a 10-hectare organically farmed estate across Cruet, St-Jean-de-la-Porte and Arbin.

Working with a light touch, fermentations occur with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel and old oak, with minimal sulphur at bottling. The wines are pure and precise, capturing the lift, freshness and alpine character of the region—Savoie in its most honest, mountain-air form.