Axel Domont
Savoie, just south of Chambéry, France
 

Axel Domont's journey into winemaking began not in a vineyard, but on a bike.
 

Originally from the Drôme, Axel spent seven years racing professionally for the AG2R La Mondiale team, one of the top outfits in French cycling. A crash in 2020 brought that career to an abrupt end.
 

Rather than look back, Axel turned to his second passion, settling in Savoie at the foot of Mont Granier to start again as a winemaker.
 

With no formal training, he leaned on the people around him, borrowing cellar space and equipment from his friend Nicolas Ferrand at Domaine des Côtes Rousses, and renting small parcels of vines nearby.
 

His first vintage was 2021. Today Axel works Jacquère, Roussette, Gamay, Mondeuse and Pinot Noir, all farmed organically or biodynamically, some from his own rented vines, some bought in from neighbouring growers.

In the cellar he keeps things simple: direct press for the whites, extended maceration for the Mondeuse, ageing in old demi-muids, and barely a whisper of sulphur added at bottling. No fining, no filtration.
 

The wines are fresh, precise and unmistakably alpine — proof that Axel's competitive edge translates just as well to a cellar as it did to the road.