François Dupraz founded the estate in 1880 at Le Reposoir, an historic site in Savoie once owned by the Chambéry hospices. Over generations, the family shifted the estate from mixed farming to specialized viticulture. In 1925, François’s grandson Michel Dupraz began bottling wines directly at the estate with Robert Dupraz, ending bulk sales and planting a third of the vines used today. In 1980, Marc Dupraz expanded the plantings and introduced natural cover crops in the soil. His sons, Jérémy and Maxime Dupraz, later returned to reclaim family historical sites. In 2014, they took back Michel’s original cellars—which had been part of the local cooperative from 1957 to 2003—along with vineyard plots previously managed by their uncle Jean Dupraz. Marc now shares ownership with Jérémy and Maxime, who run daily winemaking and vineyard work.
The estate covers 18.5 hectares across 22 individual plots, including owned and rented land. Located in the Apremont sub-region, the vines sit on steep slopes along the foothills of the Chartreuse and Bauges massifs at altitudes between 350 and 450 meters. The defining site is the single-vineyard plot of Le Reposoir. When Mount Granier suffered a major landslide in 1248, Le Reposoir was spared from the rockfall that covered nearby land. Because of this, its soil differs from the rest of the Apremont cru, consisting of intact ancient glacial moraines, calcite deposits, and clay-limestone. Facing east, the slope receives morning sun that ripens grapes gently without heat stress, while cold night winds from the mountains keep acidity fresh and aromas clear.
Vineyard management at Domaine Dupraz focuses on natural balance and climate adaptation. Marc Dupraz started natural grassing between the vine rows in 1980 to stop soil erosion on steep slopes. Jérémy and Maxime continue this practice today by letting wild grass grow. The grass competes with the vines for water and nutrients, slowing down grape ripening during warmer years so harvest can happen in cooler autumn temperatures. The family uses massal selection to maintain historical vine genetics and harvests all grapes by hand. The entire 18.5-hectare estate received official organic certification starting with the 2021 vintage.
In the cellar, winemakers Maxime and Jérémy follow a slow, low-intervention approach modeled on Burgundian parcel selections. The primary focus is Jacquère—a native white grape that reflects soil variation—alongside Altesse and Mondeuse. The team ferments each plot separately to capture specific geological traits. Fermentations start spontaneously using native yeasts from the vineyard and cellar. Winemaking uses no additives other than small amounts of sulfur at bottling.
Aging focuses on building natural texture. Domaine Dupraz uses neutral stainless steel tanks, neutral oak barrels, and concrete ovoid vessels. Inside the concrete eggs, natural liquid movement keeps fine lees in suspension, adding weight to the mid-palate and softening high mountain acidity without adding oak flavor. The wines age on fine lees for 12 to 60 months depending on the specific cuvée. The family bottles the wines only when Marc, Jérémy, and Maxime all agree the wine is ready.
By proving that Jacquère can produce serious dry white wine, Domaine Dupraz has become a benchmark producer in Savoie. Single-plot bottlings like Terres Blanches and Le Moulin earn recognition from critics and sommeliers for their structure, mineral drive, and aging potential. Through native yeast fermentations, restored family cellars, and long lees aging, the family continues to show the true potential of the Apremont cru.
