WTN: 2005 Frank Peillot Bugey Mondeuse

I love this humble VDQS wine not because it has even the slightest chance of rating Parker points and superlatives but because tonight it washed down a perfect pork chop for which it was a perfect companion. Louis/Dressner imports this juicy, peppery, gentle (12 percent alcohol) food wine, a delicious tribute to Joe Dressner's perspicacity. But not everybody is that wise. Last I heard, the good vintners of Savoie were ripping out Mondeuse as though it were ragweed.

As Florida Jim says, I'd buy it again. And again and again.

Last I heard, the good vintners of Savoie were ripping out Mondeuse as though it were ragweed

Say it ain't so.

We need more Mondeuse. Not less.

Last I heard, the good vintners of Savoie were ripping out Mondeuse as though it were ragweed

Say it ain't so.

We need more Mondeuse. Not less.

Rahsaan, the following quote is out of date as it comes from the first edition (1994) of Jancis Robinson's Oxford Companion to Wine:

"Total French plantings of Mondeuse Noire fell sharply in the 1970s, from nearly 1,000 ha/2,470 to under 200 but it is to be hoped that there will be a local renaissance in this characterful variety...."

Does anyone have more recent data?

"Characterful"? That may not be in the dictionary but it pretty well describes Mondeuse, a wine that would have a hard time hiding in a blind tasting.

"Total French plantings of Mondeuse Noire fell sharply in the 1970s, from nearly 1,000 ha/2,470 to under 200 but it is to be hoped that there will be a local renaissance in this characterful variety...."

Does anyone have more recent data?

I can imagine that overall plantings are falling, as they are probably falling for all grapes.

But, there is a small group of organic producers focusing on high quality versions. I guess you could include Peillot in that group, but I've tasted some even more "extreme" "natural" Savoie mondeuse wines from Jean-Yves Péron for example (former student of Thierry Allemand).

What that represents in the broader scheme of things I have no idea. But, the wines seem like they have potential to gain larger followings, plenty of fruit and all..

Fear not, Mondeuse plantings are increasing in Savoie, but only in a very slow way for one simple reason - since the whole of Savoie is only allowed (by the bizarre French planting rules) to plant about 20 new hectares of vines each year, then any Mondeuse plantings must by necessity replace another variety.
I helped update the Savoie entries in the latest Jancis Oxford Wine Companion, so in the 3rd edition, the relevant paragraph now reads as follows:
"Total French plantings of Mondeuse Noire fell sharply in the 1970s and were barely 200 ha/500 acres in 2000 but there is a small 21st-century renaissance in this characterful variety, most of whose produce is sold as a varietal Vin de Savoie, unusually capable of ageing. It is also grown in the Vin du Bugey region."

Mondeuse is a very difficult grape to ripen properly and hence to handle in the cellar. It really only suits certain areas of Savoie well - the best being in the Combe de Savoie between Chambéry (around Chignin/Montmélian/Arbin) towards Albertville, really ending at the village of Fréterive. In a good year, only the best producers using low yields (and that's very few of them) will reach a natural 11% alcohol. Oak maturation or not and which is still a hot topic of debate out there and not enough research has been done.

My best selection of Savoie Mondeuse producers include the following:
Domaine Prieuré St-Christophe (Michel Grisard - biodynamic Frétervie)
Louis Magnin (Arbin)
Domaine de l'Idylle (Tiollier brothers in Cruet)
Domaine St-Germain (relative youngsters in Cruet)
JP & JF Grisard (brothers of Michel above)

The French press rate Frères Trosset in Arbin very highly, but I have suspicions here about press samples ... I've enjoyed some of his cuvées in my favourite restaurant in Le Grand Bornand (Ferme de Lormay), but I think he gets special treatment too ... (c'est pas possible?).

I must get to know the Bugey better and visit Peillot - have never been there but heard of him.

I've tasted a Mondeuse blend once from Brown Bros in Australia which was great. I heard there was some in California somewhere - anyone know?

The other thing on Mondeuse whilst I'm at it, is that no-one in Savoie (even though this region remains one of the main areas for vine nurseries in France) really knows what its background is - no-one seems, amongst officialdom, to care enough to pay to have the DNA testing. It used to be thought to be Refosco of Italy, but this is NOT true apparently. Mondeuse Blanche is of course confirmed as a parent of Syrah, but - big BUT - it is not proven that Mondeuse Blanche and Noire are related, though of course in the area they are loosely described as cousins. I want proof!

Glad to find some fans out there across the big pond.

Welcome Link, not a bad post from a newbie!! Very informative, I had no idea! Hope you stick around, we are a fun bunch always willing to listen and learn.

Wow! Wink, don't go away. Great post.

I'd like to learn more about Mondeuse and Bugey, too, but it's not easy. For instance, a book that I depend on a lot for Loire info, even though it's out of date, is the 1996 A Wine and Food Guide to the Loire by Jacqueline Friedrich but, if its table of contents and index are to be trusted, it doesn't include a single reference to Mondeuse or Bugey.

the 1996 A Wine and Food Guide to the Loire by Jacqueline Friedrich but, if its table of contents and index are to be trusted, it doesn't include a single reference to Mondeuse or Bugey.

Why would it?

Mondeuse is not grown in the Loire is it?

OK I'm still here on this post.

Just to make it clear ... Bugey is a VDQS area just to the west of Savoie (and often linked to it in literature). It's south of the Jura in eastern France, so a very long way from the Loire valley.

As far as I know, in France Mondeuse is only grown in Savoie and Bugey, though there used to be some in the Jura.

the 1996 A Wine and Food Guide to the Loire by Jacqueline Friedrich but, if its table of contents and index are to be trusted, it doesn't include a single reference to Mondeuse or Bugey.

Why would it?

Mondeuse is not grown in the Loire is it?

Right! I mean I wrote something stupid, the result of my automatically equating Louis/Dressner wines with the Loire, which is (increasingly) no longer the case.

Dredging this old thread up today, in checking out K&L Wines, the young lady heartily recommended the TROSSET Vin de Savoie Arbin Mondeuse. I'm assuming this is an early drinker. Can't wait-I'm beginning to discover more obscure European wines (like the delicious Austrian St Laurent!)

Brian, I wouldn't be too sure your Mondeuse is "an early drinker," if you mean it doesn't have a promising future. Maybe Wink will enlighten us.

See the Dec 02 Wink Lorch posting above containg the extract from one of Wink's contributions to the third edition of Robinson's Oxford Companion to Wine. It seems Mondeuse can be "unusually capable of ageing," something that never occurred to me.

Can Mondeuse age? Well, yes it can, very much depending on how it is made and therefore on producer. The nature of the grape is that it has relatively high acidity and tannin, but if the fruit is given a very short maceration (as was recommended by the local officials/laboratories in the 80s in particular and is still done by bulk, non-quality orientated producers), then it will end up almost like a fruity Gamay to be drunk within the year. However, good producers have realised in the last decade that Mondeuse is quite capable of making an ageworthy wine, providing there is longer maceration time and it is bottled later, possibly after some oak ageing, though the jury is out on that one - again it's producer-dependent.

Trosset (see my earlier post in this thread) is a big question, but certainly critics think his wines should age at least 5 years. He does several different cuvées so that will make a difference too, perhaps.

There is BIG news on the origins of Mondeuse and other Savoie varieties. I will post something possibly later today in a separate post (just waiting for something to appear somewhere else!).

I have just dug up "French Country Wines" by Rosemary George. Bugey gets 6 pages of info but poor Mondeuse gets written off in 4 lines!! The chapter looks like a good read.

I know Rosemary well, and she would be the very first to remind you how out of date that book is!

Yeah, I was gonna mention that fact but it`s 5 am. What the heck!