Every member of our wine team is waiting with bated breath because today’s extraordinary wine is both a SommSelect “first” and a long time coming. I have countless stories about Magnin’s rarely seen, worshipped-in-France “Tout un Monde,” but for the sake of brevity, I’ll recount just two of them.
First, let’s talk about “verticals.” A vertical, in vinous-speak, is a range of vintages from the same producer. Open up the wine list at a Michelin restaurant, and you’ll likely see verticals that will cause any connoisseur to swoon: DRC, Chave, Latour, Gaja, Vega Sicilia—we’re talking the finest, most sought-after wines in the world. But, open up one of those lists in France, and you’ll discover a name you probably aren’t familiar with: Louis Magnin, and his rapturous, stunningly chameleonic “Tout un Monde.” Coming from century-old, organically farmed heirloom vines, this painfully limited
cuvée (about 25 cases make it to America) is the most breathtaking example of age-worthy Mondeuse on the planet. This leads me to my second anecdote: When Magnin’s iconic importer poured us this rarefied liquid, we learned about a top private collector who would only buy exorbitantly priced “unicorn” wines. Even more, he would only drink wines of this nature, too—that is, until he was blinded on Magnin’s “Tout un Monde.” Now, every vintage he can get his hands on is part of his enviable collection. So, if (1) the best French bistros have verticals, (2) it’s a cellar highlight of a hardcore collector, and (3) it’s nearly unobtainable in America, I’m sure you can see why we were so thrilled to get some of this world-class rarity. Up to six bottles per person.
[NOTE: This wine is only available as a pre-offer and will take 2-3 weeks to arrive in our warehouse before it can be shipped.]
“Tout un Monde” drinks like a Côte-Rôtie or Hermitage gone wild, erupting with rustic mountain fruit and a striking sauvage character that truly makes it a one-of-a-kind experience. It makes sense: Mondeuse is the mountain cousin of Northern Rhône Syrah—literally, in the sense that DNA analysis has linked it to Syrah and figuratively because it’s been cultivated in the rugged mountainous region of Savoie for centuries. Ancient Gallic tribes first planted it prior to Roman invasion, and the vines survived long after they were gone. Columella, the famous Roman writer on the topic of farming, referred to it as “the grape variety that ripens amidst the snow,” and its nickname maldoux (“bittersweet”) appears in texts as early as 1731.
Founded by namesake Louis Magnin in the late 1800s, today the estate is run by his grandson, also named Louis, and his wife Béatrice in the famed Arbin cru of Savoie. In a refreshing role reversal, you’ll find Louis buried in the cellar and Béatrice actively tending to their eight hectares of Certified Organic vines who was comically quoted in a GuildSomm article saying, “Better my husband stays in the winery, where he just watches and doesn’t touch anything.” Really, “land first” is the motto here, especially with today’s top-of-the-line cuvée: “Tout un Monde” comes from a .7-hectare sliver of 100+-year-old vines (planted by the “original” Louis Magnin). Obviously, they want these ancient Mondeuse trunks to naturally express themselves. When it comes time for harvest, the grapes are picked by hand, de-stemmed, and transferred into stainless steel vats. After a multi-week, ambient-yeast fermentation, the wine is moved to old demi-muids (600-liter French barrels) for 18 months. They then allow the wine to mature in bottle for several years before release. Only 200 cases produced.
I only have one demand when enjoying this wine: Make your bottle stretch! We enjoyed ours over three days and each time it had a new savory layer to reveal. Magnin’s 2011 “Tout un Monde” is the antithesis of lighthearted: It’s powerful, brooding, and visceral with soul-stirring layers of intense flavor. You’ll pick up dark, brambly berries infused with damp violets, pulverized stone, smoked meat, mountain herbs, underbrush, pepper, horse saddle, and an unmistakable sauvage (wild, earthy, gamey) note. Just like the finest Northern Rhône reds, at eight years old, this wine is still a baby and it will exponentially reward with time, whether cellaring for another five years or enjoying now over several days. Do, however, enjoy one now. The palate is ruggedly rich and multi-textural, showing off dense dark berries—black raspberry, boysenberry, wild plum—that melds into a long, savory/herbal finish. This is an incredible wine, and it’s one that demands a spot on your table or in your cellar. Take a handful because “Tout un Monde” is a near-impossible wine to get your hands on in America!
