For those of you keeping score at home, this is the second Arbin Mondeuse we’ve offered in as many months—undoubtedly a SommSelect ‘first’ and, in case you might be wondering, absolutely necessary. France’s mountainous Savoie region has been one of our favorite destinations of late for reds and whites alike, so if we happen upon another Arbin red with this kind of deep, smoky, “Côte-Rôtie of the Alps” appeal, we’ll offer that, too.
Delicious, distinctive, farm-to-table wine is what we’re all about, and this wine hits the bullseye: Grown on slopes of 30%-40% grade in the shadow of the French Alps, Trosset’s “Prestige des Arpentes” Mondeuse is not just a flagship of the estate but of the region as a whole. Described by the Roman wine writer Columella as “the grape that ripens amidst the snow,” Mondeuse is the only variety planted in Arbin, one of the 16 “cru” villages in the Savoie. DNA profiling has revealed a genetic link between Mondeuse and Syrah, which is confirmed with each sip of Trosset’s deep, peppery, dark-fruited 2017—it isn’t an exaggeration in the least to draw comparisons to the perfume of Côte-Rôtie and the meaty depth of Cornas, at a fraction of their prices. For a cool-climate “mountain” red, “Prestige des Arpentes” has some real heft to complement its alluring, high-toned luminosity. At this price especially, it practically demands a return trip to the Savoie!
Not that I need to be cajoled: Trosset’s Prestige des Arpentes serves up a wonderfully evocative taste of the Alps, with intense bilberry fruit, wild mountain flowers, lots of smoky earth, and a mouth-watering freshness that keeps you coming back for more. What’s fascinating about Arbin is that it has historically been a red wine appellation in a place that is better-known for racy, mineral whites; it’s a cool, mountainous area, but also sun-drenched, which allows for excellent phenolic ripeness in red and white grapes alike. Perched above the Isère River (a tributary of the Rhône), the four-hectare Trosset estate spreads across 10 parcels on south-facing slopes that catch plenty of sun. With its unforgivingly steep incline, this is a landscape where all work is done by hand—there’s no chance of making it through these vineyards on a tractor. Vines averaging 25 years of age burrow into free-draining soil of scree, clay, and limestone, producing elegant and savory wines.
Born and raised in Arbin, brothers Louis and Joseph Trosset took over the family winery when their father passed away in 2000. Joseph farms the vines, Louis is the winemaker. It’s the ultimate farmstead operation, free of chemical inputs in the vineyards and focused entirely on the Mondeuse grape (as is the tradition in Arbin). If you are a lover of great northern Rhône Syrah, this variety, from this place, is very much in your wheelhouse!
Deeply grounded and wildly invigorating, the 2017 Prestige des Arpentes is drinking beautifully now but has years of life ahead. Fruit for this wine was hand-harvested and fermented in separate lots before being transferred into stainless steel and enamel-lined tanks for aging. No wood is used, maintaining the vibrantly pure fruit and deeply earthy flavors.
The resulting Mondeuse offers all the elegance of your favorite Côte-Rôtie, but with even more freshness and tension, plus uniquely Alpine aromatics and flavors: Think dark berry fruit with purple flowers, mint, and fern, deliciously entwined and racing with acidity. Mondeuse sheds its tannin quickly, so after a year or two, the wine will reveal untold layers of cranberry, pomegranate, and cherry fruit, too. Given its potential, I recommend buying a few bottles to sip, plus a few to hold and open in five, seven, and maybe 10 years. For today, decant the wine 30-45 minutes ahead of time, and serve at 60-65 degrees in Bordeaux or Burgundy stems. Really want to go local? Try pairing your Mondeuse with a Comte cheese—also native to Savoie—in a tart featuring fresh tomatoes and a bit of black pepper.
