The Domaine Labbé story is quintessentially French: a family clawing their way from subsistence to success through sheer determination and really good wine. When Marcel Labbé's parents bought their Savoie property at auction in 1935, they were just trying to survive. Post-war France wasn't easy—they grew tobacco, cereals, kept animals, and tended a few vines on the side.

By the 1960s, Marcel and his wife Lucette had pivoted to fish farming, becoming the first to supply booming ski resort restaurants with fresh trout. Their sons Marc and Roger joined in the 1970s, building a dairy operation with 200 head of cattle. One brother worked construction and the other butchered pork to pay bills, and they spent weekends planting Jacquère vines. They saw the future, and it wasn't in cows.

The 1980s brought the big decision: abandon everything else and bet on wine. Just wine. From milk and trout to ten hectares of vines, going all-in on the local Abymes appellation.

Enter the next generation. Alexandra (Marc's daughter) and Jérôme (Roger's son) studied viticulture in Beaujolais, came home with ambition, and took over in 2004. Their stroke of genius was to plant Mondeuse in 2007.

Mondeuse is Savoie's answer to Northern Rhône Syrah—peppery, savory, with electric acidity and real tannins. But where Syrah can be massive, Mondeuse stays lithe and energetic. The Labbés' 35-year-old vines grow on limestone slopes. Twelve days of maceration extracts color without harshness. Aging on lees in old barrels adds texture without oak flavor. This is pure Alpine refreshment with a serious side.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

Rare Mountain Wine: Of Savoie's 1,725 hectares under vine, barely any wine leaves the region. Locals and tourists drink it all. Finding real Savoie Mondeuse in the US is like finding a parking spot in Chamonix on a powder day.

Alpine Purity at 12%: Truly cool climate wines are becoming rarer. This 12% Mondeuse is a revelation. Light enough to drink all afternoon, complex enough to contemplate all evening. Our Master Somm said this wine is “about purity of citrus, and cranberry and clean, alpine, pristine red fruits.”

A Hardscrabble Family: From subsistence farmers to sought-after winemakers in two generations. When you know the fathers worked construction on weekends to afford vine plantings in this remote, alpine corner of France, you can’t help but root for this family.

HOW TO SERVE IT

• Serve at 55-58°F—slightly cool to emphasize the Alpine freshness. 

• Drink now through 2028. While it's irresistible today with its purple fruit and pepper notes, Mondeuse ages surprisingly well, developing gamey, truffle notes that locals love.
  

• Perfect with raclette, fondue, or any Alpine cheese. Also brilliant with charcuterie or grilled trout (a nod to the family's fish-farming days).