In Jon Bonné’s detailed PUNCH article, “Can the Savoie Become the Rhône’s Rival Sister,” he succeeds in shining light on this oft-overlooked and misrepresented region: “Too often thought of as an annex to the Jura, the Savoie actually has far more in common with the nearby Rhône Valley...Given the similarity, the Savoie should at least be in the comet tail of the northern Rhône’s recent good fortune.”

We couldn’t agree more. And yet, Savoie remains both a shell of its former self and a forgotten gem of a region—if these hillsides weren’t populated with skiers and lodges, we’d be conveying an entirely different message. But they are, and they’re not going anywhere anytime soon. Still, all is not lost here: Producers like Charles Gonnet haven’t wavered in the face of adversity, continuing to produce handcrafted wines that drink above their diminutive price tags.

Though white wine is the specialty in Savoie, there are a small handful of villages/crus that also take great pride in crafting small-batch reds—take Chignin, a picturesque village that lies directly across from well-known Apremont. The Gonnet family, with just 13 hectares, has crafted wine here for generations. For today’s old-vine Mondeuse, mature vines are farmed organically and winemaking practices are minimal and noninvasive—a brief aging regimen in stainless steel is all that’s required to obtain the natural expressions of grape and place. 

In the glass, Gonnet’s fresh release of “Vieilles Vignes” Mondeuse shines a deep, nearly opaque ruby with vibrant purple hues that will immediately erase any light-bodied quaffer notions you may have about this wine. A smoky, peppery, floral eruption blasts out of the glass, quickly followed by black raspberry, blue plum, elderberries, sour cherry, and currants. Intensely perfumed violets and rose petals accompany you to the medium-bodied palate that delivers a crunchy, mountain-cool experience. Fruits take on myriad profiles from ripe to sour to brambly before culminating with a seamless, mouthwatering core of delicate minerals; it’s a deliciously animated alpine red. Drink around 60 degrees in Burgundy stems and serve alongside a pepper-crusted venison tenderloin over the next five years. Still, don’t be surprised if you dust off a bottle ten years from now and it’s singing a beautiful tune—Gonnet’s Mondeuse has the structure to last! My last request: Enjoy this severely underpriced bottle with all of your friends and family so we can bring Savoie wine back to its heydey!