The following may be hard to believe, but it’s true: Romain Chamiot’s Mondeuse marks our fifth offer from Savoie in three months, something that would’ve been virtually impossible at the beginning of my wine career. Until recently, Savoie was an oddity, something you’d see on a trendy wine list once or twice a year. But right now—at least under our roof, anyway—the Savoie is among France’s hottest regions.
Take one sip of today’s bottle, and you’ll understand why: Floral, smoky, peppery, and brimming with Alpine energy, Mondeuse this good, at this price, is unlike anything else on the planet. If Northern Rhône Syrah, in all its purple-fruited intensity, could grow on the slopes of snow-capped mountains, it might taste something like this. Add in the fact that Chamiot is a legitimately small artisanal producer (only 40 cases of this wine made it stateside!) and the modest price tag seems hard to believe. But be warned: the sommelier spotlight has zeroed in on the Savoie, and prices for micro-production bottlings like today’s will not remain this low forever. Squirrel away as much of this as you can before the rest of the world catches on!
Located in far eastern France, on the Italian/Swiss border, it’s hard to imagine a viticultural region more idyllic than Savoie: vineyards here sit at elevations of up to 1,800 feet and the Swiss Alps loom on the horizon. So why the relative obscurity until recently? Phylloxera took a serious toll on the region. After the vineyards were wiped out in the late 19th century, they were simply too steep and labor-intensive to bother replanting. Until the late 20th century, there were no Savoie winemakers who made their living entirely from their vineyard; all either had side jobs or mixed farms. But skiers in the 1970s were attracted to those snowy slopes above the vineyards, and they found that a cool glass of the local white, Jacquère, was the perfect tipple. Soon, farmers were financially able to replant abandoned sites and redouble their efforts at producing wines that spoke of their terroir. Now, the Savoie brims with energy, as younger winemakers are moving in or taking over family estates, with an array of varieties: the aforementioned Mondeuse and Jacquère, as well as Altesse, Persan, Roussanne, and Chardonnay.
Romain Chamiot calls the tiny hamlet of Apremont home. If the Savoie’s history is one of struggle, Apremont’s is even more so. In the 13th century, a massive landslide swept through the commune, simultaneously killing thousands and spreading tons of limestone scree across the hillsides. This scree forms the subsoil of the region now, with marl lain atop. Apremont is now the most productive village in the Savoie, its east-facing vineyards capturing ample sun, while the limestone soil imbues its wines with wildly refreshing energy. Romain recently took over from his grandparents and has begun the shift to organic farming. Of his seven hectares, a mere 0.2 are planted to our beloved Mondeuse. These days, Mondeuse is like a secret handshake amongst sommeliers—it’s not flying off the shelves of retail stores, but it always makes regular appearances at any gathering of sommeliers.
Romain Chamiot’s 2020 Mondeuse pours a deep, bright purple that speaks to the sheer aromatic beauty within. The nose explodes with all sorts of vibrant fruits like blackberries, redcurrants, pomegranate, and candied cranberry before white pepper, alpine herbs, pipe smoke, iron, and crushed black rock savor come wafting in. The color and the nose might lead you to expect a full, tannic palate but this is lively downright juicy with medium-plus acidity and very fine tannins. It’s killer served with a slight chill in Burgundy stems, and the combination of dark fruit and cutting acid make it perfect for something like herb-crusted roast beef with horseradish. Don’t sleep on this—in a few years, you’ll be able to tell your friends you got to Savoie first!
