There's a little alpine scene on this label, and at first sight you fully expect to see the twirling drindle dress of Fraulein Maria on the sloping meadow. She's not there - because we're in France, not Austria. I don't often think of Alpine scenes when I think of French winemaking regions - but then again I've never been to the French Alps. The grape is Mondeuse, and it's exactly what you might expect from a high altitude area like the Savoie in France. It's on the light side of medium bodied, similar to a cool climate Pinot Noir. It's a spicy little number with aromas of red cherry, black pepper, strawberries and violets.
I'd never heard of Mondeuse before. It's certianly fun to say and I was taken in by it's Sound of Music-esque label. Christy Frank, owner of Frankly Wines in Tribeca saw me entranced and convinced me to take home a bottle. Of course, this was in the summer, when light red wine drinking is de riguer. Did I ruin the experience by drinking it in Janvier? Of course not! I just had a rose last night - I'll tell you about that later.
Christy told me that 's awesome, the grapes are grown at the base of the Alps and that the spicy-peppery goodness would blow me away! Thank you, Christy!! Grab a bottle from her
http://www.franklywines.com/ at $14.99 - you can't go wrong.
There has been some debate over whether or not Mondeuse is the same grape as Refosco (from Northeastern Italy). The styles are certianly similar - I've found Refosco to be fuller bodied, but then again, this is the very first Mondeuse I've tried.
Verdict: a delightful fruity and spicy medium-light bodied wine I would use as an alternative to Pinot Noir. It has a lot of character and potential for a very lovely drink. Great acidity makes it a wonderful food wine (it did go very well with my ceasar salad).
Color: bright purply red
Nose: peppery, red cherries. violets
Palate: delicate, cherries, wild strawberry, minerality
