2012 Arbin Mondeuse, La Belle Romaine, Château de Mérande, Savoie, France
Matthew Jukes on 2012 Arbin Mondeuse, La Belle Romaine, Château de Mérande, Savoie,France
posted on November 28,2014 in MoneyWeek
2012 Arbin Mondeuse, La Belle Romaine,Château de Mérande, Savoie, France (£13.67 exc VAT bt, Vine Trail tel. 0117 9211770)
Thebeautiful Savoie region of France is more often on my radar from a cheese andskiing point of view than its wines. Granted a number of worthy, rustic,‘French Country-style’ wines are made but they often lack style and panache.This week I have two earth-shatteringly arresting releases for you which willhopefully engage you with this romantic region like never before. I have neverdrunk a Mondeuse (a local red grape) that I loved until La Belle Romaine hit myglass – this is an aromatically gripping red with stem and leaf notesfreshening the glistening plum-soaked core. It is the proud possessor ofdevastatingly pure palate and a very long finish, too. Biodynamically farmedthis intrinsic link with its soil and surroundings has surely heightened thiswine’s characteristics to hitherto unknown levels of purity. Very little oakgets in the way, too. Buy this wine for a glimpse into the future of Mondeuse.Also, track down this elegant, silky 2012 Chignin, Le Jaja, Berlioz (£16.95,same merchants). This is my favourite dry white Savoie wine of all time. Who’da thought it? You wait all of your life and two life-changing Savoie wines comealong in the same week!