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WTN: The creed of the Savoyard vintner

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Patchen Markell

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WTN: The creed of the Savoyard vintner

by Patchen Markell » Tue Mar 06, 2018 11:44 am

André et Michel Quenard 2015 Mondeuse, Vin de Savoie, Chignin, Vieilles Vignes.

Picked this up on a whim because I don't have much experience with Savoie wines. It's a $29 Kermit Lynch import. Lurid purple, juicy plum-skin and savory herbs combined with dark, slightly meaty fruit. Vibrant, good acid. Reminds me a bit of some of the hearty-but-not-heavy northern Italian reds I enjoy, from Ruchè to Lagrein, not so much in its specific flavor profile as in its lip-smacking intensity and slight rusticity. Really tasty; I could keep some of this around on a regular basis.

(Or I could just take a swig from a jug of Jean-Jacques.)
Last edited by Patchen Markell on Wed Mar 07, 2018 10:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
cheers, Patchen
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Re: WTN: The creed of the Savoyard vintner

by Rahsaan » Tue Mar 06, 2018 12:38 pm

Patchen Markell wrote:Reminds me a bit of some of the hearty-but-not-heavy northern Italian reds I enjoy, from Ruché to Lagrein, not so much in its specific flavor profile as in its lip-smacking intensity and slight rusticity.


I can see the comparison. Makes sense because all are Alpine wines.

I often stay domestic in my thinking and conceptualize Savoie Mondeuse as a mountain version of French Syrah.
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Re: WTN: The creed of the Savoyard vintner

by Patchen Markell » Tue Mar 06, 2018 12:56 pm

Makes sense because all are Alpine wines.


Which also explains why they all make me want to yodel? Wait, no, sorry, I'm just in a goofy mood today (hence all the inscrutable Rousseau puns). :D
cheers, Patchen
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Yup...

by TomHill » Tue Mar 06, 2018 1:04 pm

Patchen Markell wrote:André et Michel Quenard 2015 Mondeuse, Vin de Savoie, Chignin, Vieilles Vignes.
Picked this up on a whim because I don't have much experience with Savoie wines. It's a $29 Kermit Lynch import. Lurid purple, juicy plum-skin and savory herbs combined with dark, slightly meaty fruit. Vibrant, good acid. Reminds me a bit of some of the hearty-but-not-heavy northern Italian reds I enjoy, from Ruché to Lagrein, not so much in its specific flavor profile as in its lip-smacking intensity and slight rusticity. Really tasty; I could keep some of this around on a regular basis.
(Or I could just take a swig from a jug of Jean-Jacques.)


Yup.....this Quenard Mondeuse is one of the best.
For a different experience, you should try the Lagier-Meredith Mondeuse. A world-class expression
of Mondeuse.
I find that Mondeuse has some of the same blackberry character of Syrah/Refosco/Lacrima but w/
a distinct rosemary/thyme/pungent herbal character. The Savoie ones show more earthiness.
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Re: WTN: The creed of the Savoyard vintner

by Patchen Markell » Tue Mar 06, 2018 1:17 pm

Thanks, Tom; I've seen your notes on the Lagier-Meredith Mondeuse and would love to get my hands on some; I've only ever had their Syrah.
cheers, Patchen
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Re: WTN: The creed of the Savoyard vintner

by SteveEdmunds » Tue Mar 06, 2018 1:37 pm

Patchen, I want to hear you yodel! :D
I don't know just how I'm supposed to play this scene, but I ain't afraid to learn...
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Re: WTN: The creed of the Savoyard vintner

by Patchen Markell » Tue Mar 06, 2018 3:40 pm

That, Steve, is just one of the many ways in which you are unique.
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Re: WTN: The creed of the Savoyard vintner

by Tim York » Tue Mar 06, 2018 3:46 pm

I just bought two bottle of the 2005 vintage of this same wine. I have only previously enjoyed young vintages of Mondeuse so I am curious to see how it has matured. The caviste claims that Syrah and Mondeuse are related.
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Re: WTN: The creed of the Savoyard vintner

by Patchen Markell » Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:58 pm

I'll be fascinated to read your notes on those 2005s, Tim!

Wikipedia (citing Jancis Robinson et al.'s big wine grape guide) says:

Mondeuse noire was once thought to be dark-berried color mutation of Mondeuse blanche, a variety that is best known for being the mother vine to the Rhône wine grape Syrah. However, in the early 21st century, DNA profiling showed that the two grapes actually had parent-offspring relationship though it is not yet known which grape is the parent and which is the offspring. This relationship makes Mondeuse noire, which is also known under the synonym Grosse Syrah, either a grandparent or half-sibling to Syrah.

While the Lagier Meredith website says of their Mondeuse simply that "the family ties to Syrah are evident but there's no confusing them."

(All of which makes me imagine writing a Sophoclean tragedy about fatal confusions about the family ties among wine grapes.... Oinopus Rex?)
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SteveLagier

by TomHill » Tue Mar 06, 2018 7:04 pm

Patchen Markell wrote:I'll be fascinated to read your notes on those 2005s, Tim!

Wikipedia (citing Jancis Robinson et al.'s big wine grape guide) says:

Mondeuse noire was once thought to be dark-berried color mutation of Mondeuse blanche, a variety that is best known for being the mother vine to the Rhône wine grape Syrah. However, in the early 21st century, DNA profiling showed that the two grapes actually had parent-offspring relationship though it is not yet known which grape is the parent and which is the offspring. This relationship makes Mondeuse noire, which is also known under the synonym Grosse Syrah, either a grandparent or half-sibling to Syrah.

While the Lagier Meredith website says of their Mondeuse simply that "the family ties to Syrah are evident but there's no confusing them."

(All of which makes me imagine writing a Sophoclean tragedy about fatal confusions about the family ties among wine grapes.... Oinopus Rex?)


Steve Lagier refers to Mondeuse as the bastard uncle of Syrah and the reason for planting it.
I was not aware of the parent/offspring relation of Noire/Blanche.
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Re: Yup...

by Rahsaan » Tue Mar 06, 2018 9:17 pm

TomHill wrote:
Patchen Markell wrote:André et Michel Quenard 2015 Mondeuse, Vin de Savoie, Chignin, Vieilles Vignes.
...


Yup.....this Quenard Mondeuse is one of the best.


It's been hard to get a handle on Savoyard Mondeuse from afar because the availability is spotty in the US. I have no idea what the local scene is like, how many of them are working seriously, for export beyond the region, etc. They are also not exactly plentiful or trendy in Paris. (At least since I last checked, I'm not so close to the scene anymore)

But, I remember fondly the wines of Jean-Yves Péron from about 10 years ago when he first started and came out with a bang. Natural wines, studied with Allemand, and the lineage/inspiration was clear. Later I saw he was getting imported to the US but somehow I never made it a priority to follow the wines. This thread is reminding me of the great function they can serve!
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Re: WTN: The creed of the Savoyard vintner

by Bob Parsons Alberta » Wed Mar 07, 2018 2:16 pm

Always keen to read up on Mondeuse here. Posted a note a while back but seemed to get lost in the forums daily happenings.
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Re: SteveLagier

by Mark S » Thu Mar 08, 2018 9:09 am

TomHill wrote:Steve Lagier refers to Mondeuse as the bastard uncle of Syrah and the reason for planting it.


I can see Mondeuse as being a bastard. Never really felt any connection with it to syrah.
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Re: WTN: The creed of the Savoyard vintner

by Tim York » Sun Feb 10, 2019 11:20 am

I forgot about this wine until I was searching for a bottle of Santenay supposed to be in this bin and instead put my hand on this Mondeuse. I recalled this thread and here is my TN -

2005 André et Michel Quenard Vin de Savoie Chignin Vieilles Vignes - France, Savoie, Vin de Savoie Chignin (2/9/2019)
I'm a fan of young Savoyard Mondeuse so, when I saw this 13 year old example on offer, I did not hesitate mainly out of curiosity to see how it had aged. First impressions were of its similarity to a medium - bodied and quite young N. Rhône with its elegant sour cherry fruit and gentle spiceyness. However as the wine took on air and a couple of degrees C, it acquired greater depth together with a gamey streak and firmness in its finish which I liked. This shows that Mondeuse is not afraid of medium term ageing but I'm not convinced that it added a lot compared with a much younger example. Very good though.
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