750Daily: The Next Big Thing: Mondeuse

Interesting article in 750Daily, as linked by WineTerroirist, that Mondeuse is becoming the next big thing with all the hip somms (at least for this week):
750Daily:Mondeuse

It, of course, credits Carole & Steve for planting Mondeuse on MtVeeder and leading the revival in Calif, as credited by JaimieMotley. Which I would agree…the L-M Mondeuse is world-class…as good as it gets. It notes that Mondeuse was more common in Calif in te 1800’s, though little/none of those old plantings exist. Actually, PieroAntinori & Dick Peterson planted it early on on AtlasPeak. But that was because they planted Refosco, which turned out to be mis-identified by FPS and was actually Mondeuse. Alas, Glenn Salva pulled it some yrs ago, but the last crop, made by Trinchero for DarrellCorti, was classic Mondeuse, though a pretty rugged wine.
Tom

I actually had a bottle of '04 Carlisle Mondeuse Noir that I drank in 2017. I enjoyed the bottle but it is something you rarely see.

I tried my first Mondeuse this year, and while I found it to be quite pleasurable and engaging I can’t see a wine with the characteristics of Mondeuse becoming the “next big thing”.

Yup…that was a year that Mike was able to make a barrel of Mondeuse off of TwoAcres. I thought it spoke more
of Mike’s winemaking and only quietly of Mondeuse varietal character. But it was good stuff on its own.
Tom

Some wine writers tend to label the “next big thing” as whatever there is a buzz among the hip Somms. First it
was “natural wines”, then “orange wines”. Next it will be Saparavi and then Rkatsitili then ??
Mondeuse will never rise above just a niche wine. But they usually are pretty delicious stuff.
Tom

the belluard example is wonderful, much more sophisticated than the wines by jean yves peron.

Clearly it should be planted up and down the coasts of America and into Mexico and Canada and soybeans and corn should be ripped out in favor of this regal grape! neener

Yup, Markus…preachin’ to the choir here!! Maybe even taking at some Merlot as well.
Tom

This. Can you imagine how hard it would be to be trying to be uber hip and one day discover that there are a lot of grapes in the world? Things you never even tasted in your somm classes?

Oh no. Which will be the next big thing? I have to get on it before anyone else does! This! No that! No this one over here! No there’s one!

And of course they’re grapes nobody ever heard of because they just appeared magically, fully planted!

That said, there have been a few good wines I’ve had from that grape and Carole’s is definitely one of them.

Mondieu! Mongoose! Mondeuse!!!

I’ve been selling one (or more accurately, offering one) from Savoie for 3 decades. Over that time I’ve sold WAAAAY over a case a year! Actually, I guesstimate 150 cases over 30 years.
I don’t maintain stateside inventory, but somms are invited to contact me. If you order, it will get here in about 4 months, by which time it won’t be the Next Big Thing and you will cancel your order. I won’t lose much money because your order was tiny (I regularly bring in other wines that actually sell from the same producer); I’ll drink a few bottles and sell the rest at a loss.

Of course Refosco is WAAAAY better!

And Mercouri has been available in this country for probably 50 years. I haven’t tasted a lot of Mondeuse, but I doubt if there are many available as good as Mercouri.

sigh

Dan Kravitz

I don’t remember the name of the one Dan sells but I know I’ve bought it before when I was in retail.

My company represents Charles Gonnet from Savoie and the 2018 Mondeuse is bangin’.

But will it really catch on? I don’t know but it’s a great fit in that middle range for a chillable red in warm weather and something a bit more savory when Pinot Noir and Gamay are boring you.

I know I’ve tried some great ones from producers with de Grazia as well.

I also remember when Jim Clendenen tried to make it a thing in the 90’s, which unfortunately didn’t really happen.

Brent,

Thanks. It’s Boniface ‘Les Rocailles’. As always, I offer it DI but do not stock it. I get the sporadic 2, 3, 5, 10 case orders (somebody ordered a full pallet a few years ago). As I bring in a lot of Apremont from this producer, it’s always easy to throw on a few cases.

Has anybody on this thread ever had Mercouri? The wines are really, really good, probably the best I’ve ever had from this grape (have never tried a California version). IIRC it is blended with something indigenous, but is majority Mondeuse.

Dan Kravitz

Carlisle did not make a 2004 Mondeuse. 2003 was the last year, unless you had the Refosco, Rosato, which he did not sell and I’ve never tried.
Served a 2003 Carlisle M at the only HVS meeting I went to. This is not his best vintage and I don’t remember anyone in the know appreciating it, but it was actually quite good. More to the point you should ask Mike what the variety was, ‘cause it wasn’t Mondeuse!

Peter,

I believe you are correct. Went back and looked at Cellar Tracker and discovered that I had the only two bottles of Mondeuse in the system. I must have entered it incorrectly. In addition my memory says it was an '03. In any event I enjoyed it.