Peillot Mondeuse du Bugey

Mondeuse

Jura, France

Montagnieu is a village south of Cerdon, with premières côtes overlooking the Rhône valley, and most of its production is a white sparkling wine made from Chardonnay, Roussette de Savoie, Gamay and Jacquère. The grape Roussette is called Altesse locally, and it survives in the Bugey in a few patches of old vines, for it is not as hardy, reliable and productive as others. Only two young winemakers in Montagnieu, Franck Peillot and Benoît Dumont, produce still wines exclusively from this grape. By law, the wine, Roussette du Bugey, can contain any white varietal, in any proportion. That’s why Peillot’s is labelled 100% Altesse. Peillot, who took over his family estate five years ago, carries on the work of 4 generations before him. Although he makes a sparkling Montagnieu from Chardonnay, Altesse, and Mondeuse, he vinifies all of his Altesse old vines as a still wine. 

Peillot has a hectare of this singular, rustic Bugey variety. Much of it is vines planted in the early 2000's on the steep, rocky, clay-limestone scree of the village and cru of Montagnieu and trained in the local, traditional gobelet en echalas style; there are also vines up to around 100 years old still going strong. The farming is sustainable and the harvest by hand. The fruit is destemmed, partly foot-trodden and fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel; the maceration is about 10 days. Aging takes place in tank as well (there is no wood at Peillot).