Mondeuse Prieure St Christophe Domaine Giachino 2022

Mondeuse Prieure St Christophe Domaine Giachino 2022, 100% Mondeuse, old vines, biodynamically farmed since 1994, a mythical wine originally made by the ‘Pope of Mondeuse’, Michel Grisard.  This amazing vineyard and icon of Savoie wine lies in the shadow of the Bauges Massif just west of Albertville.  The 6 hectare domaine was taken over in 2015 by the Giachino brothers after the retirement of Michel Grisard.  Under their tutelage, it continues to produce Mondeuse of exceptional character with a burgundian finesse and complexity.  Old bottles of the Mondeuse made by Michel are still available in small quantities, as he continues to hoard several vintages in his own cellar which he releases from time to time to a selected few to supplement his retirement.  These will set you back several hundred pounds, while the current incarnation is a mere £52 a bottle.

Domaine Giachino was created in 1998 when Frédéric took over the 1,5 hectare family estate in the Savoie region of the Alpes, from his grandfather Marius Genton.

Later joined by his brother David, they progressively enlarged the estate to its current 9 hectares and enriched their vineyards plantings with new grape varieties particular to their area of the Savoie.  Those varieties included Mondeuse, Gamay, Persan and Douce Noire for the reds and Roussette (also called Altesse for the whites).  Today 6 of the current 9 hectares are planted to the original grape of the domain, the Jacquere, and two of the wines produced come from this grape, the white Monfarina and the Orange wine, Marius et Simone, named after Frederic's Grandparents. 

The vineyards of Domaine Giachino are Located in the village of Chapareillan, in the heart of the Regional Park of the Chartreuse, between Chaîne de Belledonne and Mont Granier not far from Chambéry.  The vines lie on the lower slopes of the Mont Granier, the mountain which dominates the landscape. The soils are moraine, clay and limestone; this is a rare and specific geology, forged by a terrible disaster which happened back in the 13th century.  An enormous landslip from the upper slopes of the mountain brought 500 million square metres of rock down onto the villages below obliterating five of them and the people who lived there.  This unbelievable event was the source of this unique terroir which now produces delicious natural wines.

The values and philosophy of the two brothers made the switch to natural and organic methods inevitable and they took this decision back in 2006.  Now they farm fully biodynamically and are certified by Demeter.  The domaine benefits from an incredible natural environment.  The cold weather in the winter kills bugs and disease, and in a way, means each new vintage has a blank slate and fresh start.  However, increases in temperature over the past few years as a result of climate change are starting to impact on this cycle, snow in the valleys of the Alpes, now being a much rarer occurrence.  Vintages are becoming wetter and as a result, more unpredictable.  In response to these changes, there has been a shift towards natural production as producers realise the best way to combat climate change is a more integrated approach.

Savoie wine has had something of a resurgence in the last few years and in general, production is still fairly small.  There are only approximately 2200 hectares in the whole region, compare that to 30000 hectares in nearby Burgundy.  It remains a bit of a well kept secret and many of the wines are consumed by visitors in the busy Alpine tourist destinations. 

In our view, they are wines you must seek out.  The reds are not big and bold and the whites are not fruit driven Sauvignon Blanc style, they are more interesting but also so incredibly drinkable, particularly when paired with any of the amazing local foods.  We have drunk many a Savoie bottle and without doubt those made at Domaine Giachino are simply the best!