Peillot - 'Montagnieu Brut' - Altesse, Mondeuse, Chardonnay - Bugey, FR - NV

Notes from the Winery/Importer

50% Mondeuse/50% Altesse + Chardonnay. Though not vintage-dated, Peillot's Brut is always single-vintage, methode champenoise wine. Most cru Montagnieu sparkling is Chardonnay-dominant; Peillot emphasizes local varieties Altesse & Mondeuse. Average vine age is around 30 years, with some plots of Altesse and Mondeuse up to 60 years old, planted mainly on rocky limestone scree on a steep slope right by the village of Montagnieu. The farming is organic. The bunches are harvested by hand and vinified separately by variety and parcel. The clusters are direct-pressed and spontaneously fermented in tank; the blending takes place in late winter. The blended wine is bottled with a liqueur di tirage and finishes fermentation in the bottle; it is disgorged and finished with a 6-gram dosage. Bugey is the AOC and Montagnieu is the village and cru. 

Notes on the Producer

The Bugey is a small viticultural area whose fame doesn’t extend much farther than the city of Lyon, where its sparkling Cerdon and Montagnieu have long been staples in bistros. Located in the eastern part of the Ain department, which is better known for its poulet de Bresse (the only French poultry with its own AOC) and its freshwater fish, the Bugey is a series of low altitude hills forming the most southern tip of the Jura range. In distance, it is closer to Savoie than to viticultural Jura, so, if mentioned at all, it is often considered a part of Savoie. Winemakers in the Bugey beg to differ. They feel that their region has a soil and a climate all its own, which produce wines found nowhere else in France (Cerdon being the less obscure example of Bugey’s originality). 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 in 1985 after working with his father since 1981, carries on the work of four 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. With low yields and high ripeness, he is set to revive the wine that Jules Chauvet (a Beaujolais négociant, eminent taster and writer who has inspired a whole school of “natural winemaking”, notably in Morgon) put on a par with Château Chalon, Château Grillet and Yquem. Exaggeration aside, the varietal is thought to be a cousin of the Hungarian Furmint of Tokay fame and, even when vinified dry, it retains a fair amount of residual sugar. Peillot is also a believer in the quality of his Mondeuse grapes, and is the lone vigneron in the village who obtained the appellation Montagnieu Mondeuse with his red wine in the 1997 vintage. Over the years Franck has become a dear friend and a part of our extended family. It brings us much joy to still be able to collaborate with him nearly 20 years later. And now that he has partnered up with Theo Bonnard, a young man from the village, we are happy that he can start relaxing a bit more. And hopefully come visit more often!

Grapes & Style

Altesse

Altesse, also known as Roussette, is a white grape from Savoie in eastern France. It’s one of the region’s more serious white varieties, capable of wines with more body and ageability than the leaner, more immediate alpine grapes.

In the vineyard, Altesse can be lower-yielding and somewhat demanding, but good sites give wines with texture, acidity, and savory depth. It often benefits from careful élevage that builds shape without overwhelming its mountain freshness.

In the glass, Altesse often shows pear, quince, citrus, honey, almond, herbs, and a stony alpine edge. The best examples are quietly complex: rounded but fresh, floral but savory, and especially good with richer mountain-style foods.

Mondeuse

Mondeuse is a dark-skinned alpine red grape most closely associated with Savoie in eastern France. It’s one of the more distinctive mountain reds: savory, peppery, and structured, but usually with a freshness that keeps it from feeling broad or heavy.

In the vineyard, Mondeuse tends to ripen late and benefits from good exposure in cool alpine conditions. It can carry firm tannin and deep color, so thoughtful extraction matters. Handled well, it gives wines with grip and character without losing the lift that makes Savoie reds so compelling.

In the glass, Mondeuse often shows blackberry, sour cherry, violet, black pepper, smoke, herbs, and a stony mineral edge. It can be wild and rustic or polished and serious, but the best versions have a satisfying combination of mountain freshness, dark fruit, and savory spice.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is one of the great white grapes of Burgundy, and one of the most widely planted wine grapes in the world. It has a long history in eastern France, especially Burgundy and Champagne, and DNA work shows it as part of the same broad Pinot and Gouais Blanc family that gave us grapes like Gamay and Aligoté. It’s adaptable, easy enough to grow in many places, and capable of producing everything from simple everyday whites to some of the most ageworthy white wines in the world.

In the vineyard, Chardonnay buds and ripens relatively early, which makes it useful in cooler climates but vulnerable to spring frost. It tends to do especially well on limestone and calcareous clay, and its relatively neutral fruit profile gives site and cellar choices a lot of room to show. Malolactic fermentation, lees aging, barrel fermentation, and oak can all shape the final wine dramatically.

In the glass, Chardonnay can be lean, saline, and citrus-driven, or broad, textured, and orchard-fruited, depending on where it’s grown and how it’s made. Chablis shows the steely, high-acid side; the Côte de Beaune shows depth, texture, and savory complexity; Champagne shows its value as a sparkling-wine base. Good Chardonnay is less about one fixed flavor than about balance, texture, and the way it carries place.