2016 Domaine de Chevillard - Vin de Savoie St. Jean de la Porte Mondeuse (750ml)

Domaine de Chevillard is the work of Matthieu Goury, a Savoie native who grew up in a farming family and developed his winemaking skills through experience in Australia, Canada, and the Rhône Valley before returning home to found his own estate. This 2016 bottling comes from the domaine's very first official vintage, made from roughly ten hectares of vines spread across the communes of Saint-Pierre-d'Albigny and Saint-Jean-de-la-Porte in the Combe de Savoie, where varied limestone and marl soils and a south-facing exposure help the grapes reach full ripeness.

Saint-Jean-de-la-Porte is considered the Mondeuse grape's preferred terroir, a small appellation recognized since 1973 and limited exclusively to Mondeuse Noire grown on red, iron- and quartz-rich clay over limestone bedrock. Goury keeps yields low through severe bud thinning, then vinifies with minimal intervention, using native yeast fermentation and gentle manual pressing, followed by roughly a year of aging in barrel and another year in bottle before release.

The wine shows a deep, almost violet-black color with an intense bouquet of licorice, blackcurrant, and violet, along with cocoa notes that echo Mondeuse's genetic link to Syrah. The palate is structured yet juicy, framed by firm, delicate tannins built for long aging. It pairs beautifully with game birds, duck, or other rich, savory dishes.