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, Gamay, Jacquère and Roussette de Savoie. Roussette is called Altesse locally, and it survives in the Bugey in a few patches of old vines, as it is not as hardy, reliable and productive as the others. Some have traced Altesse to be a relative of Hungarian Furmint (Tokaji). The origin of Altesse is also subject to various claims, including an origin in Cyprus, but a French origin seems more probable. Only two young winemakers in Montagnieu, Franck Peillot and Benoît Dumont, produce still wines exclusively from this grape.
Franck Peillot specializes in Roussette-based sparkling and still wines. Peillot has four generations of family winemaking in his blood as well as some very old vines. By employing low yields and a high level of ripeness, he has taken the obscure Altesse to new heights. Citrus aromatics with some grassiness, thyme and bay leaf. On the palate, a bit viscous and silky with citrus, minerals, sea foam, honey and a whisper of capers and lemon merigue. Crisp acidity with a touch of residual sugar, but finishes dry. Good crisp acidity. I could have mistaken this wine for a Riesling — and while I am generally not a huge fan of Riesling, this was clearly well made and quite enjoyable.
12.5% alcohol. Imported by Louis/Dressner.
