Review: Maison Mollex NV Vin de Savoie Brut

The low-down: The Savoie region is located in the east of France at the foothills of the Alps. They produce delicious and accessible sparkling wines that are #2 to Champagne only in their marketing budgets. This number is a "blanc de blancs" produced 100% from the chardonnay grape. The wine is produced in the traditional method, which means the 2nd fermentation takes place within the bottle itself.

Maison Mollex produces three sparkling wines in order of increasing sweetness: a Brut, a Sec and a Demisec.

We were given this by friends that are religious followers of Maison Mollex - so religious they make an annual pilgrimage from the Cote d'Azur to Mollex's cellar door in Savoie.

The Brut is priced at less than 10 Euros - making it worthy of a celebration or just a pre-dinner aperitif.

The take: On appearance, lemon, very transparent with a light fizz. On the nose, citrus, grapefruit, banana and fresh cut grass. You can tell it is 100% chardonnay. With time slate and minerals. On the attack, obviously fizzy, but with a thick finish. Sour and sweet grapefruit, and with time nutty flavors typical of a chardonnay. Out of curiously we finished the bottle a day later and while the fizz was gone the wine was actually better, e.g. the sweet grapefruit had evolved into a very smooth and subtle toffee caramel.

In closing: Sour, sweet, creamy and unashamedly blanc de blancs.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Fact corner:

Country: France

Region: Vin de Savoie (AOC) Methode Traditionelle

Producer: Maison Mollex

Vintage: NV

Grape: Chardonnay

Alcohol content: 12.5%

Serving temperature: 7-10°

Price range: Low-end

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