Mondeuse is a historic grape variety from the French Alps known for its vibrant personality. It carries some of the floral and spicy notes of Syrah, but with a brighter, cranberry-like freshness that makes it especially distinctive. Perched at the northern end of the Russian River Valley, Las Cimas Vineyard basks in sunshine with cool breezes from the Pacific keeping the grapes fresh and lively. Clusters are left whole and undergo a combination of carbonic maceration and traditional foot treaded native yeast fermentation, allowing a balance between the vibrant fruit aromatics, depth, and structure. The wine was aged in neutral French oak barrels for 14 months before bottling. With a name like Jolie-Laide (which roughly translates to "Pretty-Ugly), what's not to love here? From their base in Sonoma County, Scott and Jenny Schultz focus on restrained winemaking to craft expressive, site-specific wines. Grapes are oftentimes foot-crushed and fermented whole-cluster using wild yeast. Scott began his wine journey after moving to Napa Valley from Chicago to manage the beverage program at Thomas Keller's Bouchon restaurant. He quickly became plugged in with a great many winemakers in the region and before long, he landed a role of cellar master at Realm winery, followed by stints at both Arnot-Roberts and Pax Mahle, before launching Jolie-Laide in 2010. 11.8% ABV
