On Muscadet...and Deep Summer Deals for Deep Summer Days & Nights
Jo Landron, Muscadet vigneron and prominent moustache owner
On Muscadet...
Muscadet might just be the summer wine. Unlike more aromatic varieties, it shows well with a serious chill. It is always refreshing, low in alcohol, and thirst-quenching. It is also (usually) very reasonably priced, so you can afford a couple bottles to get you through a sweaty summer evening.
Where is it from?
Muscadet is in the far western part of the Loire Valley, north of Bordeaux. It abuts the Atlantic Ocean, which contributes greatly to its maritime structure and salty flavor. Nantes, the nearest city, is a bustling, rainy tech hub that has been called France’s Seattle.
What is it made of?
Melon B., formerly Melon de Bourgogne. For a more thorough history of the grape, including its unceremonious banishment from Burgundy, please refer to this earlier Thief blog.
What does Muscadet taste like?
Melon, a neutral grape, often tastes of orchard fruits such as green apples or pears, with a lean structure built around citrusy acidity. Muscadet’s proximity to the sea causes a distinctly saline, minerally finish that makes your mouth water. Some producers age their Muscadets on lees for extended periods, providing extra weight and creamy autolytic flavors like baking bread (similar to Champagne).
What should I pair with it?
The classic Muscadet pairing is fresh oysters with mignonette, though they provide an excellent foil for nearly any seafood (particularly raw or light preparations). They also play really well with green vegetables, which can be a difficult pairing. Well-made examples pick up some golden weight as they age, allowing them to be paired with richer foods like chicken in a cream sauce or leeks au gratin.
When should I drink it?
Fresh Muscadet is delicious, salty, and quaffable, the kind of wine to drink on your porch tonight. Aged Muscadet can hold for 10 years or more, growing weightier and more complex as the years roll by. So, I guess the answer is, you should’ve been drinking Muscadet this whole time!
Ch. Thebaud, Famille Lieubeau
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Chateau de la Ragotiere Muscadet Sevre et Main Sur Lie 2018
Lemon and the lightest texture are lifted by intense acidity and a lively, fresh aftertaste.
- Country/Region: Loire Valley, France
- Appellation: Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine
- Varietal: Melon de Bourgogne
- Vine Age: 25-years old on average
Domaine de la Fruitiere Cru Clisson 2014
Sourced from profoundly granitic soils that are some of the oldest in France, these wines have a lash of savory acidity and remarkable longevity.
- Country/Region: Loire Valley, France
- Appellation: Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine
- Varietal: Melon de Bourgogne
- Vine Age: 50-years old
- Certified organic
- Vinification: Hand-harvested, basket press, natural yeast fermentation in tank
- Aging: 24 months in tank on lees
La Berriere Muscadet Sur Lie 2018
The wine is fresh and has unusual depth and minerality. Thanks to its exceptional terroir, the wine is very floral and will develop fuller flavors with aging.
- Country/Region: Loire Valley, France
- Appellation: Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu
- Varietal: Melon de Bourgogne
- Vine Age: Up to 60-years old
- Vinification: 7 months on lees with batonnage 1x each month
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Joseph Drouhin Rully Blanc 2016
A wine full of charm! The color is a beautiful white gold, with a ravishing purity and brilliance.
- Country/Region: Burgundy, France
- Appellation: Rully, Côte Chalonnaise
- Varietal: Chardonnay
- Vinification: Hand-harvested, aged in French oak (20% new) for 6-8 months.
- Certified organic
St. Cosme Little James Basket Press Pays D'OC Blanc 2018
Chateau de Saint Cosme is the leading estate of Gigondas and produces the appellation’s benchmark wines.
- Country/Region: South of France, France
- Appellation: Pays d’Oc
- Varietals: 50% Viognier, 50% Sauvignon Blanc
- Vinification: Stainless steel
Ingrid Groiss Gemischter Satz Braitenpuechtorff 2018
The oldest wine-growing districtus in Austria, the Weinviertel DAC, is where Ingrid Groiss calls home. Hailing from the town of Breitenwaida, in northeast Austria, near the border with the Czech Republic, Ingrid crafts wines expressive of terroir, keeping with her family’s long tradition of winemaking. She is supremely passionate about her wines, with sustainable practices in the vineyard and minimal interference of modern technologies in the cellar.
- Country: Austria
- Appellation: Neiderosterreich
- Varietals: Rare white blend (Chardonnay, Frühroter Veltliner, Grauburgunder, Grauer Vöslauer, Grüner Veltliner, Hietl Rote, Müller Thurgau, Neuberger, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Roter Veltliner, Rotgipfler, Sämling, Silberweisse, Welchriesling, Wiesse Vöslauer, Zierfandler)
- Vinification: Hand-harvested, 7 hours maceration, 4 months on the lees in stainless steel tanks
Peyrassol La Croix des Templiers Rosé 2019
The name of the estate is the first indication of its long, illustrious past. Located in the heart of Provence, near routes traveled by Crusaders in the early Middle Ages, the Commanderie de Peyrassol was founded by the Knights of Templar who were dedicated to protecting the Crusaders en route to, and in, the Holy Land.
- Country: France
- Appellation: Provence, IGP Mediterranee
- Varietals: Cinsault and Grenache
Domaine de la Patience Rosé Nemausa 2018
This family estate located in the Costières de Nîmes takes its name from a wild, aromatic herb “La Patience” that can be found throughout the vineyard.
- Country: France
- Appellation: Costieres de Nimes
- Varietals: Grenache and Cinsault
- Vine Age: 20 years
- Vinification: Fermentation in stainless steel, aging in concrete vats
- Certified organic
Figuiere Mediterranee Rosé 2019
Over a period of 25 years, the Combard Family has grown Figuière to its current size of 210 acres. Additionally, Figuière produces an entry-level tier of wines called "Méditerranée" using meticulously selected grapes sourced from négociants. The perfecting touches of maturing and blending are carried out in the domaine’s cellars.
- Country: France
- Appellation: Provence
- Varietals: 40% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 20% Syrah, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
- Vine age: 10 – 15 years
- Vinification: Stainless steel fermentation