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Louis Métaireau, Grand Mouton

Loire Valley, France 2013 (750mL)
$23.00
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Louis Métaireau, Grand Mouton


The Grand Mouton vineyard, hailed as one of the very sites best in all of Muscadet, is the unclassified appellation’s equivalent to a grand cru. The oldest vines, planted in 1937, along with vines that are a minimum of 30-years-old, dig deep for nourishment in an exceptional terroir of gneiss, mica, garnet and amphibolite, which delivers inimitable minerality to the wine. Between the Maine and Sèvre Rivers in Saint Fiacre, this special 23-hectare parcel is worked and harvested entirely by hand and is farmed with organic methods as much as possible. In a region where the majority of producers utilize conventional chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, the Métaireau family is truly an exception. It was Louis Métaireau who really shook things up in Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine in the mid-20th century when the appellation was at its low point. Along with a group of dedicated producers known as the, “vignerons d’art,” Louis led the charge to focus on more organic farming methods and treat the precious land, that had been severely overcropped, as it deserved. Over fifty years later, the quality of Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine is a testament to his legacy.

Louis Métaireau also began leaving his wines ‘sur lie’ over the winter, which is still practiced today. This process involves leaving the aging wine in contact with its fine lees following fermentation, which results in a richness and autolytic flavor profile that is otherwise impossible. Today, Louis’s daughter Marie-Luce and her husband, Jean François Guilbaud, not only craft their wines with respect for the land and with new tradition in honor of Louis, they have successfully pieced the treasured Grand Mouton vineyard back together. Their wine is fermented in climate-controlled stainless before it is aged sur lie in neutral oak then it is bottled without filtration. The result is possibly the best Muscadet I have tasted in many years and is available at a price point that is simply astonishing.

The 2013 Grand Mouton is pale straw in color with green reflections on the rim. Incredibly complex aromatics waft from the glass with fruits of green peach, dried yellow apple, green plum and a touch of unripe melon laced with lemon blossom, honeysuckle, white mushroom powder, crushed seashell, ocean air, and a slight note of white flowers. The generous palate offers substantially more fruit and weight than a typical Muscadet with additional notes of citrus peel, vibrant savory notes intertwined with ample florals, spun honey, oyster shell and an intense, unrivaled minerality. Although this wine is a delight to drink at the moment, 10-15 years in the cellar will deliver a wine closely reminiscent of a Premier Cru Chablis. So put some of this away. To enjoy now, serve this wine in a Burgundy stem at 50-55 degrees to allow the aromatic complexity to truly speak to you. The medium-bodied, high acid balance of Muscadet makes it incredibly food-friendly, but the additional weight and texture of this particular example allows this wine to aspire to even greater things. Simply pair with a fresh whole fish grilled over natural wood with a squeeze of lemon and high quality fleur de sel. Just make sure you have enough wine as this one will go down way too easily. Enjoy!
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Country
France
Region
Loire Valley
Sub-Region
FranceMuscadet Sèvre-et-Maine
Soil
Gneiss and Sand
Farming
Organic
Blend
Melon de Bourgogne
Alcohol
12.0
OAK
Neutral French Oak

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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