There’s some longstanding rhetoric in the wine industry that goes like this, “it’s what’s in the bottle that counts.” In other words, pretty packaging, clever labels, cool names just aren’t important if the wine itself is no good. I agree, but also allow that labels can matter, and sometimes they speak to certain people. Today’s discovery is a label that I love, and have for many years. The Domaine de la Tourmaline Muscadet from the Gadais family, along with Domaine de la Pepiere, was my first introduction to the mineral magic of Melon de Bourgogne. Back then legendary importer Robert Chadderdon represented the wines in New York, today it is Peter Weygandt. And although the label has changed in other markets, Peter has mercifully (at least for now) kept the beautiful, old black and gold label. A deliciously old-school wine, with a throwback look and throwback price too, stock up!
When most folks talk about Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine, they tend to treat it as one monolithic appellation. It’s located on the far western reaches of the Loire Valley, with vineyards running almost to the Atlantic Ocean. And the broad strokes of the region–coastal, continental, strongly influenced by both the ocean and the oysters grown in it–have long sufficed for most people’s understanding of it. But the truth is that there are multiple subzones, known as Cru Communaux, each with their own terroir and microclimate. The town of Saint-Fiacre sur Maine is one of those subzones, and shares a cru with its neighbor Monnières, where the dominant soil is gneiss.
The Gadais family knows this area well, as they have made Saint-Fiacre their home for many generations. In 1952 Louis Gadais decided to focus entirely on wine, and so began bottling and selling on his own (most farmers still sold their wine in bulk to the co-op then). His sons Marcel and Michel were instrumental in expanding the estate, and in creating the original “Domaine de la Tourmaline” label. Today their son/nephew Christophe and his son Pierre-Henri are at the helm. They have further expanded the estate and the range of wines offered, but they continue to produce the “Tourmaline” in much the same way that their forbearers did.
That means sustainable farming with organic practices in all 50 micro-parcels of vines that surround Saint-Fiacre. The 100% Melon de Bourgogne grapes, growing on the local Orthogneiss soils, are sent to a pneumatic press before being gravity fed into steel tanks for fermentation and aging sur lie (on the fine lees) until bottling the following July. “Tourmaline” pours a pale yellow with hints of gold at the edges and the nose is in an absolutely beautiful place. There’s the classic oyster shell and seabreeze minerality, the lemon peel and green apple fruit, but rounding it out are heady depths of hazelnut, white flowers, hay, baked apple, and pulverized chalk. The palate is still first and foremost fresh, a creamy weight just showing up that’ll only develop further with more time. Yes, although this is generally considered a wine to consume within 2-3 years, in fact I’ve had bottles that were amazing at year 10. Given the price there’s no reason not to grab a bunch and watch how they develop. That’s the pro move for sure!
