Domaine Luneau-Papin, PM&M Garance, Muscadet Sévre & Maine Sur Lie, Loire, France

Who - PM&M Luneau-Papin
Where - Muscadet Sevre & Maine, Nantais, Loire, France
What - White Wine - Melon de Bourgogne
When - 2024
How - Organic/Biodynamic, natural fermentation with indigenous yeasts, several months on the lees, unfined, unfiltered, vegan

Sometimes you just can't beat the classics. Muscadet fell out of fashion, another victim of its own success possibly, but the style is unique and when good, unmistakeable. This wine is made from 100% Melon de Bourgogne grown on a single vineyard with stony, schistous soils. The Sur Lie bit in the name is about aging the wines on the lees, the solids left from the fermentation, the skins, dead yeast etc, which gives the wine extra depth and complexity. The art is knowing how long to do this for and how much batonnage (stirring up the lees) to do. In this case over 8 months and regularly.

The wine has the characteristic grapefruit, lemon acidity, expressive and complex. Amazing with mussels and as an aperitif.