The Loire valley in France is well known for making refreshing wines. Its white wines are world-famous like Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé made with Sauvignon blanc, or Savennières crafted from Chenin blanc.
But the wine doesn’t always need to be the star; and if you are eating oysters or other shellfish, you should reach for a Muscadet.
Muscadet is versatile. I consider it to be the French equivalent to Italy’s Pinot Grigio from Veneto or Friuli. It is the white wine you reach for when you want something decidedly uncomplicated, but with enough acidity to be food-friendly.
Melon blanc
Muscadet is technically in the name of the appellations where the wine is made, although these days it is often used to name the grape these wines are made of. The proper name of the grape is Melon (blanc) or Melon de Bourgogne which is very confusing to most consumers (it translates to cantaloupe from Burgundy). It is a cross between Pinot and Gouais blanc (two Burgundian grapes) which gave it its name. Oh, and in case you were wondering, it has nothing to do with the Muscat family of grapes.
Melon is frost resistant, which is good because the Loire valley can get cold, and quite productive which makes for simpler, light-bodied wines.
“Sur lie” ageing
The downside of plain Muscadet is that it can feel a bit thin in the mouth. That’s why many producers use a technique called “sur lie” ageing to give a bit more body to the wine.
Lie (the French word for lees, pronounced with a long ee) is the name given to the solids left in the wine after fermentation. They can be further classified in 2:
- gross lees that sink to the bottom quickly (usually parts of the grapes)
- fine lees, particles that remain in suspension (usually spent yeast cells)
When a wine is aged on the lees, the gross lees are racked after fermentation, but the wine is left to age with its fine lees. Of course, they eventually settle down at the bottom of the barrel or vat, so the winemaker must periodically stir them back into the wine, usually with a stick (a technique called bâtonnage).
As the yeasts are stirred into the wine, they leave behind mannoproteins which are quite large molecules that give a fuller, “fatter” mouthfeel even after the wine is finally racked and filtered before bottling.
Not all Muscadet is aged on the lees, but most of what is sold outside of France will be. Regardless, if it is the label will mention “Sur lie” prominently -with some exceptions that I will discuss below-
The Muscadet appellations
There are 4 main appellations, the largest and most widely distributed is Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine AOC. There is also Muscadet-Côteaux de la Loire AOC, Muscadet-Côtes de Grandlieu AOC and the original Muscadet AOC.
As mentioned, wines will be labelled “sur lie” if they have been aged on the lees between March and November the year after harvest. But there are several sub-zones (including Château-Thébaud, Le Pallet and Clisson) that mandate a longer sur lie ageing, and in this case, the zone name will be present instead of "sur lie".
Muscadets are uncomplicated, versatile, easy-drinking wines and great value: most are sold for under $20 in Canada:
So next time you are at the wine store, pick up a bottle or 2 of Muscadet, it’ll come in handy sooner rather than later. Until next week, happy drinking!