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| Many years ago while traveling in France I was smitten by a bottle of Muscadet, a dry white wine that is appreciated but also deprecated by the French, even though they drink oceans of it. For many French folks, the most that they require from a bottle of Muscadet is that it be cheap, dry, and cold, something to toss back with a plateau de fruits de mer on holiday. Truthfully, most of the wines made in the Pays Nantais meet these not very demanding requirements. I often suggest a good bottle of Muscadet to visiting French customers who want a bottle of French wine to drink with their dinner, and the look of scorn that my suggestion is met with has taught me, over time, to stop doing this. It’s a shame, as they’re missing out. There are world-class vineyards in the Pay Nantais, and although most Muscadet is indeed insipid and industrial, a handful of growers there are doing remarkable work there—when Muscadet is good, it can be very, very good. Tonight, we are tasting new releases from Jérôme Bretaudeau, a vigneron who has quickly become one of our favorite growers in the Pays Nantais. These are mind-bending wines that we get only a tiny quantity of, and I’m thrilled to have the importer, Jay Clark, in the shop to pour them for you tonight. Bretaudeau worked for Muscadet luminaries Jo Landron and Guy Brossard before he was able to secure a few hectares of his own. He is a bit of an experimentalist, as evident with the two very different cuvées of Muscadet we’ll taste tonight: he ages one in the traditional glass-lined concrete tanks used in the region, while the other ages in concrete egg-shaped vessels. He’s now grown the domaine to over 10 hectares and makes a range of wines, both the traditional, bone-dry whites of the region, as well as orange and red wines. Bretaudeau We’re tasting two different Muscadets, one fermented in the aforementioned concrete eggs; an orange wine made from pinot gris; another white wine fermented and aged in terracotta amphora, and two red wines. |
| Domaine de Belle Vue “Granit Les Perrières” Muscadet Sèvre et Maine 2018 Domaine de Belle Vue “Gaia Cuvee Ovoïde” Muscadet 2018 Domaine de Belle Vue “Macération” Vin de France 2018 Domaine de Belle Vue “Amphores” La Justice Vin de France 2018 Domaine de Belle Vue “V Sens” Vin de France 2018 Domaine de Belle Vue “Ornaté” Vin de France 2018 |