Off on an adventure: Day 11 – The Luneau-Papins

Pierre-Marie, Marie, Monique et Pierre Luneau 

(Domaine Pierre Luneau–Papin) with the 2014 Muscadet juice 

Pierre-Marie listening to the 2014.... 

As I suspect there will be limited time to post on Jim's Loire while we are away– there are posts prepared in advance that will feature pics of Loire producers and may be from elsewhere plus some recently enjoyed bottles.   

2016 Loire Harvest – Muscadet: a complicated year = small volume but hi quality?

Handpicking at Jo Landron: 20th September 

We have just spent just over 24 hours in the Pays Nantais looking at the start of the harvest. As elsewhere in the Loire 2016 is undoubtedly a complicated vintage and volumes will be small here due to a combination of factors – late April frost, heavy rain in late May/early June then severe attacks of mildew plus some unfavourable weather during the flowering followed by drought and high temperatures in July and August. Sadly the ravages of mildew are all too clear when wandering through the vines.

Today Jérôme Choblet (Domaine des Herbauges) told me that 2016 is estimated to be the smallest crop in Muscadet since 1949. Yields were lower in 1991 following the very widespread and severe frost but the area under vines was much higher then. The area of Muscadet has fallen from over 14,000 hectares to a little over 9000. Jérôme also said that around a third of the vineyard will not be picked this year – either because there is nothing there or there is so little that it is not worth harvesting.

Despite the paucity of the crop there are hopes that the remaining grapes will produce wines of high quality with good concentration, although in places acidities may be on the low side. Equally some producers have said that now that the nights are fresh acidity levels are fine.

Tuesday and Wednesday were glorious days weatherwise in the Pays Nantais and the forecast is favourable for the moment, so that producers can take their time. 

Some photos from yesterday and today:

Mildew affected bunch

Small bunch but with concentrated juice?

 Jo Landron confirms that his famous moustache 

has not be affected by mildew

(above and below)

Michel Gadais

The Gadais family across three generations:

Pierre-Henri, Michael, Christophe

Vincent Caillé in one of the famous Terre de Gneiss parcels 
enthusing about the quality of the soil due to biodynamic methods 

 Pascal Guilbeau, Guilbeau Frères, Gorges 

(above and below)

Domaine des Herbauges – fine bunch in 
parcel badly affected by the April frost

Grapes from the Clos des Allées, Domaine Luneau-Papin

Hod carriers – Domaine Luneau-Papin
 

Marie Luneau with 2016 juice just after it has been 
pressed and before it has had time to settle 
– tasted rich and concentrated

    

Remembering the 2009 Loire vintage – Le Pays Nantais

Chereau-Carré (Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine) – offices  

Chereau-Carré (Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine)

Melon de Bourgogne grapes from the 100 year old vines 

(above and below)

 Bernard Chereau

Bernard with the 2009 juice 

 

 Picker

Melon de Bourgogne 

 The pigeonnier 

Domaine Pierre Luneau-Papin 

Pierre Luneau with a sample of Muscadet

2009 Muscadet, Domaine Pierre Luneau-Papin

Domaine des Herbauges (Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu) 

 Jérôme Choblet and his family

Luc Choblet – Jérôme's dad

2013 La Grange VV Domaine Pierre Luneau-Papin

 2013 La Grange VV Muscadet Sèvre & Maine sur lie 

Domaine Pierre Luneau-Papin

Following on from the 2013 Pierre de la Grange enjoyed recently the 2013 La Grange Vielles Vignes is a more concentrated and age-worthy Muscadet Sèvre & Maine sur lie from a plot planted on mica-schist in 1974. The 2013 La Grange is still very youthful and will certainly be worth keeping for several years when it will show greater complexity. 

You can tell from the difference in the shape of the bottle – Burgundian shaped – used for the 2013 La Grange Vieilles Vignes that the Luneaus consider this a more serious wine than the Pierre de la Grange, for which they retain the traditional Muscadet flute shaped bottle. The Luneaus have decided to abandon the traditional Muscadet bottle for most of their range opting instead for a Burgundian bottle to show that their wines deserve to be taken seriously and to move away from the still too prevalent and unfair down-market image reserved for Muscadet. 

(This is one of a range of samples from the current Domaine Luneau-Papin range.)            

Burgundian shaped bottle for La Grange

2013 La Grange VV back label

A quartet from Domaine Pierre Luneau-Papin

 2010 L d'Or, Muscadet Sèvre & Maine sur Lie

(above and below)

A quartet of wines from top Muscadet producer Pierre Luneau-Papin – 2010 L d'Or, 2013 Froggy Wine, 2013 Folle Blanche and Luneau Brut. 

L d'Or has been a flagship of the estate since it was first launched in 1976. It ages brilliantly and has, over the years, surprised many people who thought that Muscadet had to be drunk young – DYA (drink youngest available). This 2010 is still very young and fresh but with attractive weight. Although enjoyable to drink now it will gain complexity over the next decade or more.

  

 2013 Froggy Wine, Muscadet Sèvre & Maine sur lie 

(above and below)

  

The Froggy Wine Muscadet is intended to dispel some of the mystique that often surrounds wine and to appeal to a younger generation as well as the export market. It should not, however, be dismissed as a frivolous wine. This is a well made Muscadet to either drink now but will keep several years. It calls out to be closed under screwcap.  

 2013 Folle Blanche, Gros Plant du Pays Nantais sur lie

Gros Plant has suffered from a poor reputation – lean and acid. However, well made and from good grapes it can be delicious as this wonderfully vibrant 2013 is. Yes it has acidity but is is ripe as is the fruit. Bring on the oysters – a brilliant match!   

Luneau Brut

The Luneau sparkling is a blend of 40% Melon de Bourgogne, 30% Folle Blanche (Gros Plant), 20% Chardonnay and 10% Cabernet (vinified as a white). The grapes come from a parcel of 40 year-old vines. It spends five months on its lees before being bottled for its secondary fermentation. It spends 18 to 24 months minimum sur latte. 

I find this the least convincing wine from the Luneau stable. Although pleasant enough, it is too frothy and 'soapy' and not on the same level as the still wines – both Muscadet and the very good Folle Blanche.   

(Bottles were given by the domaine as samples.)

 

Biodynamics dépassés par Eco-Luneau....!

Marie Chartier (Domaine Pierre Luneau-Papin) demonstrating 

a return to an age-old tradition to analyse 

the newly born 2014 Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine  

It is an immutable law of nature that there comes a time when even the most cutting edge, starry movement slows and is overtaken by something new. Last Thursday we had the good fortune to discover that this may well now be underway in Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine. There is now a palpable sense that biodynamics is beginning to appear jolly fatigué!

Pierre-Marie Luneau – listening to his nascent 2014 Muscadet

Eco-Luneau is a return to hallowed traditions and values, including one long forgotten aspect of wine – its sound.

Trail-blazer Pierre-Marie Luneau (Domaine Pierre Luneau-Papin) explains: "We have forgotten how to listen to wine. Of course, the sight, aroma and taste are very important but we must never forget the sound of wine – the fourth sense. Unfortunately all the current wine notation systems, including of course the 100-point scale, concentrate exclusively on the three senses ignoring sound so only assess a part of a wine's qualities."  

Pierre Clavel, Domaine Clavel in the Languedoc  

(Millésime Bio, Montpellier January 2012)

 

Pierre-Marie acknowledges the pioneering and inspirational work carried out by Pierre Clavel into the audiology of wine over the past few years. 

The Luneau family with their promising 2014 Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine:

Pierre-Marie, Marie, Monique et Pierre 

(above and below)

Marie with the finely calibrated divining stick

 Monique Luneau with a stereo of 2014 Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine

 Muscadet Sèvre-et-Ligeoise:

there will be some exciting new flavours 

emerging from the Pays Nantais this year