I've said it before and I'll say it again: the top-tier estates of Muscadet offer the greatest value white wines in France (and perhaps even the world). These are terroir specific wines made with methods passed down from generations; bottles that have the capacity to age as gracefully as their exalted Burgundian cousins, developing into aromatically complex and texturally layered wines. A 1986 vintage I tasted in 2012 was one of the most revelatory moments in my career. Simply put, these are wines that deserve infinitely more recognition.
However, this lack of recognition, coupled with a bit of sourcing from yours truly, has resulted in a spectacular find: today's single vineyard Muscadet, which sees extended lees aging before release. A wine that screams terroir, displaying all the saline-tinged, mineral hallmarks of the appellation in a deeply concentrated, multi-faceted manner. This wine is lightyears removed from the cheap, watery, shrill Muscadets you'll find in so many stores and bistros.
Domaine Luneau-Papin is more than a leading estate in the region, it is THE standard bearer. As Jon Bonné states in his most recent book, The New French Wine: "Domaine Luneau-Papin, run by Pierre-Marie Luneau and his wife, Marie, produces arguably the most ambitious complex wines in the region, from biodynamically farmed vines across several crus within six kilometers of the estate. But more than anything, Marie Chartier-Luneau is one of the best evangelists of the potential of Muscadet to evolve and grow into a great wine-as good as the finest Chablis. This is why, when she starts talking about their cellarful of back vintages, she pauses: 'Just wait. Someday it’ll be priced like Raveneau.'" |
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100% Melon de Bourgogne planted in 1974 on mica and schist soils. Grapes are hand-harvested and fermented with ambient yeast, then aged for 12 months in a combination of Muscadet's classic, glass lined, underground tanks and Italian terracotta amphorae. Never racked, stirred, filtered or fined.
A tightly wound wine, packed with energy and verve. Opens with aromas of fresh squeezed lemon, white grapefruit, table salt, bread dough, raw almond and a hint of flinty reduction. The deeply concentrated palate is striking in delivering more citrus, green pear and saline minerals with pinpoint precision and cleansing acidity. Heaven with oysters. As we say in the biz: this is a ton of wine for the price.
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One of the leading domaines of Muscadet, Pierre Luneau-Papin comes from a long line of winemakers. His family can be traced as far back as the late 17th Century. Pierre and his wife, Marie, are the eighteenth generation to run Domaine Luneau-Papin.
At this impeccable winery, Pierre makes every cuvée in tiny batches, each one according to the minuscule differences in terroir found throughout his vineyards. Harvest is done by hand, which is a rarity in this region.
The family estate now consists of approximately 40ha, with 38ha planted to Melon de Bourgogne, located about 20 kilometers from the city of Nantes. This is a landscape characterized by gently rolling vineyards and a remarkable variation of terroirs. This is classic Muscadet. |
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2022 Luneau-Papin 'Vera Cruz' Muscadet Sèvre & Maine - $39.99
*SPECIAL NEWSLETTER PRICE - $37.99
**SPECIAL 2-PACK PRICE - $34.99/btl
To order, hit the link above, reply directly to this email, or call me at 843.576.4845
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Justin Coleman
Proprietor
Monarch Wine Merchants |
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