Louis Metaireau - Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur Lie 2022
IN STOCK
$25.00
Louis Métaireau — along with his band of vignerons d’art, as his like-minded group of producers were known — was instrumental in restoring the reputation of the Muscadet appellation in the middle of the 20th century. It was he who first began leaving his wines sur lie (on their fine lees) through the winter, which gave rise to the IOP Muscadet Sèvre Et Maine Sur Lie. Louis’ daughter Marie-Luce Métaireau and her husband, Jean-François Guilbaud, followed by their successor, Julien Rossignol, have illustrated their deep love of the land by reclaiming the vineyards of the vignerons d’art and piecing them back together as one of the most prized sites in all of Muscadet: the Grand Mouton vineyard. The 23-acre vineyard in the heart of Muscadet Sèvre et Maine enjoys perfect exposure between the two famed rivers that lend their names to the AOC, and ranges in vine age from 30 years old to a parcel planted in 1937.
The vines are tended organically, and everything is harvested by hand — a rarity in this region, where 98% of all grapes are machine-harvested, and conventional farming with chemicals is the norm. Petit Mouton, from the younger vines, is very mineral and precise. Black Label, from slightly older vines, is the most classic example of the terroir in the lineup, with more depth. Grand Mouton is harvested later than the Black Label and has richness to pair with the minerality. Cuvée One, from the parcel planted in 1937, shows amazing depth and complexity, and is capable of long aging.
All the wines from this property honor the legacy of Louis Métaireau, showing the heights Muscadet can reach with unique, place-driven, covetable bottlings.
The Grand Mouton vineyard is located between the Sèvre and Maine rivers, at the heart of the Muscadet appellation, in the commune of Saint-Fiacre-sur-Maine. The wine is made from vines planted in the 1950s. Due to their exceptional sun exposure, the grapes are picked earlier than anywhere else in France.
After resting on their lees over the winter in concrete and glass vats, the wine is siphoned off from the lees without stirring or filtering beforehand, using only gravity in the spring following each harvest.
Producer: Louis Metaireau
Country: France
Region: Loire Valley
Varietal: Melon de Bourgogne
Appellation: Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur Lie
Vintage: 2022
Size: 750ml