Grapes: Melon du Bourgogne
Region: Loire, France
Vintage: 2021
Viticulture:
Soils: Granite
Vinification: Concrete egg
Aging: Concrete
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: Minimal added
Notes from the Importer: Jérôme Bretaudeau is one of a small handful of serious, young winemakers devoted to the compelling terroir of Muscadet, the most western appellation in the Loire Valley. Situated along the Atlantic Coast where the Loire empties into the ocean, Muscadet enjoys a cold, maritime climate that combines with granitic soils composed of igneous rocks, silica pebbles, white and pink quartz, to create low alcohol, high acid wines with pronounced minerality and complexity.
In stark contrast to most of Muscadet, which is dominated by overcropped, industrial-production cooperatives, Domaine de Belle Vue comprises 12 hectares of organically-certified vineyards in active transition to full biodynamic viticulture. Jérôme is, moreover, innovative and experimental, crafting wines not only from the appellation’s signature Melon de Bourgogne but also from eccentric cuvées of Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc.
At the core of the Domaine’s wines are three cuvées of old-vine Muscadet: Gabbro, Granit, and Gaïa. The differences among the three are largely a function of soil types and elevage; all three are fermented in tank over indigenous yeasts at low temperatures. The Gabbro and Granit are tank-aged on their lees with weekly batonage. The Gaïa is unique in that it is aged in ovoid (egg-shaped) amphora.
