Muscadet Madness! World’s Greatest White Wine Values!! Jo Landron’s Benchmark Fief de Breil + many vintages from Luneau-Papin
7/17/2007 -
Finally, the top growers in the AOC Muscadet Sèvre et Maine are beginning to get the credit they deserve (see for example "Take an Oyster by Surprise" - Eric Asimov, NY Times, Jan 11th, 2006), as over the last 10 years many of the best cuvées by Marc Ollivier, Pierre Luneau-Papin, Claude Branger, Jo Landron, Guy Bossard and Andre Bregeon have become available in the US. Given the fine work by those growers, these wines represent perhaps the best values in white wines in the world.
One of our favorite tete-de-cuvèe Muscadets has always been Jo Landron's Domaine Louvetrie "Fief du Breil", although it gets less attention than Ollivier's Clos des Briords or Bossard's Cuvèe Granit, among others. I am aghast at this as I find it to be one of the most singular expressions of Muscadet out there. The striking thing about this wine the first time I tasted it is the salinity that comes through on the palate - like the cleanest fleur du sel you can imagine. Along with dazzling lemon fruit this Muscadet has a chiseled structure and tons of freshness along with a very long finish. This is a step up in intensity and power from Landron's Amphibolite bottling and really is one of the best Muscadet's I have ever tasted. This wine has the structure to last and improve for 15 years. And the stuff is so darn cheap! When will people catch on? Buy all you can because when - and not if - Robert Parker gives this wine 100 pts the price will skyrocket. The Bordeauxification of Muscadet is already happening (tongue firmly planted in cheek!).
Fief du Breil is a hillside vineyard that gets great exposure and long lasting sunlight for perfectly even ripening. The soil is a mix of clay and orthogneiss and yields here are kept very low typically going no higher than 40 hl/ha which is very low in a region where growers average 100 hl/ha. Landron also will perform a green harvest when necessary, which is unheard of in a region where most wine is industrially made and most growers are trying to maximize yields. Landron, along with others like Olliver and Bossard are making wine that is terroir focused, food friendly ageable and delicious. We are getting a limited drop of the 2004 Jo Landron "Domaine de Louvetrie" Fief du Breil and we are almost exclusive on it. (Thanks, Jeff)
We also have a small shipment of the Luneau-Papin super cuvèes; the 2002 Clos de Noelles and the 2002 Clos de Poyet. These are special wines because of extended lees aging, so they have a richness to them above and beyond your "normal" Muscadet. The soils are the main difference in the two cuvèes. The Noelles is mica-schist and the Poyet is schist but without the mica. These wines are among the most ageworthy Muscadets out there, and can easily last 10-15 years in the cellar.
Luneau-Papin's other top wine is the great L d'Or cuvèe and we are proud to offer the '04, '97, '95 and '89 - despite that fact that according to David they're not yet mature. We provide the wine. You decide.
And finally in this mad Muscadet offer we are extremely proud to include the 2006 Marc Ollivier "Domaine de la Pepiere" Clos des Briords. This is a classic vintage for this top bottling with high acidity and wonderful depth. Fantastic, and perhaps the Muscadet of the vintage.
These wines are being sold on a first come first serve basis and there will be 10% mixed case discount.
2004 Jo Landron Domaine de Louvetrie Fief du Breil $14.99
2002 Luneau Papin Clos de Noelles - $24.99
2002 Luneau Papin Clos de Poyet - $24.99
2004 Luneau Papin L d'Or - $15.99
1997 Luneau Papin L d'Or - $23.99
1995 Luneau Papin L d'Or - $24.99
1989 Luneau Papin L d'Or - $28.99 - 3 bottles per person, please!
2006 Marc Ollivier "Domaine de la Pepiere" Clos des Briords - $13.99
And don't forget these . . . .
2005 Luneau-Papin "Clos des Alles" $12.49
2004 Claude Branger "Terroir les Gras Moutons" - $13.99
2006 Marc Ollivier Domaine de la Pepiere - $10.99
2006 Guy Bossard Cuvèe Classique - $13.99
