Muscadet-Cotes de Grandlieu

The Muscadet-Côtes de Grandlieu wine-growing region is part of the Pays Nantais and thus the Loire wine-growing region . Since December 29, 1994 (the last change to the decree was made on February 12, 1999), the area has the status of an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC for short). The wine-growing area is on the orographic left side of the Loire near the city of Nantes around the eponymous lake Lac de Grand-Lieu. An average of around 18,000 hectoliters of wine are harvested annually on a vines of around 320 hectares . Until October 9, 1995, the area was still called Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu.

Approved vineyards are located in the two municipalities of Rocheservière and Saint-Philbert-de-Bouaine in the Vendée department and the 17 municipalities of Bouaye , Bouguenais , Brains , La Chevrolière , Corcoué-sur-Logne , Legé , La Limouzinière , Pont-Saint-Martin , Port-Saint-Père , Saint-Aignan-de-Grand-Lieu , Saint-Colomban , Saint-Léger-les-Vignes , Saint-Lumine-de-Coutais , Saint-Mars-de-Coutais , Saint-Philbert-de- Grand-Lieu , Saint-Pazanne and Touvois in the Loire-Atlantique department .

In the east the area borders on the appellation Muscadet Sèvre et Maine and in the west on the Muscadet area .

Only the Melon de Bourgogne grape variety is permitted for the production of dry white wines . Before fermentation , the natural minimum sugar content of the must must be 144 g / l, which corresponds to an alcohol content of 9% by volume in the wine (see also the article must weight ). If a chaptalization is approved in bad years , the alcohol content of the finished fermented wine must not exceed 12% by volume. The planting density was set at 6500-7500 vines / hectare.

The yield is limited to 55 hl / ha. In certain years this amount can be corrected up to 72 hl / ha.

In order to be allowed to bear the name Muscadet-Côtes de Grandlieu sur lie , the wines must remain in the fermentation tank in contact with the fermentation yeast after fermentation at least until March 1st of the year following the harvest. Bottling takes place immediately after racking, but no later than November 30 of the year following the harvest. The longer contact with the yeast and the skins gives the wine a more complex aroma and freshness. In addition, the wine retains a slight carbonic acid content , so that the wine tingles slightly. However, some traders practice a different technique. The wines are drawn off the skins and the yeast at the individual winemakers and brought to the vendors' cellars. Only after a sufficiently large batch has been obtained, carbon dioxide is added to the wine again to give the wine its fine mousse again. However, the result is nowhere near as good. First-class Muscadet sur lie can therefore only be producer bottlings that can be recognized by the label with the note Mise en bouteille au Château or Mise en bouteille au Domaine .

A Muscadet-Côtes de Grandlieu is usually a simple and uncomplicated wine that impresses with its freshness, fruitiness and light mousse. It is a good companion to seafood and is also valued locally as a thirst quencher due to its not too high alcohol content. It is best enjoyed young and fresh at a drinking temperature of 8 to 10 ° C.

literature

• Jancis Robinson : The Oxford Wine Lexicon . Gräfe and Unzer Verlag, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-7742-0914-6 .
• Pierre Galet : Cépages et Vignobles de France . Lavoisier Publishing House, Paris 2004, ISBN 2-7430-0585-8 .
• Benoît France: Grand Atlas des Vignobles de France . Éditions SOLAR publishing house, Paris 2002, ISBN 2-263-03242-8 .