Guy Bossard de l Ecu Muscadet Orthogneiss 2013
| Country: | France |
| Region: | Loire |
| Grape Type: | Melon de Bourgogne |
| Winery: | Ecu (Guy Bossard) |
100% Melon de Bourgogne sourced from a 3 hectare vineyard.
Sub-soil: Orthogneiss
Yield: 45-50 hl/haSoil ploughing and soil scraping. Canopy management.
PRUNING: Simple Guyot.
Orientation of slopes is SOUTH EAST. Soil is granulous and not very deep. Sub-soil: Orthogneiss.
Production: 555 cases
It is the color of white gold and crystal clear. The nose is subtle and elegant with the zest of citrus fruits, white flowers and spices such as ginger and cumin and there are notes of flintstone, dried fruits and toasted almonds. The attack is sharp and straight, the mouth is complex, an impression of great purety and rare elegance; very salty notes, chalky and slightly smokey notes and notes of citrus fruits, a wine with the ability to be kept for a long time.
Review:
"The pale colored 2013 Muscadet Sevre et Maine Orthogneiss has a precise and citric fruit aroma of candied limes, dried apples and brown pips. The palate is quite rich but also piquant, fresh and salty, the finish complex and long. This is another must-taste Muscadet from this terrific biodynamic domaine. - Stephan Reinhardt"
- The Wine Advocate (Issue #215, October 2014), 90 pts
The Domaine de l'Ecu Guy Bossard Estate
The domaine is located in the hamlet of Le Landreau in Sevre et Maine, Muscadet's best region of production. The family has been producing wine there for 5 generations, but current owner Guy Bossard defies the prevailing view that organic producers can't make great wine. The estate became organic in 1975, and biodynamic in 1986. Guy Bossard makes his own compost using algae, forest brush and basalt. He produces 3 different cuvees, each masterfully crafted to highlight the expression of the specific soil types.
The Hermine d'Or designation is given to specially selected Cuvees of Muscadet, (tasted blind) that score highly. Hermine d'Or wines are picked for:
1. Typicity - Trueness to type (no oak here).
2. Ageability - The ability to improve in the bottle.
3. Minerality - Classic feature of wines of this region.
This insignia, Hermine d'Or, is as near a guarantee of quality as can be found in the region.
Matt Kramer, the Wine Spectator - My Wines of the Year -
"Ah, my beloved Muscadet always pops up on this list, as I like to buy'em and age'em for upward of a decade. Guy Bossard, the owner-winemaker of Domaine de l'Ecu, is obsessed with Muscadet. His vines and winemaking are fully biodynamic. If Burgundy's Domaine Leroy made Muscadet, it would be Domaine de l'Ecu. In the classic 2002 vintage, Bossard offered multiple bottlings based on soil types. His Expression de Granit is all about intense minerality; Expression d'Orthogneiss is spicier, richer and denser. Both need 10 years of age. The prices are absurdly low."
"The gifted, highly regarded Guy Bossard produces serious Muscadets, built to age; fully biodynamic since 1986." - Anthony Dias Blue's pocket guide to wine 2006
The Domaine de l'Ecu Guy Bossard Vineyard
Guy Bossard farms 17 hectares (42 acres) entirely using biodynamic methods. The average age of the vines is 45 years.
The wines are fermented "sur lie", on the yeast, to prevent oxidation and impart full flavor and a slight spritz to the finished product.
Tres Ojos Rosado Calatayud is fresh, crisp and juicy Rose made of 50% Garnacha and 50% Tempranillo displaying beautiful strawberry and raspberry fruits. Enjoy with salads, chicken or simply with a glass. Serve chilled.
Dark mahogany. Aromas of dried fruits, oak and raising notes. Smooth, well balanced, rich and complex with a long after taste.
To be served on its own at room temperature, chilled from the fridge or over ice 'on the rocks'. Also a superb way to accompany desserts, pastries and cured cheeses.
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Bright and light golden-yellow in color. Exotic and sweet vanilla bean aromatics backed by pear and kiwi with a slight orange peel. The palate resonates with texture and depth as stone minerality and cream brioche to match. Flavors of roasted plantains, gravenstein apple, and lemon zest frame the wine for a long yet soft finish.
Planted in the early 90’s, this is the coolest vineyard site in the Russian River Valley, located at Lee Martinelli Sr.’s home ranch in Forestville, CA. After riding around with Lee in his pick-up truck when we visited his Woolsey Road, Zio Tony, and River Road Vineyards, he decided to take me to this gem. He kept this particular vineyard in his back pocket until we hit it off. We did, and I think you’ll enjoy the ride as well.
Review:
Elusively crisp and inviting on the nose, this is a thickly intriguing wine, floral in orange blossom and fresh apple. Structured and lengthy, it retains a tangy acidity and structured finish, the grapes sourced from a dry-farmed vineyard. - Wine Enthusiast 92 Points
This wine will ship around Nov 28th
Made from 78% Tempranillo, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot, aged in French oak barrels for 12 months, this is an elegant medium to full-bodied wine with ripe red fruits, sweet spices combined with toasty notes. The tannins provide texture and roundness and the finish is long and intense.
The 2014 vintage was marked by a very early start to the cycle. In April, the vineyards at Pago de Carraovejas already showed signs of activity, which is highly unusual. It was a very hot spring leading into a summer that was cooler than usual and enhanced by an unbeatable end to the cycle with a September that was more like summer than Autumn. The slow, careful grape-picking began on 26 September and ended on 18 October with the picking of the Cabernet Sauvignon. The rain around the time of the grape-picking lengthened the process but the quality and health parameters remained intact for such a peculiar—as regards weather—and promising vintage due to its quality.
We make our Reserva using selected grapes from vineyards with a greater potential for performance, in other words, with a fruit concentration and, at the same time, appropriate levels of acidity and firm, ripe tannins. Our process respects the fruit and we work slowly and meticulously: we pick our grapes by hand and we transport them in crates. Depending on the plot of land they come from and the time they arrive at the winery, the grape may be put into cold rooms to prevent oxidation and preserve their aroma.
We then perform a second selection process at the winery, rejecting any grapes that do not meet our criteria, using a selection table. The grapes are brought into the cellar and are allowed to settle naturally.
The vats are filled slowly and gently. Depending on the characteristics that we detect during the tasting, we ferment the grapes in stainless steel vats or French oak.
For this fermentation, we use our own yeast, from our vineyard and is isolated by our team. This concept is partially responsible for the character of Carraovejas. During fermentation, a relatively low temperature is maintained, using dry ice if necessary. After the alcoholic fermentation, the undergo spontaneous malolactic fermentation, which takes place in stainless steel or oak, depending on the characteristics of the wines. The barrel ageing is marked by respect for the character of the wine. Most of it was aged in extra-fine-grain, French oak barrels for a minimum of 12 months – the time it remains in the cellar before being put on the market, bottled and sealed with selected natural cork.
A great match with red meat, game, pastas, ham and hard cheeses.
Review:
"Plenty of creamy baking spice aromas, with coal smoke, dried plums and cherries manifesting in a really brooding nose. The palate has impressive focus and just the right amount of generous flesh. Will age well, ready now."
- James Suckling (July 2017), 92 pts
