Guy Bossard Domaine de l'Ecu Muscadet Granite 2013

Domaine de l'Ecu Muscadet Classic is made from 100% Melon de Bourgogne

This vintage claims to be “Classic” purely to set itself apart from the tendancy to promote wines whose aromas have their origin neither in the variety of grape nor in the locality...This Muscadet is developed and vinified to be appreciated young “on the fruit”. It is crystal clear and the color of yellow straw. Lime, grapefruit, white fruits, pear and apple, salty and citrus notes are generously present on the nose. 
The mouth is rich, straight, providing a beautiful acid screen; lime and soft notes of the sea provide a good balance and a great freshness in this Muscadet, superb landmarks which stretch to the end....

GRAPE-VARIETY: Melon de Bourgogne. (Local name of the Muscadet grape)

SURFACE: 4.50 ha (11.12 acres).
AGE OF VINES: 30-35 years old.
CARACTERISTICS OT THE TERRITORY: Loire Valley vineyard
Orientation of the slopes is WEST and NORTH WEST.
Soil is Siliceous with a sub-soil of metamorphic rock.
PRODUCTION: 45 hl/ha
Soil ploughing and soil scraping. Canopy management.
PRUNING: Simple Guyot.
VINIFICATION AND REFINING:
Organicly farmed since 1975.
Biodynamic – Demeter certified since 1998
- 100 % hand-picked grapes
- Reception of the grape harvest by gravity.
- No use of pumps.
- Pneumatic pressing.
- No racking of the must.
- Fermentation 100 % natural yeast.
- Aged “on the lees” in underground vats
covered with glass tiles during 14 months.

This Muscadet would be a good accompaniment to a seafood platter, an oily fish, a white meat or would, of course, be the ideal companion to your aperitif.

Domaine de l'Ecu Muscadet Classic is made from 100% Melon de Bourgogne

This vintage claims to be “Classic” purely to set itself apart from the tendancy to promote wines whose aromas have their origin neither in the variety of grape nor in the locality...This Muscadet is developed and vinified to be appreciated young “on the fruit”. It is crystal clear and the color of yellow straw. Lime, grapefruit, white fruits, pear and apple, salty and citrus notes are generously present on the nose. 
The mouth is rich, straight, providing a beautiful acid screen; lime and soft notes of the sea provide a good balance and a great freshness in this Muscadet, superb landmarks which stretch to the end....

GRAPE-VARIETY: Melon de Bourgogne. (Local name of the Muscadet grape)

SURFACE: 4.50 ha (11.12 acres).
AGE OF VINES: 30-35 years old.
CARACTERISTICS OT THE TERRITORY: Loire Valley vineyard
Orientation of the slopes is WEST and NORTH WEST.
Soil is Siliceous with a sub-soil of metamorphic rock.
PRODUCTION: 45 hl/ha
Soil ploughing and soil scraping. Canopy management.
PRUNING: Simple Guyot.
VINIFICATION AND REFINING:
Organicly farmed since 1975.
Biodynamic – Demeter certified since 1998
- 100 % hand-picked grapes
- Reception of the grape harvest by gravity.
- No use of pumps.
- Pneumatic pressing.
- No racking of the must.
- Fermentation 100 % natural yeast.
- Aged “on the lees” in underground vats
covered with glass tiles during 14 months.

This Muscadet would be a good accompaniment to a seafood platter, an oily fish, a white meat or would, of course, be the ideal companion to your aperitif.

Domaine de l'Ecu Muscadet Orthogneiss is made from 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.

Organically farmed since 1975. Biodynamic – Demeter certified since 1998. 100 % hand-picked grapes Reception of the grape harvest by gravity, no use of pumps. Pneumatic gentle press No racking of the must Fermentation: 100 % natural yeast • Temperature control: 15 °- 17 °. Aged "ON THE LEES" in underground vats

A perfect match to the following dishes: 

Asian cuisine, fish curry,
Thai white rice, cucumber raita.
Snail Casserole Sole meunière & steamed crispy vegetables.
Brittany Lobster, wine and brandy reduction, puréed sweet potatoes with star anise.
Scallops in spicy breadcrumbs.
Scallops flambéed in whisky.
Spicy prawns, coriander cream.
Chicken Colombo.

Review:

"One of a pair of wines named after the rock of the vineyard, this offers great fruitiness, crisp lemon and a mineral edge that balances with the wine's fresh character. It is a delicious wine, still developing, ready from late 2019. - ROGER VOSS”
- Wine Enthusiast (October 2019), 91 pts

Domaine Mus de Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir

Nice red color, with garnet-red shades.
Expressive and charming on the nose with nice flower notes (violet, peony).
On the palate, fresh and round, a fine and elegant red wine on red fruit notes (cranberries, redcurrants), with a beautiful balance. A nice length, with a soft spicy finish. A beautiful Mediterranean expression of the variety.

The average age of the vines is 11 years old.

Traditional winemaking. A very special attention is paid to the health state of the crop, harvested when fully matured. Complete destemming. Macerating in vats during 5 weeks, under heat monitoring. Fermentation under the effect of selected yeasts. End of fermentation under control of the temperature. When the fermenting process is achieved, free-run and press wines are kept separately and sometimes partly or totally blended, according to the vintage aromatic and gustatory expression. Ageing in vats until bottling.

Domaine de Mus Rose is made from 60% Grenache and 40% Cinsault

No oak.

A blend of Grenache and Cinsault. During the fermentation, the different juices are regularly added into the blend as the different varieties are harvested.

A nice rose petal color with mango shades.
On the nose, dominating notes of raspberry, wild peach, and pink pomelo. On the palate, round and refreshing, a delicious acidulous harmony, with notes of pomelo, and a crispy mix of red fruit and citrus notes.

The grape juice is directly selected after picking thanks to a double bottom inside the bins right after picking and directly poured into vats. The juice is poured into the tanks protected with carbonic gas and stabilised at 8° during 24 hours to get the pulp precipitated and clarified. Racking. Fermentation with addition of especially selected yeasts for their aromatic qualities, during 40 days, in stainless steel vats, at a low temperature.

Closeout!

Alain Jaume Domaine du Clos de Sixte Lirac  is made from 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre

An intense red garnet color. On the nose, aromas of red and black ripe fruit (kirsch and wild blackberry). The mouth is full, with aromas of blackcurrant liqueur and spice. Tannins are both harmonious and elegant thanks to the fleshiness of the wine. Hints of licorice and vanilla on the finish, which gives the wine length and complexity.

Soil type LIRAC vineyard is facing Chateauneuf du Pape, opposite side of the Rhône river. As showed by the picture and following geologist George Truc, soils are almost similar in both side. They are marked by the violence wrought by the Rhone river. It consists of a layer of marine molasses of the Miocene period covered by alpine alluvium. The presence of a great number of rounded stones known as "galets" in the earth is evidence of the time when the Rhone, then a torrent, tore fragments of rock from the Alps and deposited them on the plain. LIRAC is one of the up-coming best area from the southern Rhône valley, as it delivers outstanding wines. Winemaking & ageing Traditional wine-making in stainless still vats. Hand sorted bunches, crushed and destemmed grapes. Fermentation temperature : 30°C. 18 days of vatting with pigeages.

Review:

"The 2016 Lirac Domaine du Clos de Sixte is a terrific wine, easily the rival to many Châteauneufs from across the river, starting with its alluring aromas of flowering garrigue and ripe cherries. A blend of 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre, this full-bodied wine is lush and concentrated on the palate, then turns velvety on the long finish. I'd treat it like a Châteauneuf du Pape in terms of cellaring: hold it for a few years, then drink it over the next 15. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue 233, October 2017), 93+ pts