Got Goulaine? This Must-Drink Old-Vine White Burgundy Killer is Only $19.98!

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Subject: Got Goulaine? This Must-Drink Old-Vine White Burgundy Killer is Only $19.98!

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SANTA ANA • NEWPORT BEACH • HONG KONG • MINNEAPOLIS

Most people who have had any extended exposure to French wine from the Loire Valley eventually run across Muscadet. Not to be confused with Muscat (a usually sweet wine) the overwhelming image here is of a crisp, relatively serviceable wine to wash down some oysters or a chilled seafood plate popular in French bistros. That’s pretty much what we knew about it until one day our world was seriously rocked by a wine from a fellow named Pèpiére. It had more body and density than any Muscadet we had ever run across and delivered an unforgettable palate experience. ‘Great’ Muscadet? Who knew?

The ‘old knowledge’ also reinforced the idea that Muscadet was at its absolute best when it was at its freshest. For the typical mass-produced Muscadets that populate the majority of the marketplace, that is probably true. But we've come into contact with some remarkable examples over the last couple of years that were given extended lees contact that enriched the wine and gave them the structure to last a decade or more. These ‘super-Muscadets’ took the genre to unexpected heights and today’s offering is one of those that will give you a whole new perspective on the subject.

This is not your grandfather’s Muscadet. While Muscadet has long been recognized as one of the world’s great value wines, there is much more to the region. The cru communaux here (communal crus) were initially set up in 2011. These are distinct crus (think 'crus' in Beaujolais like Morgon or Fleurie as a comparison) that were associated with unique soil types where exceptional examples of Muscadet’s grape, Melon de Bourgogne, were consistently harvested. Lower yields and longer aging sur lie (a minimum of 18 months on the lees and 2 years total elevage is required) help to ensure only the very best wines carry the cru names on them. Only 1% of all Muscadet is cru communaux!

In this case we’re dealing with the Cru Goulaine from the great Henri Poiron estate. The Poirons has been vinifying great Muscadet wines since the 1800’s and this recent acknowledgment by the French government of superior terroirs in Muscadet has served current proprietor Eric Poiron well. Here he focuses on old, head-trained vines (most are more than 40 years old), organic farming, and minimal intervention winemaking. After fermentation the wines are aged for long periods of time in underground cement tanks on the lees. By keeping everything the same between plots, they clearly demonstrate the differences in terroir.

The Henri Poiron Muscadet Cru Goulaine 2018 bottling is comprised of 40+-year-old vines planted on Gneiss soils (weathered high-grade metamorphic rock rich in quartz and feldspar). The grapes are hand harvested, slowly pressed and cold settled. The native yeast fermentation occurs in underground tanks with no lees stirring and the wine is aged on those lees solids for 30+ months before bottling. Incredible! Only around 300 or so cases are produced every vintage, and this is the current release.

And let’s talk about vintage. Did you notice the vintage? 2018. At age eight, this wine is remarkably vigorous and shows no sign of tapering off. The bright flavor band hurls intense stony minerality, skin-on pear, lime, honey, orange and almond, with a changing profile every sip. High pitched yet creamy through the middle, this engages all of the palate and finishes with a snappy salinity. It gets your attention, shows invigorating complexity, and has plenty of tension and grip to keep everything nicely humming along.

Great producer, outstanding ‘cru’, exceptional vintage, this is Muscadet at its very best. This is Muscadet that can play with the ‘big boys’ from anywhere and change people’s expectations of what the region can do, even though only a handful of vignerons work at this level. If you are a fan of Chablis, northern Italian or Austrian whites, or crisp whites in particular, this will be right in your wheelhouse. The best part is that you can get this ‘game changer’ for under $20. At $19.98 this is one of the more remarkable values we have in the store right now and can shame many a white Burgundy with the same bottle age at 3-4 times the price.

Good hunting...