Melon de Bourgogne

• Color: White
• Grape Parentage: Gouais Blanc x Pinot
• Place of Origin: Burgundy (after a severe frost in 1709 killed many of their preexisting vines, the vignerons of Pays Nantais replanted with Melon de Bourgogne, and the grape now calls the region home)
• Origin of Grape Name: “melon of Burgundy”
• Major Countries of Production: 
  • France: 11,326 hectares (2011, FranceAgrimer)
    • Loire Atlantique département: 10,455 ha
• Synonyms: 
  • France: Muscadet, Gros Auxerrois, Gamay Blanc à Feuilles Rondes
  • Note: A large amount of “Pinot Blanc” planted in California in the 1970s was determined through DNA testing to be Melon de Bourgogne
• Viticultural Characteristics: High-Yielding, Early-Budding, Early-Ripening, Resistance to Cold and Frost, Susceptible to Powdery Mildew, Downy Mildew, and Botrytis/Grey Rot
• Preferred Soil Type: stony, mineral-rich schistous soils
• Common Blending Partners: Melon de Bourgogne is typically vinified as a single variety

Typical Descriptors and Structure for “Sur Lie” Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine

• Visual: Watery to Pale Straw with Hints of Green, Low to Moderate Minus Concentration, Slight Residual Gas (in youth)
• Aromas/Flavors: Moderate Minus to Moderate Intensity
  • Fruit: Tart Citrus (Lemon, Lime), Tart Tree Fruit (Green Apple, Green Pear), Under-ripe Stone Fruit (White Peach, Nectarine)
  • Floral: Faint White Flowers
  • Herbal/Root: Dandelion Greens, Nettles, Savory Herbs, Peppery Greens, Turnip/Root Vegetable
  • Sur Lie: Leesy, Yeast, Sourdough, Sour Beer, Slight Cream
  • Earth: High Minerality, Saline/Brine, Sea Salt, Wet Stones
  • Oak: None

Structure: Dry, Moderate Minus to Moderate Body, High Acidity, Moderate Alcohol