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

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