Pays Nantais Flashcards
What percentage of vineyard area in the Loire is Pays Nantais?
22%
Where is Pays Nantais located within the Loire Valley?
Around the city of Nantes, close to the Atlantic Ocean.
What grape or grapes are grown in the Pays Nantais?
Melon, aka Melon de Bourgogne or Muscadet
Folle Blanche
How is Folle Blanche used in the Pays Nantais?
To make highly acidic white wines that are generally sold locally and nationally
What is the climate in the Pays Nantais?
Cool Maritime with cool springs and warm, humid summers
When does the Pays Nantais experience rainfall?
It can rain there at any time, though March/April and September are the wettest months
Does the regular rainfall in Pays Nantais pose a problem for the grapes there? Why?
The rain can interfere with flowering and harvest.
Much of the soil there is well draining so that is good.
Are spring frosts a problem in Pays Nantais?
Yes, especially in 1991 when the vineyards were crushed and a booming export market to the UK was lost
What grapes are permitted in the Muscadet appellations?
Melon
Basic Muscadet AOC may have up to 10% Chardonnay
Describe the viticultural characteristics of Melon.
Cold resistant
Early budding
Early ripening
How does Melon’s budding and ripening characteristics affect its cultivation in Pays Nantais?
It is early budding, increasing the risk of frost damage
It is early ripening, reducing risks of dilution from September rains
Is Melon low, mid, or high yielding?
High yielding
What diseases is Melon resistant and susceptible to?
Resistant to powdery mildew
Susceptible to downy mildew, botrytis due to its tight bunches
Is spraying required in the Pays Nantais?
Yes, at certain times
Describe the character of Melon based wines from Pays Nantais.
High acid
Light body
Low to barely medium ABV
Low intensity apple, lemon, flint
Often a “sur lie” character
What is the quality and pricing of Melon based wines from Pays Nantais?
Good to very good
Inexpensive to mid-priced
How much Chardonnay can be included in Muscadet AOC wines?
Up to 10% as of 2018
How does canopy management affect the cultivation of Melon in Pays Nantais?
Leaf positioning and removal facilitate airflow and sunlight penetration, reducing fungal incidence and improving ripening in the cool moist climate
What risks are associated with opening up the canopy in Pays Nantais?
Melon may become sunburnt on the side facing the sun
The grape skins may ripen too quickly
Is chaptalization permitted in Muscadet AOC?
Yes, up to 12% ABV and is practiced in cooler years
How is fermentation and maturation carried out in Muscadet appellations?
Fermentation is typically done in large, shallow underground glass lined concrete vats, though stainless is also used.
Long term maturation is not typical but the wine may be left sur lie in the fermentation vessel for a short time.
What is the concern that growers in Pays Nantais face during hot vintages?
That sugar levels will accelerate beyond skin and seed ripeness
What is the goal of winemaking in Pays Nantais?
To produce as neutral a wine as possible before proceeding to aging on the lees
Is malolactic conversion practiced in Pays Nantais winemaking?
Generally not as the high acidity is desirable.
Is there any recent experimentation in Muscadet winemaking?
Yes, with producers testing skin contact, barrel fermentation, and amphora or concrete materials.
What is sur lie?
A typical winemaking method in Pays Nantais where the wine is racked off of the gross lees and left to mature for a time (usually over the winter months) on the fine lees. The process adds body and rounds out the wine.
What are the four appellations that use Muscadet in their name? Sort them from largest to smallest.
Muscadet de Sévre et Maine AOC
Muscadet AOC
Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOC
Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu AOC
How large is Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine AOC? How does this compare to other appellations in the Loire Valley?
6,400 ha. It is the largest appellation in the Loire Valley
What is the maximum yield for the Muscadet appellations?
Muscadet AOC: 70 hl/ha
All other appellations: 55 hl/ha
Communes: 45 hl/ha
True or False
Muscadet Sur Lie is its own AOC
False, but the maximum yield for Muscadet sur lie is 55 hl/ha whether it comes from Muscadet AOC or the other three
What is the typical character of Muscadet wine?
Dry
High acid
Light body
Low intensity green apple and grassy aromas
What is the general quality and pricing of Muscadet wines?
Acceptable to good (some are very good)
Inexpensive
To what Muscadet appellations may the term “Sur Lie” be added to labels?
Any of them, provided the wine is bottled between March 1 and November 30 the year after harvest in the winery where it is fermented.
How do regulations on Muscadet Sur Lie affect négociants?
Because sur lie wines must be produced on the estate that initiates fermentation, négociants can’t purchase wine to age sur lie.
True or False
There are communes in the Pays Nantais for Muscadet AOC production.
True, there are ten
What are three important communes of Muscadet?
Clisson
Gorges
Le Pallet
Can the names of communes be added to Muscadet wines? Which AOCs are permitted to do this?
The commune name can be added to any Muscadet appellation provided the grapes come entirely from that commune and adhere to the maximum yield (45 hl/ha) and minimum aging requirements
How do the aging requirements for communal Muscadet affect the final product?
The wines have longer aging requirements than non-communal sur lie wines, which produces wines of greater body, more complexity, and longer finish
In what market did Muscadet find tremendous success during the 1980s? What effect did this have on the Muscadet appellations?
The UK market. 13,000 ha were planted to meet demand
What major event affected Muscadet popularity and accessibility?
A major frost event in 1991 destroyed about two thirds of vineyard area. Other new world wines, especially from Australia, filled the void
How has Pays Nantais attempted to rebrand itself following the market correction that occurred after 1991?
As a source of high quality, terroir specific white wine that represents good value
What percent of volume does exports represent in Pays Nantais?
15%
What percentage of Pays Nantai wine sales are négociants responsible for?
Over half, though this number was greater in the past
Which three négociants now comprise a large proportion of Pays Nantais business through consolidation?
Castel
Grand Chais de France
Ackerman
What is the promotional body for Pays Nantais wines?
InterLoire (Interprofession des Vins du Val de Loire)
