Grape variety
Melon de Bourgogne
Melon de Bourgogne: the grape of Muscadet near Nantes. Its Burgundy origin, ageing sur lie, the crus communaux and what to eat with it.
- Colour
- White
- Origin
- Burgundy; a cross of Pinot and Gouais Blanc, a sibling of Chardonnay and Aligoté
- Main regions
- Loire-Atlantique around Nantes: Muscadet, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine
- Typical aromas
- Lemon, apple, saline minerality, lees; light, dry, fresh
- Classic pairing
- Oysters, shellfish, fish in beurre blanc
- Synonyms
- Muscadet, Melon; not related to Muscat
Melon de Bourgogne is the only grape of Muscadet, the dry white wine from the Atlantic end of the Loire near Nantes. Its name gives away the origin: it comes from Burgundy, where it is hardly grown any more. DNA shows it as a cross between Pinot and Gouais Blanc, and so a sibling of Chardonnay, Aligoté and Gamay. It has nothing to do with Muscat; the name Muscadet refers to a supposedly musky scent.
Around Nantes Melon is on record from the early 17th century. The story is often told that it established itself when the very hard winter of 1709 destroyed much of the other vines, because it tolerates frost relatively well; this cannot be proven. Dutch merchants, looking for light wines for their stills, encouraged its cultivation. What is certain is that the grape took root around Nantes and still shapes the region today, with more than 6,000 hectares.
The vineyard is divided into four appellations: Muscadet, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire and Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu. Sèvre et Maine, recognised as an appellation in 1936 and lying south-east of Nantes between the rivers Sèvre and Maine, is the heart and accounts for most of the area. The best wines come from there, including the crus communaux such as Clisson, Gorges and Le Pallet, which follow stricter rules and a markedly longer ageing on the lees.
What distinguishes Muscadet is ageing “sur lie”: the wine spends the winter on its fine lees and is bottled directly from the lees. Muscadet Sèvre et Maine may be bottled only from March after the harvest, and the term “sur lie” is reserved for wines bottled at the winery where they were made. It brings roundness, saline notes and sometimes a slight prickle. The wine stays light, dry and discreet on the nose, with lemon and apple. Most Muscadets are drunk young; certain sites, above all the crus, keep for several years.
Muscadet is the classic companion to oysters and shellfish and goes with fish in beurre blanc, the butter sauce of the Loire. It should be served cool, at about 9 to 11 degrees.