Born Again Muscadet

In the 1970s and 80s Muscadet was a staple of UK wine lists. This was a different wine world, the Australian revolution hadn’t hit, and British wine drinkers looked first and foremost to France for vinous excellence. At this time Muscadet enjoyed great popularity, being crisp, fresh and, crucially, cheap. The region’s numerous small growers sold their wines on to negociants who moved the Muscadet on to supermarket shelves at extremely competitive prices.
As its popularity burgeoned, quality was too often sacrificed in favour of price, and its reputation became suspect. In the early 1990s the region went into decline. The negociants had positioned Muscadet at the bottom of the market and sold at prices which left the region’s vignerons with no margin and no incentive to improve quality. The inevitable decline was triggered by heavy frost in 1991, which reduced yields by 70%. Suddenly the negociants had no wine to sell, and they lost the market to the increasingly popular Australian wine and vins de pays. Now, after almost two decades of anonymity, Muscadet is in the process of reinventing itself.

On a recent visit to the village of Pallet, in the Muscadet de Sevre et Maine district, I met a group of growers have joined forces to restore the region’s reputation and relaunch Muscadet as a quality wine. The 10 Vignerons du Pallet formed themselves into a co-operative in 2007 and produced their first wine in 2008. By combining land holdings and expertise, the group feel they will have sufficient volumes and muscle to make an impression on the market, without leaving themselves at the mercy of a large negociant. In their first year they produced 200,000 bottles of truly exceptional Muscadet, and this figure rose to around 700,000 bottles the following year. Their business plan is structured in three phases, with the wines already produced forming the basis of phase one. This year they will bring two wines on to the market The wines are drawn from the two different soils found in the village, and the naming and marketing of these wines will reflect the importance of these different terroirs. The “Roches Blanches” is made from fruit grown on the white, decomposed granite soils of Pallet. This delivers a light, floral style of wine, with a very attractive blend of herbs and white peaches. The 2008 has delightfully fresh acidity and a long finish. It is intended as an aperitif or an accompaniment for seafood. The “Roches Noir” comes from the black volcanic Gabbro soils found near Pallet. This gives a fuller, deeper style of wine with a distinct mineral character. The 2008 has more power than the more feminine Roches Blanche, and would suit more substantial foods. The two terroirs give distinctively different wines that still share a family resemblance through their intensity and concentration.

Phases two and three will see wines that will further illustrate the significance of terroir, while still exhibiting the same familial characteristics, but with even more depth and intensity. The second tier, called “Jubilation”, will be drawn from the growers’ favoured vineyards. The third phase, tentatively entitled “Overdose”, will be a selection of the best of the best, drawn from the most complex, favoured site and although matured in barrel, it will demonstrate the top quality that the terroir of Pallet has to offer.

Ultimately the Vignerons du Pallet would like to see the unique terroir of their village awarded a separate village appellation, giving it a similar status to the cru wines of the Beaujolais villages, such as Morgon and Fleurie.

This is a quality oriented initiative, and, as such, it should be applauded. Hopefully the Vignerons de Pallet will succeed in restoring the reputation of their region.

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