The Muscadet Sèvre et Maine appellation seems to get all the love in the world of Muscadet, but wise drinkers also turn to the Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieuat least once in a while. Domaine du Haut Bourg, run by the Choblet brothers, is one of the appellation’s leading domaines, producing not only sound entry-level and single-vineyard sur lie Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu but also, in Signature and Origine, a couple of style-defining long lees-aged cuvées. This year sees the addition of a new single-vineyard cuvée to their portfolio, in the shape of La Désirée du Haut Bourg.
Like many in the region the Choblets have had it tough in recent years, losing 70% of their crop to the frost in 2016, and another 20% in 2017. With no such problem in the 2018 vintage yields are back up to normal figures. Yes, they had some problems with mildew during the very wet weather in late May and early June, but nothing Nicolas and Hervé could not handle. With a pre-emptive approach to treatments, they came through with their crop (and their livelihood) intact. As did the vast majority of Ligérian vignerons in this vintage, as it happens.
The Wines
After a quick retaste of the 2017 Le Pavillon I took a look at a range of wines here from 2018. Many of these I have already dropped into my Loire 2018 report, leaving just a handful from this vintage for me to report on here, followed by some older vintages. In 2018 the domaine-level Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu is very fine, while the subtly renamed 2018 Pavillon du Haut Bourg takes it up a notch. Things get really interesting, however, with the introduction of a new cuvée, the 2018 La Désirée du Haut Bourg; this is the domaine’s fourth single-vineyard cuvée, alongside Pavillon, Signature and Origine. Désirée is the name of the parcel, planted with relatively young vines, on soils of stony brown shale and quartz. The Choblet brothers replanted this parcel 15 years ago, and while the vines were very young the fruit was blended into the domaine cuvée, but the aim has always been to produce a single-vineyard wine. They use no herbicides on this parcel, choosing to work the soil instead. It sees a traditional élevage on the lees and is scheduled for bottling in March 2019, so in that respect it is more akin to Pavillon then the super-long lees-aged cuvées Signature and Origine. Having tasted it, I can see why the siblings were so keen to bottle this as a separate cuvée; it has a very impressive substance, an admirable complexity of flavour and a richly phenolic depth and grip.
I finished up by revisiting the lees-aged cuvées currently available from the domaine, starting with the 2013 Signature, bottled after about five years on the lees, which shows a very fine focus and poise. The 2012 Origine has seen an earlier-than-usual bottling for this cuvée, a decision taken by Nicolas as he thought the wine was evolving an excessively rich style, and it needed to come off its lees. Bottled after about five years, it would not be uncommon for this wine to spend twice as long in élevage. The 2009 Origine, meanwhile, shows a more typical substance, albeit with some tense, taut and minerally veins, surprising in view of my general perception of the vintage. My preference was for the 2012 Origine, atypical as it was, although the 2009 Origine was showing exceptionally well.
The next such vintages to be bottled will be 2014 for Signature, an obvious next step, and likewise 2010 for Origine. The Choblet brothers did not aim to make these cuvées in the rot-infested 2011 vintage, and the 2012 is already in bottle, so the next vintage of Origine after the 2010 will be will be the 2013, a release which I suspect is a few years away yet. I look forward to tasting these wines. (1/3/19)
Chris Kissack
This is sourced from a parcel of 50-year old vines, planted on the same mix of soils as for Le Pavillon. The wine has been aged on the lees for a little over four years, before it was eventually bottled in preserved lemon zest, face cream, elderflower and vanilla, with a peach and citrus substance at its heart. There follows a very complete, focused and poised palate, fresh and pure, with a richer fruit profile than the nose suggested, showing notes of grilled peach slices, a citrus energy, some floral notes too, with a fine and smoky substance and a lovely central acidity. A great result in this vintage. 94/100
A challenging vintage, with a touch of frost in spring, poor weather during flowering, and a warm summer. At each point they lost volume, in total 50%, the end result a small but rich harvest. It was bottled in December 2017, after about five years on the lees, earlier than usual, as Nicolas felt the wine was evolving an overly rich style and needed to come off its lees. It has a pale polished gold, with green tints. This is followed by a nose of crushed orchard fruits, with some exotic notes too, of mango, lychee and white pepper. The palate is no less convincing, with a very broad and rich substance and a creamed fruit texture, all cut with charming threads of acid and mineral. A quite captivating style. Excellent. I suspect Nicolas made the right decision here. 96/100
Like the 2012 vintage this too was taken off the lees and bottled in December 2017, but in this case the wine had already seen out 99 months sur lie. Even though this is from a warmer vintage, it feels tense and much more minerally than the 2012 Origine tasted alongside, with a nose of quartzy pebbles and a musky edge, much more classic in style. This much also comes across on the palate, which has a quite gentle charm to it, a polished style, with delicate stone-fruit flavours, fine threads of minerality and acidity, and some floral elderflower could be traced back to the warmth of the growing season, which adds complexity without distracting. A very good style which will do well in the cellar for a few years yet. 95/100
This is the entry-level Muscadet, a blend of several parcels, which is due to be bottled in March 2018. The obvious aromatic feature here is how fruit-rich this shows, the nose bursting with peach skin, pear and yellow plum. This wealth of fruit also comes across on the palate, which has a plump and broad presence, carrying the charming and very confident style of the vintage, supple, with gentle but correct acidity. A lovely entry-level Muscadet cuvée – well done. 93/100
Sourced from a single vineyard with soils of red sand and quartz pebbles, planted with 40-year old vines. This will be bottled in March 2019. It is always picked early because it ripens so well, the fruit warmed by the reflected heat from the sandy soils. This has a very aromatic style, musky and minerally, a characteristic backed up by the scents of bitter citrus fruits. The palate feels a little more reserved, with subtle orange, pear skin and peach skin fruits, underpinned by a fine, dry and pithy substance, along with a gentle acidity in keeping with the vintage. There is a fine phenolic backbone to it though, and some length too. 94/100
A brand new single-vineyard cuvée to join Le Pavillon, Signature and Origine. From 15-year old vines, on soils of stony brown shale and quartz. The fruit was previously blended into the domaine cuvée. It will be bottled in March 2019. The aromatics move it up a gear here, with crushed quartz pebbles, white pepper and pear skin. A slightly more glossy style to the palate, with creamed green apple and pear fruit, a firm minerally vein running through it, and a fresh phenolic grip, Lots of substance here, lots of grip too, and it feels fresh although the acidity is more gentle in keeping with the vintage. An impressive first vintage though, with fine potential. 95/100
This is 100% Grolleau Gris, from 20-year old vines. A méthode traditionelle cuvée, it rested sur lattes for a year. The base vintage is 2017, and the dosage is 7-8 g/l. It presents a bright and smoky nose, defined by chalky, fresh and floral elements. It has plenty of energy on the palate, with peach and yellow plum fruit, an energetic mousse, with fresh and bright acidity too. Overall this feels very complete. I can see more and more sensible vignerons planting Grolleau Gris in the Nantais in years to come; it seems to work very well in the region as a base for sparkling wines. 92/100
This cuvée, sourced from the domaine’s 1.5 hectares of Gros Plant. or Folle Blanche if you prefer, will be bottled in March 2019. The aromatics are fresh and appealing, with white pepper and pear skins on the nose. There follows a fresh and pithy palate, with some delightful pear-fruit character, nicely fresh, certainly ripe, rather polished and charming, with a savoury salt and pepper dressing. An attractive example of this iconic Nantais wine. 92/100
Despite the grissuggestion, this is vinified as a white wine. This presents a very fresh, sandy and leafy nose, which leads to a palate filled with the flavours of green apple and peach leaf. Beneath this there is a slightly plump texture, which comes from the wine’s 5 g/l residual sugar, but there is also plenty of fresh character and structure. It has a nice acidity and lift. A very easy-drinking style, with a curt bitterness to the finish. It will be bottled in March this year. 91/100
Domaine du Haut Bourg Sauvignon Blanc (VdP du Val de Loire) 2018: The domaine’s Sauvignon cuvée, very popular with the on-trade, in this vintage has undergone skin contact for half the volume, for about ten hours. The nose shows a sweet suggestion of high-level ripeness, with notes of sweetly preserved lemons, albeit with more classic herby and box-tree notes. It has a very fresh, sandy, capsicum and peach-leaf character on the palate. Ripe and expressive, with rather sweet fruit, but a clean finish. It will be bottled in March this year. 92/100
This cuvée is made predominantly by pressurage direct, but the Choblet brothers also produce a small volume through skin maceration, which they then blend with the main part in order to get the colour just right. This was important in 2018, says Nicolas, as he was worried the colour would otherwise be too dark. It has gone through malolactic fermentation, and it is already in bottle. It kicks off with a fresh, leafy, redcurrant-fruit nose, with notes of sweet strawberry too. The palate is soft, supple, charming and accessible, with a fresh, leafy and pithy finish. A pretty wine. 90/100
The Choblet brothers have 1 hectare of Merlot, half of which they quite sensibly channel into this rosé cuvée, the other half they vinify as red. It has a very Merlot style aromatically, with leafy hedgerow fruits on the nose, plus a touch of sandy redcurrant and plump plum. I see the same blend of sweetly ripe, summer-berry and hedgerow fruits on the palate, wrapped in a sweet vanilla cream. A pretty wine, very much for care-free, vin de soifstyle drinking. 90/100
This comes from a blend of several vineyards, the vines aged 35 years on average. I suspect it will be bottled in March. It kicks off with a very classic nose, with scents of green pear skin, thyme and salt, with a ripe and musky freshness. The palate has a supple polish, with ripe white pear fruit, spiced with bright notes of green apple, verbena and sage. A nicely concentrated palate for an entry-level wine. Good. 93/100
From a single vineyard, I wrote last year this was due for a March bottling, but this went under cork in August 2018, presumably a later second bottling? It has a pale polished gold hue in the glass. I find a really expressive, open and convincing nose here, laden with mineral salts, with green pear skin and greengages. There follows a fresh palate with a charming and sinewy substance, with salted green pear slices and a sweet, citrus-tinged middle. A very lovely substance and energy here, especially in the finish which is clean, bright and vibrant. Very good, and fine value too. 93/100
From this ever-reliable domaine, this speaks clearly of its Atlantic origins, with a salty tinge to the sandy, grassy and green pear-skin notes. This is followed by a very cool, lemony, pine-needle character on the palate, showing an attractive freshness, backed up by a lithe texture, overall very typical of the variety. It concludes with a sappy and confident finish. This will be bottled in March 2018.
87-89/100
Here we have a fine citrus-pith nose, with a leafy freshness, as well as a little peach-skin character. This is followed by a really charming style on the palate, with a little flesh from the 7 g/l residual sugar, providing a cushion for the bitter peach-skin and pear-skin notes. Overall it is supple, easy-going, but it has a good shape and frame on the palate, and for an easy drinking vin de soif this has a really correct style. This will be bottled in February 2018.
89-91/100
Here we have a very expressive nose, bright and open, leaning towards varietal pungency, with scents of greengage and yellow creamed capsicum, along with veins of mint and verbena. There has been a little skin contact here, and a cool fermentation at 18C. A fresh style on the palate, with a little plump polish to it, and pine needle, mint and verbena notes. An attractive, easy-drinking style. This will be bottled in February 2018.
89-91/100
This is made by pressurage direct, with no maceration. A quite lovely salmon-pink-orange hue here. An interesting nose of sweet peach and strawberry fruits, with the sandy overlay of the region and the soils. The palate shows the same character, slightly leafy, certainly grainy and sandy, with a soft and short finish. An attractive, easy-drinking rosé, this is already in bottle and is ready to go
89/100
This is vinified in the same manner as the Grolleau Rosé, by pressurage direct. Fragrant peach-skin notes on the nose, and fresh scents of peach leaf too. There is a more substantial palate to this, fresh, albeit with lightly candied strawberry fruits, all in all a rather typical style for a rosé made using Merlot. It culminates in a lifted and slightly sweet finish. Overall, a little firm, and a rather straightforward style.
87/100
A tank sample, due to be bottled March 2017. Orange zest, and a salty-mineral backbone. On the palate an exuberant substance, with charming fruit. The fruit on the palate is similarly delightful, all yellow peach, orange zest and kumquat too, with some veins of crunchy mineral and a little minty freshness as well. Deliciously vibrant and full, and set to offer good value too.
15-16/20
A fresh and salty character, a very broad confidence, overall an imposing start. The palate is expressive, with white-peach fruit entwined within veins of peach leaf and mint, both musky and minerally at the same time. Lightly bitter, with a fresh and very long character on the finish. Very good potential, but very primary at the moment.
16-17/20
This has a fresh, open and quite pungent nose, with a tense minerally character. Fresh and pure, filled with peach-leaf fruit. A fuller style than is often the case, in this warmer vintage, but with fresh acidity and some good tension to it as well. A salty-mineral vein, pithy, bright and very correct. This will make a good seafood wine
15-16/20
The usual grassy, sandy but also musky nose that seems to typify this cuvée. Just bottled two weeks ago. A fresh palate, with grassy fruit, leafy and fresh, the greener style and acidity balanced by 5 g/l residual sugar. There is a little pine needle character to the fruit as well. An attractive, straightforward style, for summer drinking.
89-91/100
At the time of tasting this was still in tank, although bottling was scheduled for March 2017. A really quite pungent Sauvignon nose, grassy, with scents of greengage and box tree. There is an undeniable varietal thiol character here, which dominates the palate as well as the nose, with a very fresh substance, a powdered chalky character, plenty of vigour, and a soft texture.
14.5-15.5/20
This is sourced from a parcel of 50-year old vines, planted on the same mix of soils as for Le Pavillon. The wine has been aged on the lees for a little over four years, before it was eventually bottled in preserved lemon zest, face cream, elderflower and vanilla, with a peach and citrus substance at its heart. There follows a very complete, focused and poised palate, fresh and pure, with a richer fruit profile than the nose suggested, showing notes of grilled peach slices, a citrus energy, some floral notes too, with a fine and smoky substance and a lovely central acidity. A great result in this vintage. 94/100
This vintage was bottled in May 2016, after approximately 44 months on the lees. A wonderful matchstick reductive character on the nose, those lees clearly having done their work, with a mineral note behind. I get the same confident character on the palate, with supple fruit wrapped all around it, fresh and pure, yet it is also loaded with energy, all mineral seams and fresh acidity, giving it a juicy, open, welcoming character. This is seriously impressive, quite succulent, charming and yet structured and poised. Wow. From a 2017 update.
18/20
This has spent 51 months sur lie. A perfumed, sherbet-tinged, delicately minerally nose here, lightly lifted by this vein. The palate follows a similar style, being fresh, poised, with a bright, lightly floral character. There is texture here, a nicely poised substance on the palate, with a good minerally undercurrent to it, as well as energy and freshness. That little floral note persists at the edges. Grippy and poised. Good. From a Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu at Twenty Years tasting.
16.5/20
From 45-year old vines. One of the long lees-aged cuvées. Bottled December 2012, after three years on the lees in traditional subterranean tank. Harvested 15 days after other pickings to give more depth. The nose is fresh, open, with good polished style, solid minerality coming through. The palate is firm, correct, stylish and fairly full. There is a stack of mineral character here, such energy and a precise definition. Piles of potential, and this is quite long too.
16.5/20
A pale golden yellow. Aromatically there are polished yellow golden fruits, showing signs of age but this is in no way ‘mature’. There are notes of yellow peach and brioche. The palate conveys this richness on first taste, but it is followed up by a dry entry into the midpalate, before it unfolds to reveal plenty of lively acid and vibrant, crunchy minerality. The substance is not as richly embellished as the nose first suggested, the frame of the wine very secure, crisply defined, but as it builds through the middle it does show a fine confidence, with nuances of citrus fruits and pear coming through, that certainly holds appeal. This is true in the finish as well, which is grippy and shows some dry, appealingly bitter length. A good wine in what was a difficult vintage for the region, with a wet harvest giving difficulties akin to those just seen in 2011.
16.5/20
A challenging vintage, with a touch of frost in spring, poor weather during flowering, and a warm summer. At each point they lost volume, in total 50%, the end result a small but rich harvest. It was bottled in December 2017, after about five years on the lees, earlier than usual, as Nicolas felt the wine was evolving an overly rich style and needed to come off its lees. It has a pale polished gold, with green tints. This is followed by a nose of crushed orchard fruits, with some exotic notes too, of mango, lychee and white pepper. The palate is no less convincing, with a very broad and rich substance and a creamed fruit texture, all cut with charming threads of acid and mineral. A quite captivating style. Excellent. I suspect Nicolas made the right decision here. 96/100
Like the 2012 vintage this too was taken off the lees and bottled in December 2017, but in this case the wine had already seen out 99 months sur lie. Even though this is from a warmer vintage, it feels tense and much more minerally than the 2012 Origine tasted alongside, with a nose of quartzy pebbles and a musky edge, much more classic in style. This much also comes across on the palate, which has a quite gentle charm to it, a polished style, with delicate stone-fruit flavours, fine threads of minerality and acidity, and some floral elderflower could be traced back to the warmth of the growing season, which adds complexity without distracting. A very good style which will do well in the cellar for a few years yet. 95/100
Exploitation certifiée Terra Vitis
les 3 et 4 février 2020
du 10 au 13 février 2020
du 15 au 17 mars 2020
Jancis Robinson 