Domaine de la Combe Muscadet Tradition Tasting notes:
Crisp, flinty notes with a hint of yeasty lees on the nose. The palate is fresh and savoury with the breadth of a warmer vintage and a ripe, almost tropical (starfruit?) character to the fruit. A lovely Muscadet.
Food :
Begs for shellfish on ice, but would also work well with almost any grilled fish. Would also work nicely with soft cheeses or goats cheese.
Producer:
if you love Picpoul but you haven’t tasted Muscadet, what are you waiting for? Pierre-Henri Gadais is now really making his mark at the helm of his family’s domaine: he is in the process of converting to organic production and he is experimenting with a new natural cuvée called Melon Blanc. Muscadet might not be (yet) the most fashionable place for a young winemaker to set out his stall, but Pierre-Henri is genuinely enthusiastic about the potential of his native region and if you want a bright, saline, food-friendly white to freshen the palate, then a proper Muscadet such as this is all that you need.
The vineyard lies on one of the best sites in Nantais at Saint-Fiâcre. Here the soils are layered with orthogneiss, a cracked, mineral-rich rock through which the vine roots weave and nourish the vine. Made traditionally at this small estate, the grapes were hand-picked, lightly pressed to retain their delicacy and purity of flavour, and fermented at cool temperatures to preserve their aromas. The wine was left on its fine lees until the following spring to add complexity and extra richness.
