Outstanding Muscadet in Three Shades: Gadais' Mineral-Driven Trio
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At the moment, there is simply no better value in Muscadet, and maybe the whole of the Loire Valley, than Domaine Gadais. This small, family-run, 5th generation estate is one of the most exciting producers in the Loire valley, yet it still feels like a well kept secret.
We recently tasted the full range of new releases and were absolutely stunned by the quality. This is a producer doing everything right: from organic and biodynamic farming on their granite-rich terroirs to extra long lees-aging in their newly built, gravity-fed cellar. But the real eye-opener was the pricing.
Historically, growers sold their wine in bulk to the local co-op and maybe bottled a small amount for family consumption. Louis Gadais was among the first to focus on estate-bottled, terroir-driven wine, quickly gaining a local reputation for his work. When pioneering New-York based importer Frank Schoonmaker visited in 1958, he was impressed by what he found and began importing the wines to the US. Gadais was likely the first estate-bottled Muscadet to grace tables in our fair city. Louis’ great-great-grandson drives the continued excellence chez Gadais. Today's wines offer three unique interpretation of Muscadet's granite-rich terroirs and the transparent deliciousness of the local grape, Mélon de Bourgogne. They have unmistakable presence and cut — the perfect pairing for oysters, of course — but are also perfectly at home with richer fall fare, like sole meunière or a roast chicken. Pro tip: Muscadet also happens to be one of the most age-worthy of all white wines. With just a few years in the cellar, they gain depth and complexity; with longer aging they can become truly otherworldly. Don’t miss your chance to fill your cellar with these world class wines at prices that simply can’t be beat. Gadais, Muscadet Vieilles Vignes "Peninsula", 2022 $19.99 From 50+ year old vines on gness soils. Vinified in stainless steel and aged for 14 months on the full lees, this is a stone-cold classic, crisp, tension-filled proper Muscadet. Gadais, Muscadet Monnières-Saint-Fiacre "1947", 2020 $25.99 From vines planted in 1947 on the famous Gras Mouton vineyard (heads up Pépière fans). This spends a minimum of 26 months aging on the full lees in glass-lined underground tanks. There is beautiful texture and incredible length on offer here. Delicious today, this will continue to develop beautifully for the next 5-15 years. Gadais, Muscadet "Les Perrières Monopole", 2022 $24.99 From an ideally situated, south-facing slope with vines averaging 40 years of age, this is vinified and aged for around 18 months in 300L neutral barrels. The wood doesn’t give the wines an overtly oaky flavor, rather imparting a subtle oxygenation that makes this wine read like a unique hybrid of classic Muscadet and elegant white Burgundy. A total stunner. |
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