2019-C Bruno Cormerais Folle Blanche, Gros Plant du Pays Nantais AOP, Loire Valley, France (750ml)
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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
Domaine Bruno Cormerais is located in St Lumine-de-Clisson, perhaps the top subregion of Muscadet, and has been farmed by the same family for 4 generations. Bruno Cormerais took over the small farm after the death of his father in 1971, which included 7 hectares of vines planted in 1936, the year of official recognition of the Muscadet appellation by the INAO.
He soon decided to specialize in viticulture, and from 1979 on, he and his wife, Marie-Françoise, worked diligently to expand their little farm into the winery it is today. In 2009, Bruno and Marie-Françoise retired, handing the reins over to their son Maxime, who strives to continue the family legacy. The modern story of Muscadet in some ways mirrors the recent revival of Beaujolais. Both were “bistro” wines that fell victim to their own success in the 1970s and 1980s, when quantity mattered more than quality. But both regions are now home to some of the most adventurous producers in France, who, in different ways, are making serious high-quality wines that offer an affordable alternative to the increasingly pricey wines of some of the surrounding regions. The Bruno Comerais wines capture the diversity and potential of this region, and range from younger vine bottlings aged six to nine months on the lees, to wines from vineyards up to seventy years old, rooted deep in the granite bedrock, and aged on the lees two to four years (or more). These wines are among those leading the way to a new appreciation of the region: wines that are rich without being fat, piercingly mineral and savory, and with remarkable longevity in bottle. Made from 100% Folle Blanche from 30-year-old vines, this vivacious wine was macerated on the skins to temper the acidity, and was aged 9 months on fine lees before being gently filtered and bottled for release. This vibrant summer sipper shows beautiful waxy, floral and topical fruit aromatics. The palate is bright and tart, with citrus and underripe nectarine. A charmingly vivacious white wine, perfect for sipping on its own, yet a versatile pairing to a multitude of cuisines.