Domaine Luneau-Papin Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie Excelsior 2023
Domaine Luneau-Papin
Pierre-Marie Luneau is one of Muscadet's most meticulous vignerons, and Excelsior demonstrates why this often-overlooked appellation deserves serious attention. The combination of old-vine Melon de Bourgogne and granitic soils produces a wine of surprising depth at a price that makes daily drinking a pleasure rather than a luxury.
Nose
Crisp green apple and wet stone open cleanly, with citrus zest and a faint floral lift. Extended lees contact contributes a yeasty complexity that deepens the aromatics beyond simple fruit.
Palate
Lean and precise, with citrus and gooseberry on the attack. The mid-palate broadens with a chalky minerality and subtle nuttiness from the sur lie aging. The texture has a gentle creaminess that belies the wine's light body.
Finish
Brisk and clean, with lingering mineral notes and a saline quality that begs another sip.
- Varietal
- Melon de Bourgogne
- Blend
- 100% Melon de Bourgogne
- Vineyards
- Old vines on granite and gneiss soils, Le Landreau
- Alcohol
- 12%
- Organic / Biodynamic
- No
- Skin Contact
- No
Food Pairing
The wine's saline minerality and citrus brightness are a classic match for steamed mussels in white wine, shallot, and parsley — each sip resetting the palate for the next briny bite.
Pierre-Marie Luneau farms organically across multiple parcels of old-vine Melon de Bourgogne in Le Landreau, where granite and gneiss soils produce some of Muscadet's most mineral-driven wines.
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