Louis Métaireau Sur Lie Muscadet Sèvre et Maine AOC 2023

Louis Métaireau - the man, the myth, the legend of Muscadet himself. Alongside his merry band of vignerons d’art, as they were so known, he played a paramount role in healing the not-so-highly esteemed reputation of the Muscadet appellation in the mid-20th century. A true pioneer in every sense of the word, he was the first to begin leaving his wines sur lie through the winter, giving rise to the establishment of the IOP Muscadet Sèvre Et Maine Sur Lie. Passed on to his daughter Marie-Luce Métaireau and her husband, and later to Julien Rossignol, the vineyard is tended organically and is hand-harvested - a rarity considering that 98% of all grapes in the region are machine harvested and conventional farming is far more in vogue than organics. The wine is perfectly perfumed without being cloying and offers freshness and depth on the palate. Refreshing, like a salt-rimmed lemondrop martini garnished with a sprig of honeysuckle. Briny oyster shell minerality lingers on the finish, adding to the subtle nuanced complexity of a wine as rich in history as it is in flavor and concentration. Organically grown, sustainably grown, low-intervention/natural wine, vegan.