Team C&J
Château Guipière was founded in 1842 but has been transformed under the purview of new owners Philippe Nevoux and Stéphane Gouraud.
When Philippe and Stéphane took over from the previous owners, they literally sought to reimagine the vineyards and the winery from the ground up. The pair redesigned the vineyards to start cultivating biodiversity conservation areas to promote soil health, changed the ways fertilizers were used, and ultimately obtained France’s HVE3 Certification (High Environmental Value).
Besides improving the way the grapes are grown, the winery has set out to be a pioneer in single-vineyard, estate-grown Muscadet. Philippe and Stéphane hope to introduce Muscadet wines to the market that are elevated examples of what many consider a casual drinking wine. If this bottle is any indication, they’re knocking it out of the park.
Melon de Bourgogne, also known as Muscadet, is a French grape variety that originally hails from Burgundy but has the largest plantings in the Loire Valley region. Melon de Bourgogne tasting notes usually include references to the grape’s bracing acidity, refreshing palate, and mouthfeel that are sometimes described as “textured.” These wines typically have a nice salinity, some citrus, and notes of crisp pear or apple.
You hear a lot about Melon de Bourgogne in late spring and summer when the warm temperatures start taking hold. These wines are crisp, and refreshing, and their minerality is amazing, especially when paired with light dishes like seafood. The lower alcohol content, which usually sits around 10% – 12.5% ABV, also makes these popular warm-weather wines.
An interesting note about how the grape established itself in the Loire: farmers in this region introduced Melon de Bourgogne to their vineyards as something of a last resort. In 1709, unusually cold winter weather killed off much of the region’s vines, and, at the same time, the Duke of Burgundy wanted the variety out of the world-class Burgundy vineyards. Burgundian vintners had little use for Melon when Pinot and Chardonnay commanded such respect.
Loire vintners saw Burgundy’s loss as their gain and began replanting the hearty, cold-resistant grape. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Muscadet refers to a French white wine made in the Pays de la Loire region of France’s Loire Valley, near Nantes. Melon de Bourgogne grapes are the only grapes used to make Muscadet wines. With this in mind, it makes sense that in a Melon producing country like the US, American Melon de Bourgogne wines can only be labeled as “Melon” or with the grape’s full name.
Melon de Bourgogne wine is gaining in popularity in the US as winemakers in California, Oregon, and Washington continue to experiment with grape varieties that are considered less commercial than the Big Three: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir.
This grape is also attracting wine consumers who want to branch out from the above-mentioned grapes and get a good value wine while they’re at it.
Some popular American Melon de Bourgogne wines include:
The most popular Melon de Bourgogne food pairing is oysters. In fact, after the ever-popular Champagne and oysters’, Melon and oysters is a close second! You could also enjoy this grape with spicy dishes or fried foods, thanks to the high acidity. Or, just stick with seafood, as Muscadet will also go very well with seafood.
The Château Guipière bottling is a sur lie Muscadet, which means it was aged on the lees. When winemakers age wine on the lees, what they’re really doing is taking leftover yeast from the fermentation process and aging the wine on those dead yeast particles. This process results in a Melon de Bourgogne wine that is slightly creamier and yeastier than a wine that was not aged on lees.
The nose on this wine is filled with crisp pear and green apple, bright lemon, and wet gravel. Ever so slightly sweet melon also appears as the wine opens.
This Muscadet from Château Guipière exhibits a classic Melon de Bourgogne palate with lots of mouth-watering acidity, balanced minerality, and some fleshly melon, thanks to the lees. We picked up the lemon, those same crisp apple and pear notes, as well a dry sweetness that felt like pineapple, honeydew, and cantaloupe.
Our overall impression was that this is a very drinkable wine, a great value, and one that is extremely light and refreshing.
France
Loire Valley
White Blend
12.5
Carolyn Walther
49–55°F / 9–12°C
Chardonnay
None
Now to 2025
Château Guipière
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