Pierres Blanches 2023, Muscadet Luneau-Papin | Loire

Domaine Luneau-Papin 'sLes Pierres Blanches embodies the soul of Muscadet Sèvre et Maine. In the locality of the same name, in La Chapelle-Heulin, the Melon de Bourgogne vines planted in the 1950s are deeply rooted in gneiss soil mixed with quartz. The plot's south-western exposure captures the daylight while benefiting from the cool nights of Nantes, forging a rare balance between intensity and vivacity. True to its family philosophy, Domaine Luneau Papin cultivates these old vines using organic and biodynamic methods, with attention paid to the living, from the vine to the cellar. After hand harvesting and delicate pressing, the grapes ferment naturally under the action of indigenous yeasts. The wine then rests for sixteen months on its lees, in glass-lined, underground concrete vats.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin : Les Pierres Blanches from Domaine Luneau-Papin holds a special place among Loire Valley wines. This cuvée combines the density of old vines with the finesse of gneiss terroir. The wine's precision seduces from its youth, but it also possesses the mineral backbone that will enable it to gain in complexity over the years. To taste Les Pierres Blanches is to understand how Domaine Luneau Papin transcends Muscadet Sèvre et Maine to elevate it to the ranks of the Loire Valley's great gourmet cuvées, and great ageing whites.

The first impression on the nose is frank and chiseled, with lemon zest, the juiciness of ripe pear, and discreet floral notes evoking hawthorn and elderflower. The bouquet gradually reveals stony, chalky notes of gunflint.

The palate is clean, carried by a perfectly integrated vertical acid column. The palate is clean, carried by a perfectly integrated vertical acid column. The body unfolds with great volume on rich, fruity apple, pear and white peach flesh. The minerality is never far away, propelling the wine energetically to a long, saline finish that promises ageing potential worthy of the best ageing whites.