Wine Article
2013 Stéphane et Vincent Perraud Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Selection des Cognettes Sur Lie
Last edited on 10/9/2014 by clutj
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2013 Muscadet
Dear Friends,
Muscadet.
The little sister of the vinous poor.
To survive, even the most artisinal/top of the heap (Pepiere, et al) must produce tens of thousands of
bottles.
Why?
When your top entrant is $10, that does not leave a lot of room for error - it forces a multiple defined by
mass rather than margin.
In Muscadet, tonnage is everything.
That’s why this core Garagiste producer is so special.
They could care less about tonnage and everything about tiny yields and exemplary quality...even if it mean
scratching and clawing their way to make ends meet.
As one of the only producers in this vast area with terroir on par with Pepiere and Luneau, Domaine des
Cognettes (a 6th generation property) has been a pet-project of mine for over a decade. With coaxing and
nudging, they’ve slowly converted their land to hyper-organic viticulture and the results, passion and (literal)
blood, sweat and tears are now apparent for every nook of the taster to see and to swirl.
In 2013 it has all came together for the Perraud family – owners and caretakers of Domaine des Cognettes.
Their 2013 Muscadet Selection is the culmination of a decade-long complete conversion – from the
grandfather, to the father and now to the sons (Vincent and Stephane).
Rags to natural riches?
It can happen, even in one of the most overlooked wine regions of Europe.
Instead of continuing with additional Rimmerman-speak, I think it’s best allow the ever-humble and talented
Stephane Perraud to describe his full circle 2013 “Selection” – the very first bottle picked and pressed from
their newly certified 100% organic terroir in the golden heart of Clisson:
Stephane Perraud (yesterday): “The summer and the beautiful beginning of the autumn were very beneficial
at the year 2013. Admittedly, the quantity around the 30 hl/ha it is not much, but the quality of the wine
delights the vine grower who knew well to gather and select the best grapes. The field is 100% in “Organic”
now. It is much (more) of work but nature (the vine) rewards us, with more beautiful grapes than with a
work in conventional ground. We notice it - and let us be certain we are very happy with this turn of events!
The biodiversity returned in our vines and it is very good for the wine and even more for the the vine grower
and family to live among. The Muscadet wine that we obtained in 2013 are fruity, fresh and rich with a citric
stone that is all in tenderness. We think that our wines are more complex now, more subtle, more sensory.
The 2013 is a wine of history, a division line for the future. Please drink it with surprise!”
Akin to a connoisseur's lime tree and ginger root cocktail (with a splash of spritz), Cognettes “Selection”
Muscadet is a right of summer passage. For a $9+ bottle, it may seem like we are going over-board but the
tariff should not dictate the importance of the beverage - this wine is disserving of its headline, regardless of
the meager monetary exchange it commands...
Community notes (on all vintages of Selection)http://www.cellartracker.com/list.asp?
Table=Notes&iUserOverride=0&szSearch=cognettes+selection
Dear Friends,
Muscadet.
The little sister of the vinous poor.
To survive, even the most artisinal/top of the heap (Pepiere, et al) must produce tens of thousands of
bottles.
Why?
When your top entrant is $10, that does not leave a lot of room for error - it forces a multiple defined by
mass rather than margin.
In Muscadet, tonnage is everything.
That’s why this core Garagiste producer is so special.
They could care less about tonnage and everything about tiny yields and exemplary quality...even if it mean
scratching and clawing their way to make ends meet.
As one of the only producers in this vast area with terroir on par with Pepiere and Luneau, Domaine des
Cognettes (a 6th generation property) has been a pet-project of mine for over a decade. With coaxing and
nudging, they’ve slowly converted their land to hyper-organic viticulture and the results, passion and (literal)
blood, sweat and tears are now apparent for every nook of the taster to see and to swirl.
In 2013 it has all came together for the Perraud family – owners and caretakers of Domaine des Cognettes.
Their 2013 Muscadet Selection is the culmination of a decade-long complete conversion – from the
grandfather, to the father and now to the sons (Vincent and Stephane).
Rags to natural riches?
It can happen, even in one of the most overlooked wine regions of Europe.
Instead of continuing with additional Rimmerman-speak, I think it’s best allow the ever-humble and talented
Stephane Perraud to describe his full circle 2013 “Selection” – the very first bottle picked and pressed from
their newly certified 100% organic terroir in the golden heart of Clisson:
Stephane Perraud (yesterday): “The summer and the beautiful beginning of the autumn were very beneficial
at the year 2013. Admittedly, the quantity around the 30 hl/ha it is not much, but the quality of the wine
delights the vine grower who knew well to gather and select the best grapes. The field is 100% in “Organic”
now. It is much (more) of work but nature (the vine) rewards us, with more beautiful grapes than with a
work in conventional ground. We notice it - and let us be certain we are very happy with this turn of events!
The biodiversity returned in our vines and it is very good for the wine and even more for the the vine grower
and family to live among. The Muscadet wine that we obtained in 2013 are fruity, fresh and rich with a citric
stone that is all in tenderness. We think that our wines are more complex now, more subtle, more sensory.
The 2013 is a wine of history, a division line for the future. Please drink it with surprise!”
Akin to a connoisseur's lime tree and ginger root cocktail (with a splash of spritz), Cognettes “Selection”
Muscadet is a right of summer passage. For a $9+ bottle, it may seem like we are going over-board but the
tariff should not dictate the importance of the beverage - this wine is disserving of its headline, regardless of
the meager monetary exchange it commands...
Community notes (on all vintages of Selection)http://www.cellartracker.com/list.asp?
Table=Notes&iUserOverride=0&szSearch=cognettes+selection