Chateau du Coing de St. Fiacre Monnieres Saint-Fiacre 2019
Chateau du Coing de St. Fiacre Monnieres Saint-Fiacre
Region: Loire, France
Vintage: 2019
Bottle size: 75cl
Grape: Muscadet
ABV: 12%
Golden yellow in colour. The complex nose is brimming with rich stone fruit and orange blossom notes married with a toasty richness. The palate is full and structured with a marked minerality and a long and buttery finish.
The Melon de Bourgogne grapes for this wine are sourced from a small south-facing parcel of 100+ year old vines, in the Muscadet Cru of Monnières-Saint-Fiacre. The declaration of Cru Communaux is one of the most interesting developments to come out of the region, as growers were determined to recognise specific regional communes, much like they have in Beaujolais. The first Crus were established in 2011 and there are now 10 in total. To qualify as a Cru, the grapes must come from within the designated area, with yields lower than in the wider appellation (40 hl/ha, compared to 55 hl/ha), resulting in wines with great depth of flavour.
Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were gently pressed in a 2.5 tonne pneumatic press. Alcoholic fermentation took place in underground tanks and lasted two to three weeks, at a controlled temperature of 20°C. By law wines from the Monniéres Saint Fiacre Cru must stay on their lees for at least 17 months. However, this wine spent 42 months on its lees and is considerably more rich on the palate as a result.
As its name suggests, Château du Coing de St. Fiacre is situated in Saint Fiacre, a small village in Muscadet's Sèvre et Maine district. Véronique Günther-Chéreau is the current generation producing wine at the estate, which has been in her family since 1421. Véronique grew up at Château du Coing de St. Fiacre, and after achieving a doctorate in pharmacy, she returned to take the reins in 1990. In 2011, she was joined by her daughter Aurore after she completed her biology and oenology studies in Dijon. Unusually for an area dominated by négociants, Château du Coing de St. Fiacre uses only estate-grown fruit sourced from its 40 hectares of Melon de Bourgogne vines. Their vineyards are planted on distinctive gneiss soils, located at the meeting point of the Sèvre and Maine rivers.