Confirmation this morning that Guy Bossard, one of Muscadet's top quality producers, has put his Domaine de l'Ecu up for sale. Guy is now in his late 50s and with no one from his family to take over has decided that it is time to sell. Two disastrously small harvests in 2007 and 2008 may have contributed to his decision. In 2007 Guy made 9 hl/ha due to mildew, while in 2008 frost reduced his crop to 17 hl/ha.

Domaine de l'Ecu has around 17 ha of vines and Guy was one of the first in the Loire to embrace biodynamics – converting in 1986.

I hope that whoever takes over will work to maintain the high quality of Guy's wine and not trade on his reputation with inferior wine.

"Surely I must have some more 2008!" Pierre Luneau.

(24 September 2008)
To be posted: tasting with Pierre Luneau including a vertical of Excelsior, his Muscadet troisième niveau, from 2008 through to 2002. Also a brief visit to Guy Bossard as well as a view of Castel's new factory.........

Sign at Guy Bossard's office and tasting room.

A recent edition of La Revue du Vins de France has an article on Guy Bossard of Domaine de l’Ecu and Joseph Landron of Domaines Landron in La Haye Fouassière. The article’s theme or conceit is that it was Guy Bossard alone who made quality Muscadet during the late 1970s and 1980s. It was Guy, who bravely swam against the tidal wave of mediocre Muscadet. Now Joseph Landron is a worthy disciple/successor to Guy.

Without taking anything away from the work and wines of Guy and Joseph, this strikes me as a gross simplification. My first visit to the Pays Nantais was at the end of 1989. It was clear that there were producers other than Guy, who unfortunately wasn’t in my programme of visits, who were passionate and dedicated to making top quality Muscadet.

Louis Métaireau most comes to mind. I still remember after nearly 20 years the gleam in Louis’ eye and the relish in his voice as he described the tasting hurdles the Muscadets made by his vignerons d’art had to surmount to prove they were good enough to be part of the Métaireau range. And spending an evening with Jean-Ernest Sauvion, who was determined that this novice wine journalist properly understood sur lie, its importance and why it was a nonsense at that time to allow people to transport Muscadet sur lie in bulk and bottle it away from where it had been made. Fortunately the rules were subsequently tightened up and now sur lie has to be bottled sur place. Taste Pierre Luneau’s 1979, his 1982 or other vintages from the period – obviously quality Muscadets. There may have been more poor Muscadet then but there were also quality producers – fortunately Guy was not alone.

Coming shortly.....