This year's Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Trophy for White Loire under £15 went to Les Vignerons du Pallet, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Le Pallet 2009 (12%)
Tasted against:
- No other Golds in this category
Profile:
Les Vignerons Du Pallet is a band of 10 winemakers based in the prestigious Muscadet cru of Le Pallet who, in 2007, pooled their talents to show what a fantastic terrain it is. ‘In combining our skills, we can better meet the variety of challenges faced by winegrowers today,’ they say. ‘bringing together our complementary forces is our response to transformations in our professional environment. This “cultural revolution” aims to turn our vineyards into sustainable businesses, respectful of nature, socially responsible and economically profitable. Our group strength gives us dynamism.’
The co-op’s vines are planted on a mix of black intrusive bedrock (weathered gabbro) and white intrusive bedrock (gneiss and granite). only rarely are both types of bedrock found in the same area, in France – this necessitated Les Vignerons du Pallet to undertake studies and surveys of its land to ensure it best exploited the unique terroir, and that the final wines truly reflected their origin.
Les Vignerons du Pallet produces about 300,000 bottles of wine a year, though only 40,000 of this Trophy- winner. For this wine, the average age of the vines is 30 years, and the wine is aged for a minimum of 18 months before being bottled.
Written by Decanter
