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Home | Producers | Michel Delhommeau

Michel Delhommeau

Michel Delhommeau
Michel Delhommeau


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Michel Delhommeau Brand Information
Country of Origin: France
Location: Monnieres
People: Michel Delhommeau, Owner & Winemaker
Supplier: www.jondavidwine.com


Near the end of the Loire river, just before it runs out to sea, the river cuts through one of the most complex geological formations in the viticultural world. The area to the south of the city of Nantes is perhaps the most impressive part of the geological wonder, with smaller rivers and tributaries winding through a web of hard granite, both decomposed and firm slate (schist), gneiss, chalk, river stones, and gabbro. For those in the know, it is one of the great terroirs of France. This is Muscadet.

Michel & Nathalie Delhommeau farm 28 hectares of vines planted on almost pure rock in this region. Dominating the estate is a rock called gabbro which is essentially rock formed from molten lava. Many of the vines are quite old, producing low yields and very complex bottlings. Michel vinifies only by soil type, separates tanks out by vine age, and keeps volumes quite low.

Aside from producing great wine, this young couple represents the opposite of the jaded and often pretentious winemaker set one can easily find. Humble and quite, they are turning out impressively complex bottlings of Muscadet that often smell more like great Chardonnay from Chablis as anything else.

About Muscadet
Muscadet, although not as well known in the United States as it is in France, is the largest white wine appellation of the country. Several smaller appellations make up the general area of Muscadet including Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie, Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire, and Muscadet Coteaux des Grands Lieux. The most famous is Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie. One of the only appellations to require ageing on the lees and to name this requirement in the name of the appellation, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie only comes from the best parcels of the region and must follow strict guidelines. The Melon de Bourgogne grape, also called Muscadet, was brought to the region centuries ago from Burgundy. It flourished in this new environment and became famous in France for its ability to complement to saltiest of oysters and shellfish of the region.


Items
Michel Delhommeau 2009 Muscadet 'St. Vincent' Net Price Reviews —
Michel Delhommeau 2009 Muscadet de Sevre et Maine 'Harmonie' Net Price Reviews —
Reviews
Michel Delhommeau 2009 Muscadet 'St. Vincent'
Rating: 87

Michel Delhommeau's 2009 Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie Cuvee Saint Vincent smells - ripely and colorfully for a Muscadet - of quince, papaya, and pineapple. Surprisingly soft but still attractively juicy, it finishes with faintly bitter counterpoint of alkaline and quinine hints. Enjoy it over the next 9-12 months.

- The Wine Advocate (8/31/2010)

Michel Delhommeau 2009 Muscadet de Sevre et Maine 'Harmonie'
Rating: 89

The Delhommeau 2009 Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie Cuvee Harmonie invokes fresh lemon, tangerine, and pear on a subtly-scented nose and buoyant, bright, refreshing palate that conveys a lovely sense of transparency to shimmering salt and chalk nuances. Enjoy this outstanding value over the next year or two.

- The Wine Advocate (8/31/2010)

Michel Delhommeau 2009 Muscadet de Sevre et Maine 'Harmonie'
Rating: 91

Silver-straw color. Offers the same high-pitched, mineral-driven citrus profile of the St. Vincent but with added elements of yellow plum and pungent herbs. Lively but deeply concentrated orange and orchard fruit flavors show weightier nectarine and mango qualities in the mid-palate, with a dusty mineral element adding focus. The herbal quality repeats on the tangy finish. For the price, this is a steal.

- International Wine Cellar (5/10/2010)

Michel Delhommeau 2009 Muscadet 'St. Vincent'
Rating: 88

Pale, green-tinged straw. Fresh lime and orange zest on the nose, with complicating notes of lemongrass, dusty minerals and quinine. Light-bodied citrus flavors are lifted by a suave stony quality and convey a weightless impression. Very dry, almost austere, with strong finishing cut, an echo of bitter quinine and good length.

- International Wine Cellar (5/10/2010)

Michel Delhommeau 2008 Muscadet 'St. Vincent'
Rating: 88

Michel Delhommeau's 2008 Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie Cuvee Saint Vincent is delightfully and refreshingly dominated by citrus, salt, chalk, and green apple. While one can't call it complex, its combination of textural polish, mouth-watering purity, and invigoration is hard to beat for the price.

- The Wine Advocate (8/1/2009)

Michel Delhommeau 2008 Muscadet de Sevre et Maine 'Harmonie'
Rating: 91

The nose of lime, chalk, and sea air will pique your appetite and set you salivating even before it hits the palate-or rather, I am inclined to say, before you hit the surface of its seemingly bottomless pool of saline, citric refreshment. The amalgam of fresh lime, grapefruit, rhubarb, salt, citrus pips, and iodine on the palate puts me a bit in mind of certain Gruner Veltliner, but the combination of sheer intensity with alcoholic lightness and this wine's juicy, effortless elegance, as well as the sheer mineral vocabulary required in an attempt to capture its finish are archetypal Muscadet.

- The Wine Advocate (8/31/2009)

Michel Delhommeau 2007 Muscadet 'St. Vincent'
Rating: 88

Offers a predominately lime fruit nose and a cooling, refreshing, and soothing citrus dominated palate as well, with hints of pear, salt and chalk. The infectiously juicy finish here adds faint, tart bitterness of pear skin and citrus zest.

- The Wine Advocate (8/31/2008)

Michel Delhommeau 2006 Muscadet 'St. Vincent'
Rating: 87

Crisp and lemony, this is balanced and harmonious. Its lively acidity and briny undertones make it a classic accompaniment to shucked oysters.

- Wine & Spirits (4/1/2008)