Domaine de l’Ecu: Wines
As suggested in my account of the Domaine de l’Ecu vineyards, although most of the vineyard is dedicated to Melon de Bourgogne, there are other varieties planted. Whereas Guy Bossard always focused greatly on his Muscadet, for Frédéric Niger the other varieties seem to be of greater interest. This has led to a portfolio split into two, each seeming incongruous when viewed from the point of view of the other. I shall deal with each in turn.
Muscadet
There were always three principle cuvées at Domaine de l’Ecu, each one representing the three Muscadet terroirs described on the previous page; Guy Bossard always referred to these wines as his grandes cuvées de terroir. Sadly, despite this being the domaine’s raison d’être, it was not long before the portfolio was rationalised, as I will describe in a moment.
Alongside these cuvées there was also Taurus, where wood plays a role, and an entry-level Cuvée Classique, more recently named simply Classic. Generalising, the fruit is harvested by hand, at yields anywhere between 40 and 55 hl/ha, depending on the individual vineyard and the vintage (frost obviously plays havoc with this). Naturally they are all 100% Melon de Bourgogne. Fermentations are very traditional, in subterranean glass-lined tanks, with subsequent lees-aging.
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