Domaine Luneau-Papin, 2024 Update
Times change.
When I first discovered Muscadet for myself, realising that there was much more to this appellation that the lacklustre picture painted by a handful of well-known wine writers (who probably had not visited the region since the 1970s) and the mainstream wine media (I am aware these words suggest I may have been sucked into some sort of Muscadet conspiracy theory, but bear with me), I quickly latched on to four favourite domaines which were regularly turning out tip-top examples of Muscadet Sèvre et Maine.
Twenty years later (give or take a year or two) not all of these domaines have come through the various trials and transitions of the last two decades unscathed. As a consequence, I no longer follow all four domaines with the religious fervour I once exhibited, but one of the four I do still follow is Domaine Luneau-Papin. The Luneau family were at the top of their game when I first tasted with elder statesman Pierre Luneau-Papin, and I treasure my memories of some of the tastings I enjoyed with him, not least the time he poured several older vintages of his Le L d’Or cuvée, back to 1976. Checking my old reports, I see that was back in 2012, when the wine was 36 years old, and yet (from magnum) it was in peak condition.
Today control has been passed to Pierre’s son Pierre-Marie and his wife, Marie, and the domaine remains a must-visit destination in Muscadet. This is despite the fact that during their short tenure they have seen their local climate change for the worse, destructive spring frosts and overly warm and dry summers becoming more frequent if not the norm, bringing new viticultural challenges. Rather than throwing in the towel, the couple have adapted, not only rationalising their vineyard holdings and increasing the level of protection against frost, but also shifting the domaine into certified biodynamic viticulture and refashioning the range of wines to emphasise their focus on individual vineyards and their terroir. As a result, the wines today are as exciting as they ever were. More so, even.
Yes, times change. But sometimes it is for the better.
In this, my latest report on the wines of this domaine, I meet up with Pierre-Marie and Marie Luneau to taste current and forthcoming releases. The focus was on the 2022 vintage, with a couple of wines from 2021 and 2020, but nothing older. The days when a tasting here finishes with forty-year-old Le L d’Or are, I think, behind us. You can’t have everything, I guess.
