Tasting the Lieubeau family’s Clisson and Château Thébaud side by side, it is easy to understand why the crus were established in Muscadet. Here the mineral punch found in Clisson is more subtle, and the potential for the richness and complexity of Melon is revealed. No doubt part of this is from the age of these vines – over 70 years old – but also due to the difference of soil – schist and gneiss rather than granite. Aged for 36 months on its lees, it picks up a creamy spiciness that only emphasizes this wine’s profound minerality.
