Mus’cat white 2018

Mus’cat blanc 2018,

Domaine de l'Octavin

How lovely it is, both on the nose and in the mouth! Languedoc white muscats, crafted in the Jura style, are something else. Full of fruit and freshness, Mus’cat offers fruity notes extending across the entire palette of yellow and tropical fruits: peach, apricot, citrus, mango, pineapple… It is vinified from muscats from the Pyrénées-Orientales (50% Muscat à petits grains, 50% Muscat d’Alexandrie) grown biodynamically on clay-limestone soils, macerated for two weeks in whole bunches to promote the extraction of their lovely aromas. It will lend itself to all pairings, including desserts (not too sweet, please).

To find out more

“You don’t need anything,” says Alice Bouvot, winemaker at Domaine de l’Octavin, “just a grape that feels good in its skin.” Everything is said in favor of natural wine, it’s a perfect description. Created in 2005, the Alice estate is located in Arbois, in the Jura wine region, often described as the most organic vineyard in France. The practice of making – among other things – oxidative wines is a good preparation for nature, as this type of wine does not allow any chemical additives and especially no sulfites. It is a secret of this magnificent region. Originally spread over two hectares, the estate, managed entirely biodynamically (Demeter) since 2010, has expanded through the gradual acquisition of plots and now covers seven hectares.

An accomplished musician and passionate music lover, Alice aims to apply her musical sensitivity to the wines she makes. She draws a parallel between the technical perfection of conventional wines, which risks excluding feeling, while "a musician who does not know music theory and plays with his guts creates emotion." For her, living wine is like this: instinctive, improvised, emotional. Introduced to natural wine by Stéphane Planche, sommelier at chef Jean-Paul Jeunet in Arbois, she faithfully followed this path. The sometimes whimsical names of her vintages are inspired sometimes by musical art (Dorabella, Zerline), sometimes by the numerous plots of land that make up her vineyard (En Curon, Les Corvées, En Poussot, etc.), and do not disdain a pun from time to time. Likewise, the labels adorned with happy and salacious little gnomes are a signature of the estate. As for the grape varieties, they are the classics of the Jura: Poulsard, Trousseau, Pinot Noir for the reds, and Chardonnay, Savagnin for the whites. Alongside her Arbois wines, Alice has created a business selling "on the vine" grapes (Ecocert certified) with her winegrower friends in the region. Natural, committed, joyful and highly drinkable, Alice Bouvot's wines are all the more sought-after as the vintages, produced in plot-by-plot mode, appear, disappear and reappear depending on the vintage and inspiration.