Melon de Bourgogne

In the Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC), the variety is number 7615 under the prime name Melon, with a white berry skin and France as its country of origin. Its parents are Heunisch Weiss, the prime name under which VIVC catalogues Gouais Blanc, and Pinot, a pedigree confirmed by markers. A 1999 study in Science by Bowers and colleagues, which analysed microsatellite loci in more than 300 grape cultivars, found that sixteen wine grapes long grown in northeastern France, including 'Melon', have genotypes consistent with their being the progeny of 'Pinot' and 'Gouais blanc'. Aligoté, Auxerrois and Chardonnay are full siblings, sharing both parents.

• VIVC variety number 7615; prime name Melon; white berry skin; country of origin France
• Parentage: Heunisch Weiss (Gouais Blanc) crossed with Pinot, confirmed by markers
• Full siblings: Aligoté, Auxerrois, Chardonnay

Melon B originated in Burgundy but found its main home in the Nantes region of Loire-Atlantique. The international merchant trade based in Nantes drove its spread: from the 16th century, melon B became permanently established in the region, and the name 'Muscadet' first appears in 1635 on a lease kept at Gorges. The variety was massively planted after the frost of 1709, which destroyed many local vines, because it resists cold climates well. After the damage of the Vendée wars in 1793-1794 and then phylloxera, growers adopted row planting and Guyot pruning and codified their practice around melon B alone. The Muscadet Sèvre et Maine appellation was recognised by decree on 14 November 1936.

• From the 16th century, melon B became permanently established around Nantes, driven by the city's international merchant trade
• The name 'Muscadet' first appears in 1635, on a lease kept at Gorges
• Massively planted after the frost of 1709, which destroyed many local vines, as it resists cold climates well
• Muscadet Sèvre et Maine recognised by decree on 14 November 1936; rules for the 'sur lie' mention defined in 1977

Melon B makes dry, light white wines with refreshing acidity and subtle, mineral aromas. One reference guide, by contrast, finds the wine "neither very acid nor strongly flavoured", rather a neutral base for terroir and sur lie character. Muscadet Sèvre et Maine caps total alcohol after enrichment at 12 percent by volume, and its wines are white, dry and still, with a subtle balance between roundness and freshness and a complex bouquet dominated by fruity or floral aromas. Wines carrying the sur lie mention generally lean more toward roundness, have a more complex bouquet, and may show a slight prickle from residual carbon dioxide formed during alcoholic fermentation.

Melon's main home is the Nantes region of Loire-Atlantique, at the western end of the Loire, where InterLoire calls the grape "the king grape variety of Muscadet, in the Pays Nantais region". There are four Muscadet appellations: Muscadet, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire and Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu. The Muscadet AOC, an official appellation since 1937, stretches from the Atlantic to the gates of Anjou and encompasses 1,300 hectares of vines on a subsoil based on the Armorican Massif, made up mainly of rocks such as gneiss, micaschist and gabbros. Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire, northeast of Nantes, is the smallest regional appellation in the Nantes vineyards, covering 150 hectares for 35 winegrowers. Muscadet Sèvre et Maine allows seven complementary geographical names: Château-Thébaud, Clisson, Gorges, Goulaine, Monnières-Saint-Fiacre, Mouzillon-Tillières and Le Pallet. Beyond France, some of California's 'Pinot Blanc' may be Melon.

• Muscadet Sèvre et Maine: made from melon B alone, with seven complementary geographical names including Clisson, Gorges and Le Pallet
• Muscadet AOC: 1,300 hectares from the Atlantic to the gates of Anjou
• Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire: the smallest regional appellation in the Nantes vineyards, 150 hectares for 35 winegrowers northeast of Nantes
• Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu: one of the four Muscadet appellations
• California: some of California's 'Pinot Blanc' may be Melon

Melon B's aromas run to rifle stone among minerals, lemon and green apple among fruits, and white flowers. A Decanter tasting note on Vincent Caillé's Gorges Gabbro observed that "Melon B is aromatically fairly neutral". Each complementary geographical name of Muscadet Sèvre et Maine has a typical profile: Château-Thébaud wines saline, fresh and taut; Clisson with a very concentrated palate and intense, mostly fruity aromas; Gorges with a powerful attack supported by acidity and bitterness and mineral or menthol aromas; Mouzillon-Tillières closed in youth before showing floral, citrus, aromatic herb, brioche and mineral notes; Le Pallet with a smooth balance and a very fine, mainly floral bouquet. Prolonged ageing sometimes gives the wines good ageing potential.

• Aromas: rifle stone, lemon, green apple, white flowers
• Sur lie wines: rounder, with a more complex bouquet and sometimes a slight prickle of carbon dioxide
• Gorges: powerful attack, acidity and bitterness, mineral or menthol aromas
• Clisson: very concentrated palate, intense and mostly fruity aromas of ripe and cooked fruit

The 'méthode nantaise' keeps wines on their fine lees for at least one winter without any racking, a practice born of growers keeping a barrel of their best wine on its lees for coming celebrations. This ageing brings roundness and fat, notably through mannoproteins and other compounds from yeast autolysis, and because the wine stays untouched under carbon dioxide, oxidation is strongly limited and fermentation aromas are preserved into spring and beyond. Wines with a complementary geographical name stay on their lees until bottling and are bottled directly at the winery. Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire is aged for a minimum of 6 months on lees. Lees ageing takes place in traditional underground glass-coated tanks or, more recently, stainless steel tanks, with the wines bottled directly from their lees without racking.

• Méthode nantaise: at least one winter on fine lees without racking
• Lees ageing adds roundness and fat through mannoproteins and other yeast autolysis compounds
• Complementary geographical names: kept on lees until bottling, bottled directly at the winery
• Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire: minimum 6 months on lees

Guy Bossard, founder of Domaine de l'Ecu, adopted biodynamic methods in the 1980s, and Jo Landron of Domaines Landron also converted his vineyards in the 1980s. One Decanter feature counted Jérôme Bretaudeau of Domaine Bellevue among the rare breed of young winemakers in the region. A Decanter selection of Muscadet included Jo Landron's Le Fief du Breil and Amphibolite Sur Lie, Domaine Luneau-Papin's Clos de Noelles Excelsior Goulaine, Domaine de la Pépière's Briords Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Sur Lie, Vincent Caillé's Gorges Gabbro and Domaine de L'Ecu's Granite.

• Domaine de l'Ecu: founder Guy Bossard adopted biodynamic methods in the 1980s
• Domaines Landron: Jo Landron converted his vineyards in the 1980s; cuvées Le Fief du Breil and Amphibolite Sur Lie
• Domaine de la Pépière: Briords Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Sur Lie
• Domaine Luneau-Papin: Clos de Noelles Excelsior Goulaine

InterLoire's advice is direct: "If you like oysters with lemon zest or poultry in sauce, this is the wine for you!" Decanter's Christelle Guibert noted that the riper, brighter Muscadets now replacing the bland wines of the past are "still great with oysters".

Primary sources: https://www.vivc.de/index.php?r=passport%2Fview&id=7615 ; https://doi.org/10.1126/science.285.5433.1562 ; https://www.vinsdeloire.fr/en/grape-varieties/melon-b ; https://extranet.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/2e-PRJ-CDC-Muscadet-Sevre-et-Maine-post-CE.pdf ; https://www.vinsdeloire.fr/en/loire-wines/muscadet ; https://www.vinsdeloire.fr/en/loire-wines/muscadet-coteaux-loire Reference sources: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/grape-varieties/white/melon-de-bourgogne ; https://www.decanter.com/features/muscadet-renaissance-in-a-glass-245746/ ; https://www.decanter.com/premium/the-enduring-appeal-of-muscadet-18-fabulous-wines-to-try-548525/ Last verified 2026-10-04