🍇 Muscadelle
A white grape from France, permitted in sweet Sauternes; 1,713 ha in France in 2006, against 6,257 ha in 1958.
Muscadelle is a white wine grape from France. It is best known as one of the grapes of the sweet wines of Bordeaux: the technical file of the Sauternes appellation names it alongside Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris.
Sauternes is a white wine with at least 45 g/l of residual sugar, made from berries affected by noble rot. The grapes are picked by hand in several passes through the vineyard, each time taking only the ready berries. The file stresses that the grapes for Sauternes were selected over centuries precisely for how well they take botrytis.
Despite its name, Muscadelle is not a Muscat. According to DNA markers (VIVC), its mother variety is Gouais Blanc, an old grape behind many European varieties, while the father is unknown. Some of its 52 synonyms are misleading: Muscadet doux, Sauvignon vert, Tokay. Names on old or overseas labels can therefore confuse.
Its area in France has shrunk markedly: VIVC records 6,257 ha in 1958 and 1,713 ha in 2006. Outside France the catalogue gives 1,139 ha in South Africa (1992) and 390 ha in Australia (1991).
Why it matters to you. Muscadelle rarely appears alone on a label; it is usually part of a blend. If the grape is named on a bottle of EU wine, it makes up at least 85 % of it. "Sauvignon vert" and "Muscadet doux" on old labels may mean Muscadelle rather than Sauvignon or the wine Muscadet. Whites are served at 4–10 °C.
Facts
| Country | France |
|---|---|
| Region | Bordeaux: Sauternes |
| Main use | wine grape |
How it connects to Wine
🍇 Muscadelle → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 French
- Part of
- 🍇 Grape varieties
- Origin
- 🗺️ French wine
- Where it grows
- 📍 Bordeaux, 📜 Bergerac
- Main grape in
- France: 📜 Barsac, 📍 Entre-Deux-Mers, 📜 Monbazillac, 📜 Cadillac, 📜 Cérons, 📜 Gaillac Premières Côtes, 📜 Rosette, 📜 Côtes de Montravel, 📜 Graves Supérieures, 📜 Premières Côtes de Bordeaux
- Related to
- 🍷 Sauternes, 🏰 Château Coutet, 🍷 Sweet wine, 🍷 Fortified wine
- Parents
- 🍇 Gouais Blanc
- Similar and different
- 🍇 Sémillon, 🍇 Sauvignon Vert
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Muscadelle is a kind of Muscat?
No. According to VIVC its mother variety is Gouais Blanc and the father is unknown; it is not a Muscat.
Which wines contain Muscadelle?
Sweet Sauternes among others, together with Sémillon and Sauvignon.
How much Muscadelle is there in France?
1,713 ha in 2006; in 1958 there were 6,257 ha (VIVC).
What is Sauternes?
A white wine from berries with noble rot, at least 45 g/l of sugar, hand-picked in several passes.
Are Muscadelle and Muscadet the same?
No. Muscadet doux is just one synonym of Muscadelle; the Loire wine Muscadet is made from another grape.
What to read next
- 🗺️ French wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
- 📜 Barsac — A commune next to Sauternes making sweet white wines from grapes with noble rot.
- 🏰 Château Coutet — A Barsac estate whose wine-growing history the estate dates to 1643; owned by the Baly family since 1977; a first growth of the 1855 classification.
- 🧑🤝🧑 French — The French are the main population of France, known for the festive meal and baguette on UNESCO's list, for wine and for cheese.
- 🍇 Gouais Blanc — An old white wine grape, known in Germany as Heunisch; an ancestor of Chardonnay, Riesling and Gamay.
Similar
🍇 Sémillon · 🍇 Bastardo · 🍇 Malbec · 🍇 Alicante Bouschet · 🍇 Tannat · 🍇 Villard Blanc
Sources
- eAmbrosia — technical file: PDO «Sauternes» (Ares(2014)2129660)
- VIVC (Vitis International Variety Catalogue): passport Muscadelle
- VIVC: area statistics MUSCADELLE
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 (grape varieties on labels)
- Simons C.T. Left out in the cold: Serving wines chilled. Temperature, 2019