Chablis vs Muscadet Wine
Chablis wine is a wine made from the Chardonnay grape, in the far North of Burgundy, France.
Muscadet comes from a region in the Loire Valley, its grape is Melon de Bourgogne.
Sometimes even experienced tasters can experience confusion when tasting these wines blind.Sometimes even experienced tasters can experience confusion when tasting these wines blind.
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Below are the similarities between Chablis vs Muscadet.
Both Chablis vs Muscadet are dry, white wines.
A signature of both Chablis and Muscadet is that workers age them on the dead yeast cells called “lees” as part of the maturation process.
Both village level Chablis wine (and even higher designation levels) and Muscadet do not see oak maturation.
Both Chablis and Muscadet hover about 12.5% degrees of alcohol, but Muscadet law mandates this specific level.
Both Chablis and Muscadet can have a somewhat saline aroma and taste (think of saltwater).Both Chablis and Muscadet can have a somewhat saline aroma and taste (think of saltwater).
Both Chablis and Muscadet are marked by high acidity.
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So with the six possible similarities above, you can understand why it is possible to confuse these two wines.
To students in various wine education certification programs these are referred to as “neutral whites.”
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Some of the key differences between Chablis vs Muscadet are
Chablis can often have a very slight green tinge
Chablis can sometimes have an aroma and taste of algae (yes, as if from a fish tank)
Chablis can also sometimes have an aroma and taste of “oyster shell”
The makers for Muscadet are more subtle, and very personal.
Some people say that Muscadet tastes like powdered baby’s milk – but you can never write this market on the exam.
It is possible to write down a description of “yougurt,” a milky taste many people sense on the nose and palate.
Many people think that Muscadet has a more “leesy” character than Chablis.
The best way for you to decide the differences between Chablis vs Muscadet is make your own tasting.
For this article on Chablis vs Muscadet, for example, I compared two easy to find white wines.
They are often on the Masters of Wine exams.
The two wines in this pairing were the current vintage Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet Serve et Maine and the Champs Royaux William Fevre.
Both are around 12.0 alcohol (Muscadet by law).
How to Compare Chablis Vs. Muscadet
The best way is to have someone serve you these two wines blind. A simple way to mark them is to make a symbol on one of the glasses.
Then, look at the color. In this scenario, the color won’t tell you much as they are similar.
Aroma of Chablis Vs Muscadet
So for me (again, this is very individual) I would focus on the wine that has more of a sense of seawater, algae, and a very subtle green tinge. This would be your basic Chablis. Very experienced tasters might also recognize the taste of a basic Chablis from their line-up of other tastings where they compared a basic Chablis with a 1st Cru and Grand Cru wine.
And to be very blunt (but not dismissive) Muscadet tastes like the easy-drinking, every day wine it really is.
A pop and pour bottle of wine that rarely exceeds $15 dollars on the supermarket shelf. Even basic Chablis is more expensive than that.
And it tastes like a wine that started with grand ambitions – initially at least – but ended up in the basic bottling. Sometimes a bottle of entry level Chablis comes from the best vineyards, but was bottled at its basic level because the vines are not yet mature for a higher category.
If you liked this article, it might interest you to read an article about the region of Muscadet.
What are your markers for Chablis vs Muscadet?What are your markers for Chablis vs Muscadet?
History of Chablis
If you are just getting interested in the world of wine, you are probably wondering how California Chardonnay differs from Chardonnay in other areas of the world.
Chablis history dates from 90 AD … the Romans made wine, yet waves of different rulers changed the structure every few centuries.
Then, after the Middle Ages … a series of wars continued to suppress wine making in the region …
The freezes in the vineyard in the 1950s saw development in technology to keep the vines warm (aspersion, smudge pots, tarps, and electrical heating).
In 1967 they developed the Cru system.
Chablis wine from the Chardonnay grape does find its fullest expression in the Chablis region of France.
The Chablis region is located about two hours from Paris.
Chablis Soil
The soil of Chablis is Kimmeridgian,
This means it contains very tiny oyster shells.
In the soil, the oyster shells give wines from Chablis its characteristic taste.
The Different Classifications of Chablis
All Chablis wine is always Chardonnay.
And when you ask for Chablis in a restaurant, you will get a Chardonnay wine from Chabllis.
Yet when you look at the menu, you will see quite a variety of price points.
For the most part the price points reflect the quality of the vineyard.
Young vines and vast growing areas are used to make basic Chablis.
The next level is the 1st cru, where the vineyards are better positioned to make great wine.
Then comes the Grand Cru, spectacular growing areas with very low yields. In this wine, you will find well-integrated flavors, complexity, and intense concentration.
This Video is an excellent introduction to the Chablis region.
Yes, it is in French … yet please just focus on the beautiful description of the growing area so you will have an idea of the landscape.
If you like this article you will like:
— Dominus Estate
— Chappellet Family Winery
— Hess Collection
— Frog’s Leap
About Author Marisa D’Vari
D’Vari contributes to Forbes.com, Financial Times, World of Fine Wine, Quarterly Review of Wine, Decanter Robb Report, San Francisco Chronicle, South China Morning Post, and more.
She holds the (WSET) diploma, Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, a Certified Wine Educator through the Society of Wine Educators … to see it all, please click on bio
