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Domaine Mosse 'Magic of Juju' Blanc, Vin de France
Domaine Mosse 'Magic of Juju' Blanc, Vin de France
Grapes — 40% Chenin Blanc, 40% Colombard, 20% Sauvignon Blanc
Region — Anjou, Loire Valley, France
Tasting Notes — Pale gold with a bright, energetic clarity. The nose leads with grapefruit and pomelo, fresh mint, and green buds, with tropical flashes of guava and lychee underneath. The palate is lively, frank, and light on its feet, faintly herbaceous, with an acid zap of pineapple and a thirst-quenching mineral finish. Around 12% alcohol. The estate describes it as a wine that sparkles without bubbles, which is exactly right: it drinks quickly but stays in your head for a long time afterward.
The Wine — A blend of three white varieties, each vinified separately and then assembled. Some lots go into stainless steel, some into barrel, each following whatever path suits it best that year, before the final blend is put together. Chenin brings the body and the fruit spectrum, Colombard the crackling acidity and citrus lift, Sauvignon the tightness and aromatic edge. The fruit comes from Mosse's own vineyards on the schist, sandstone, gravel, and clay hills above the Layon, supplemented by grapes from other local organic growers. The Layon is a small tributary that cuts through well-drained, well-exposed slopes, and its microclimate gives unusually long hang times: foggy autumn mornings without rain, which is why botrytis develops so readily on Chenin here.
Farming — Certified organic since 1999, across all 15 hectares in Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay, Beaulieu-sur-Layon, and Savennières. Joseph and Sylvestre spend the bulk of their time in the vines, with particular focus on soil work to keep the ground alive and let the terroir come through clearly in the glass. Bought-in fruit for this cuvée comes exclusively from other organic growers in the area.
Winemaking — Slow, gentle pressing. Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, with malolactic allowed to happen naturally. No additives. Aged in a mix of stainless steel and barrel depending on the lot, then blended before bottling. Contains a small amount of sulfur.
The Producer — Before they were vignerons, Agnès and René Mosse ran a wine bar and retail shop hybrid in Tours, which is where the obsession took hold. They trained alongside some of the most important figures in Loire and Burgundian natural wine, including Thierry Puzelat, Christian Chaussard, Dominique Derain, and Frédéric Cossard, before founding their own estate in Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay in 1999. They farmed organically from day one, long before it was expected of anyone in Anjou, and built a reputation on Chenin Blancs of real complexity from beautiful schist terroirs. In 2018 they handed the estate to their sons Joseph and Sylvestre, both of whom had already worked with a range of natural producers, and the philosophy has carried through unchanged with perhaps a little more youthful mischief attached. Magic of Juju is the house's most joyful cuvée: not the serious single-terroir Chenin that made their name, but the bottle you open without thinking about it and then find yourself thinking about for days.
Drink It With — Oysters, ceviche, grilled prawns, fresh goat cheese, spring vegetable salads, Thai or Vietnamese herbs and chilli, or a warm afternoon that needs nothing more.
Domaine Mosse 'Magic of Juju' Blanc, Vin de France
Grapes — 40% Chenin Blanc, 40% Colombard, 20% Sauvignon Blanc
Region — Anjou, Loire Valley, France
Tasting Notes — Pale gold with a bright, energetic clarity. The nose leads with grapefruit and pomelo, fresh mint, and green buds, with tropical flashes of guava and lychee underneath. The palate is lively, frank, and light on its feet, faintly herbaceous, with an acid zap of pineapple and a thirst-quenching mineral finish. Around 12% alcohol. The estate describes it as a wine that sparkles without bubbles, which is exactly right: it drinks quickly but stays in your head for a long time afterward.
The Wine — A blend of three white varieties, each vinified separately and then assembled. Some lots go into stainless steel, some into barrel, each following whatever path suits it best that year, before the final blend is put together. Chenin brings the body and the fruit spectrum, Colombard the crackling acidity and citrus lift, Sauvignon the tightness and aromatic edge. The fruit comes from Mosse's own vineyards on the schist, sandstone, gravel, and clay hills above the Layon, supplemented by grapes from other local organic growers. The Layon is a small tributary that cuts through well-drained, well-exposed slopes, and its microclimate gives unusually long hang times: foggy autumn mornings without rain, which is why botrytis develops so readily on Chenin here.
Farming — Certified organic since 1999, across all 15 hectares in Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay, Beaulieu-sur-Layon, and Savennières. Joseph and Sylvestre spend the bulk of their time in the vines, with particular focus on soil work to keep the ground alive and let the terroir come through clearly in the glass. Bought-in fruit for this cuvée comes exclusively from other organic growers in the area.
Winemaking — Slow, gentle pressing. Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, with malolactic allowed to happen naturally. No additives. Aged in a mix of stainless steel and barrel depending on the lot, then blended before bottling. Contains a small amount of sulfur.
The Producer — Before they were vignerons, Agnès and René Mosse ran a wine bar and retail shop hybrid in Tours, which is where the obsession took hold. They trained alongside some of the most important figures in Loire and Burgundian natural wine, including Thierry Puzelat, Christian Chaussard, Dominique Derain, and Frédéric Cossard, before founding their own estate in Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay in 1999. They farmed organically from day one, long before it was expected of anyone in Anjou, and built a reputation on Chenin Blancs of real complexity from beautiful schist terroirs. In 2018 they handed the estate to their sons Joseph and Sylvestre, both of whom had already worked with a range of natural producers, and the philosophy has carried through unchanged with perhaps a little more youthful mischief attached. Magic of Juju is the house's most joyful cuvée: not the serious single-terroir Chenin that made their name, but the bottle you open without thinking about it and then find yourself thinking about for days.
Drink It With — Oysters, ceviche, grilled prawns, fresh goat cheese, spring vegetable salads, Thai or Vietnamese herbs and chilli, or a warm afternoon that needs nothing more.