Musann Blanc

The Taiwanese Agricultural Research Station in Taichung city began developing an aromatic local winegrape variety more than 30 years ago. In 2009, the institute proudly announced its release of “Taichung No.3”. It is with this fateful encounter that our founder Ben Yang was inspired to embark on our grape-growing and winemaking journey. Our namesake, 100% estate grown Musann Blanc, pays homage to a grape variety unique to Taiwan, thereafter naturally led us to take a gentle personal approach, from grapegrowing to winemaking.

Musann Blanc

2021

100% Musann Blanc, Puyen & Puli Estates

4,300 bottles handcrafted

TASTING NOTES

2021’s fortuitous dry sunny spring and ensuing heavy rainfall led to early harvests, guiding us to produce a unique vintage expressed in delicately layered complexity. We blended best parcels from Puyen and Puli estates, some verjus and macerated wine, and underwent our gentle elevage respectful of the grapes over a year in old barrels. Delectable aromatics of white florals, lychee, yuzu, sweet spice, mint and a touch of butter scotch first uplift the senses. The wine glides through the tongue to body in a purity reminiscent of an untainted brook, glistening with zesty, white grapefruit acidity, sprinkles of pomelo and lychee, and finally a clean saline finish with quintessential Musann aromatics lingering elegantly in the palate.

Musann Blanc

2020

100% estate grown Musann Blanc

2,690 bottles handcrafted

TASTING NOTES

2020 vintage further instilled in us that vines are like us, they need time and good care to heal and flourish. With lower budbreak in the spring and 14-day continuous downpour at the end of May further complicating the growing season, we held on and ripened the grapes as long as we could. In winemaking, we blended a small-batch specially made berry-macerated verjus and allowed all wine to ferment and age slowly over a year. Our gentle approach rendered an expression of delicate, elegant purity.

Alluring aromas of lychee and caramel are dappled with mineral, white pepper notes. A fresh fruity entry delights the senses, carried through the palate in balanced acidity, refined herbal and savory tones, and a textured finish, culminating to a lasting impression of Musann’s adaptive vitality to all that Nature gives her.

Musann Blanc

2019

100% estate grown Musann Blanc

249 bottles handcrafted

TASTING NOTES

2019 vintage is truly a remarkable year for the precious possibility risen from its tumultuous journey. Puyen Estate received the most rain in five years during the critical ‘veraison’ phase in May when dry weather is necessary for healthy ripening. 80% of the crop was lost due to consequential disease. For the minimal 800kg harvested, we allowed for natural fermentation on wild yeast and waited for it to age slowly in one single 12-year-old French barrel over a year.

Alluring aromas of lychee and tropical fruits, honey, butterscotch, mint, sweet thyme, lime zest and subtle woody notes, dance together to entice the senses. These delicate intricacies seamlessly transition to the palate with sweet lemony acidity, an expanding mid-palate and a finish that leaves a refined elegant impression bringing light to the beautiful energy of a transformative year.

Musann Blanc

2018

100% estate grown Musann Blanc

960 bottles handcrafted

TASTING NOTES

Our deep respect for this unique Taiwanese grape Musann Blanc led us to a gentle personal approach, from grape-growing to winemaking.

In 2018, delayed rainy season to mid July allowed the grapes to ripen healthily until harvest.

This is the first vintage where a majority of wine was fermented and aged slowly in 10-year-old neutral French oak barrels to develop complexity of flavors.

Alluringly sophisticated aromas of spicy tropical fruits and a slight butterscotch note transitions seamlessly to the palate with intriguing citrus tones.

Allowed with time, these intricate elements cohesively develop into a refined, balanced long full finish.

Musann Blanc

2017

100% estate grown Musann Blanc

1,100 bottles handcrafted

TASTING NOTES

Our deep respect for this unique Taiwanese grape Musann Blanc led us to a gentle personal approach, from grape-growing to winemaking.
In the 2017 growing season, two delayed mid-June rainy weeks, followed by dry sunny days were formative in this special vintage.
Alluringly elegant expressive aromas of lychee, melons, yellow mango. In the palate, these quintessential tropical fruits speak softly, with a wisp of citrusy zesty acidity and sweet ginger in the midpalate, transforming to a textured, mineral, strong finish – a special expression of Musann Blanc’s layered varietal complexity and finesse.

Musann Blanc

2016

100% estate grown Musann Blanc

1715 bottles handcrafted

TASTING NOTES

This is the first year where the growing season saw some normality in terms of timely rainfall at the beginning of June that allowed for a window for dry weather ripening of grapes before mid-July harvest. We continued with the same purist winemaking approach as in the first two vintages 2014-2015, in order to see how Musann transforms under different growing seasons. Whole-cluster low-pressure press, stainless steel low-temperature fermentation, sur lie & batonnage, bottling a year after harvest.
Alluring, elegant aromas of lychee, pear, guava, mint and bay leaf set off an intriguing prologue. Thereafter, the wine transitions cohesively to a refined mineral palate of lemon zest and quintessential tropical fruits, ascending to a fresh lingering finish. This is a rounded, balanced vintage that truthfully expresses Musann Blanc’s layered varietal complexity and finesse.
This vintage is truly an inviting wine on its own. In pairing with food, we enjoy its delicate flavors with white asparagus, shiitake, fresh ginger, garlic and green onion, Chinese XO sauce, black pepper, stracciatella and goat cheese, light soy sauce and grilled eel.

Musann Blanc

Cuvée N° 15

100% estate grown Musann Blanc

2340 bottles handcrafted

TASTING NOTES

This growing season received an early spring rain that slowed down the growing and ripening of the grapes. We continued with stainless steel low temperature fermentation, followed by six-month sur lie lees contact and two-months batonnage to allow for purity of its character. These resulted in a wine with a concentrated nose and a light, rounded, balanced palate. Cool mineral aromas of lime, jasmine and mint added intrigue to Musann Blanc’s quintessential tropical fruits. These refined aromatics transitioned cohesively to the palate with layers of lychee, pear, lime zest, rounding off smoothly in a long balanced finish, reminiscing that very summer’s cool afternoon breeze.
For food pairing, we enjoy complimenting Cuvée N° 15’s expressive aromas and delicate contour with white asparagus, seaweed, fresh ginger, white sesame sauce, fresh burrata cheese, lightly salted yakitori and pan seared white fish with seasonal herbs or sweet spices.

2017 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition – Silver Medal

2017 International Wine Challenge – Bronze Medal

2017 Decanter Asia Wine Award- Commended

Musann Blanc

Cuvée N° 14

100% estate grown Musann Blanc

2000 bottles handcrafted

TASTING NOTES

Our first crop season gave us a drier and warmer climate which allowed for fuller ripening of the grapes. As this is our first vintage, we took on a non-interventionist approach to allow for expression of purity in Musann’s honest character. This led to a gentle approach in winemaking, low pressure whole-cluster press, low-temperature stainless steel fermentation, four-month sur lie lees contact and two-month batonnage; we let the wine rest and bottled it a year later.
This resulted in an expressive array of aromas bloomed in tropical fruit tones – lychee, pineapple, mango, pear, guava and lavender. Gentle spicy tones of cinnamon, white pepper and young ginger further animate the nose. On the palate, it is distinctively dry and refreshing. Layers of ripened fruits, delicately bitter and spicy hints, and a lingering finish, are all intricately knit to an enticing complexity that leaves a balanced, refined final impression.
This wine is delightful on its own. On a purist pursuit of flavors, combining a bite of pink peppercorn, thyme, or pesto sauce, with a sip of this wine, will elevate the palates to a new dimension. For a food-enhancing experience, we enjoyed pairing with rich baby leaf salad, foie gras with a dash of peppercorn, scallop carpaccio and pâté en croûte.