Muscat de Saint-Jean-de-Minervois is an appellation for Muscat-based vin doux naturel from the Languedoc wine region of southern France.
The appellation is named after Saint-Jean-de-Minervois, a village at the southern end of the Massif Central, the range of low mountains in south-central France. It overlooks the vineyards of the very different Minervois appellation to the south. Because of the slightly higher altitude here (660ft/200m), the climate is cooler than in many other wine-growing areas of the Languedoc, allowing the Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains grapes a longer hang time. This fact – coupled with the excellent drainage and poor soils of the area – means that Muscat de Saint-Jean-de-Minervois wines are often more complex and more delicate than other Languedoc Muscats. They are closer in style to the wines of Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise.
The terroir of the area is characterized by the marginal Mediterranean climate (made less predictably temperate by the local topography) and the garrigue landscape. Garrigue is the quintessential Provencal landscape of dry, limestone-based scrubland, populated by hardy herbs such as rosemary and lavender.
Muscat de Saint-Jean-de-Minervois wines are produced using a traditional sweet-wine-making process called mutage. They generally have residual sugar levels of around 125g/L and an alcohol level of about 15%, and are some of the most expressive of the Languedoc Muscats, with sweet, honeyed aromas of citrus and orange blossom.
