Day 12 | Muscadet Sèvre et Maine AOC
Melon de Bourgogne
Muscadet Sèvre et Maine lies at the very end of the Loire, where the Sèvre and the Maine meet the broad estuary before it opens to the Atlantic. The climate is cool and maritime, the soils are a mix of granite, gneiss, and mica schist, and the grape is Melon de Bourgogne. Picked early to preserve acidity, and fermented cool,l then left for months on fine lees, the wine captures everything around it. The result is a feather-weight white made for oysters.
What You’ll Taste
Primary Notes - Green apple, lemon , grapefruit pith
Secondary / Acidity - Briny, high acidity
Texture / Finish - Light-bodied and bone-dry with a subtle creaminess from months on lees.
Terroir & Winemaking Deep Dive
Vineyards sit on gentle slopes of ancient igneous and metamorphic rock. Granite near Clisson lends crisp citrus and mineral snap. Gneiss around Saint-Fiacre adds mid-palate roundness. Mica schist by Château-Thébaud provides a flinty, almost smoky edge.
Melon de Bourgogne is picked early to keep pH low, pressed quickly, and fermented cool in glass-lined concrete or stainless steel. The hallmark is sur-lie aging: wines rest on fine lees for at least six months (often until the following spring) in underground tanks, occasionally stirred to build texture and protect against oxidation. The longer “Clisson,” “Le Pallet,” and “Gorges” crus may stay on lees for 18–24 months, gaining bread dough and hazelnut while retaining vibrant acidity.
Producers to Visit
Domaine de l’Ecu – Organic and biodynamic. The single-soil bottlings highlight granite and gneiss nuances.
Domaine de la Pépière – “Clisson” cru shows ripe lemon, stone dust, and a creamy length from 24 months sur lie.
Jo Landron – Amphibolite bottling delivers lime zest and a piercing salty finish.
Travel Spotlight – Exploring Nantes & the Atlantic Edge
Stay – La Pérouse Hotel, Nantes Modern design built into a granite bluff within walking distance to oyster bars and the château.
Dine – La Civelle, Trentemoult A riverside bistro for moules-frites and a chilled cru Muscadet.
Swirl – Marché Talensac Stand at the bar for fresh oysters and with lemon wedges.
Quiz
How does extended lees contact influence both mouthfeel and flavor complexity in these otherwise light wines?