Pays Nantais Flashcards
What is the most planted grape in Pays Nantais
Melon/Melon de Bourgogne/Muscadet
What is the local name for Folle Blanche in Pays Nantais?
Gros Plant
What is the climate for Pays Nantais?
Cool Mediterranean
Muscadet has good resistance to which fungal disease?
Powdery Mildew
What improvements have growers made to mitigate the risk of fungal disease?
- More open canopies to increase airflow
- Leaf removal is done to ensure maximum exposure of the grapes to the sun
Is chapitalization permitted in Pays Nantais?
Yes, but only up to 12% potential abv
How do winemakers view MLC in Pay Nantais
It is generally avoided to preserve the high acid profile which is typical of the style of wines produced
How are producers in Pays Nantais experimenting with Muscadet in an effort to raise the profile?
- Skin Contact
- Barrel Fermenting
- Concrete Eggs
- Amphora
What are the main Muscadet AOCs in Pays Nantais?
- Muscadet Sèrve et Maine
- Muscadet AOC
- Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire
- Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu
Name the other three AOCs found in Pays Nantais
- Coteaux d’Ancenis
- Fiefs Vendeens
- Gros Plant du Pays Nantais
What are the only two grapes that can be used in Coteaux d’Ancenis?
- Pinot Gris
- Gamay Noir
What is the principal variety for white wines from Fiefs Vendeens?
- Chenin Blanc must compose 60% of the blend
- Chardonnay can also be added to the blend
What is the principal variety for rose wines from Fiefs Vendeens?
- Minimum 80% Gamay and Pinot Noir
- Accessory varieties are Cab Franc, Cab Sauv and Négrette
What is the principal variety for red wines from Fiefs Vendeens?
- No minimum(?) but must be made from Cab Franc, Pinot Noir and Négrette
- Accessory varieties are Cab Sauv and Gamay
What styles of wine are produced in Gros Plant du Pays Nantais?
Still, white wine
What is the principal variety for Gros Plant du Pays Nantais? Are there any other grapes that can be added?
- Folle Blanche (minimum 70%)
- Montils
- Maximum of 10% Colombard
What does the term ‘Sur Lie’ mean?
The the wines are aged on the lees prior to bottling. This is done to fill out the body on what would otherwise be a very light wine.
What must be done for a bottle of Melon wine to have the term ‘Sur Lie’ on it?
Wines must be bottled between March 1st and November 30th, the year after the grapes are harvested, in the winery where the wines were made
What impact does the phrase “in the winery where the wines were made” mean for negociants in Pay Nantais wanting to make ‘Sur Lie” wines?
That they must buy either the grapes, the must, or the bottled wines. They cannot buy wines and use them to create ‘Sur Lie’ wines
Explain what the Muscadet Cru Communaux is?
The Muscadet Cru Communaux are 10 different communes selected as some of the best representations of the region
How many of the 10 Muscadet Cru Communaux can you name?
- Clisson
- Gorges
- Le Pallet
- Goulaine
- Château-Thébaud
- Mouzillon-Tillières
- Monnières-Saint Fiacre
- La Haye Fouassière
- Valley
- Champtoceaux
What are the requirements for Muscadet Cru Communaux?
- The village can be appended to the wine (i.e. Muscadet Serve et Maine Clisson)
- Lower maximum yield (45hL/ha compared to 55 hL/ha)
- Grapes must come exclusively from the village listed
- Wines must be kept on the lees for 18 months, with some villages raising the requirement to 24 months
What was a major setback for Pay Nantais in the 1990s?
Muscadet was becoming very popular in the UK in the 1980s, so the region planted more Melon (getting up to 13,000ha). But there was a major frost in 1991 which destroyed 2/3s of the crop which pushed prices up at a time when new world wines were becoming increasingly popular in the UK
What is the specified soil type for the Muscadet Cru Communaux?
Schist
