Pays Nantais

Question 1

Muscadet

4 AOPs

Answer 1

• Muscadet AOP
• Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine AOP
• Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOP
• Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu AOP

Question 2

Muscadet Sévre-et-Maine AOP

% of Muscadet production

Answer 2

80%

Question 3

Muscadet Sévre-et-Maine

% of production bottled sur lie

Answer 3

Nearly 50%

Question 4

sur lie

Aging Requirement

Answer 4

Bottled btwn March 1 and Nov 30 of the year following harvest

Question 5

Reason for sur lie

Answer 5

Adds complexity, richness, slight sparkle

• sur lie wines are aged on their lees over the winter, and are bottled directly off the fine lees (without filtering) btwn March 1 and Nov 30 of the year following harvest

Question 6

Muscadet-Sévre-et-Maine

Soils

Answer 6

complex range of gneiss, silica, clay, granite

Question 7

Newest Muscadet AOP

Answer 7

• Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu AOP, est 1994
• Struggle to achieve quality beyond basic Muscadet

Question 8

Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu AOP

Year est.

Answer 8

1994

• Wines struggle to achieve quality beyond basic Muscadet

Question 9

Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOP

Location and general style

Answer 9

• More northerly appellation, LEANER
• Excellent source in warmer vintages

Question 10

“Hermine d’Or”

Answer 10

• Unofficial label term
• Used by some producers in Muscadet-Sévre-et-Maine (Guy Bossard)
• Promotes terroir, stresses ageability
• Badge of quality for better wines

Question 11

Muscadet-Sévre-et-Maine AOP

“Hermine d’Or”

Producers

Answer 11

Guy Bossard

• “Hermine d’Or” - Promotes terroir, stresses age-ability, badge of quality for better wines

Question 12

Muscadet-Sévre-et-Maine

3 subzones introduced in 2011

Answer 12

• Clisson
• Le Pallet
• Gorges
  
  • More new crus may soon follow
  • Although the min. length of aging for each subzone precludes the use of sur lie on the label, wines from these areas may become some of the finest expressions of the Melon grape available

Question 13

Muscadet-Sévre-et-Maine

Number of communes

Answer 13

23 communes

Question 14

3 regions in Pays Nantais that gained AOC status with the elimination of the VDQS tier in 2011

Answer 14

• Gros Plant du Pays Nantais
• Coteaux d’Ancenis
• Fiefs Vendéens

Question 15

Fiefs Vendéens AOP

• Styles:
• Principal Varietals:

Answer 15

Fiefs Vendéens AOP

• Blanc
  
  • min 60% Chenin Blanc
• Rosé
  
  • min 80% Gamay, Pinot Noir
• Rouge
  
  • Cabernet Franc, Négrette, Pinot Noir

Question 16

Gros Plant du Pay Nantais AOP

• Styles:
• Grapes:

Answer 16

Gros Plant du Pays Nantais AOP

• Blanc
  
  • min 70% Folle Blanche (Gros Plant)
  • plus, Montils, max 10% Colombard
• Blanc “Sur Lie”

Question 17

Coteaux d’Ancenis AOP

• Styles:
• Grapes:

Answer 17

Coteaux d’Ancenis AOP

• Blanc
  
  • 100% Pinot Gris
• Rosé and Rouge
  
  • 100% Gamay
• Varietally-Labeled “Malvoisie”
  
  • 100% Pinot Gris

​***Blanc: 20-40 g/l rs