Pays Nantais & Vendée

Question 1

In which region of Pays Nantais is Muscadet most planted?

Answer 1

Sèvre et Maine (east of Nantes, between the Sèvre and Maine rivers, tributaries of the loire before the river’s mouth).

Question 2

Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire is naturally located east of Nantes, along the Loire river, but where is Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu located?

Answer 2

Directly south of Nantes, next to the Lac de Grandlieu, after which the appellation was named. Sandy and stony soils closer to the Atlantic make for wines more supple and riper than most.

Question 3

What is the Coteaux d’Ancenis appellation?

Answer 3

Located in between Pays Nantais and Anjou, this appellation recognized in 2011 has vines planted on both hillsides (coteaux) of the Loire river, near Ancenis, making white (mostly off-dry 20-40 g/L RS pinot gris known locally as Malvoisie) as well as both dry rosé and red using Gamay that may also contain a small amount of Cabernet Franc)

Question 4

Synonym grape of Gros Plant du Pays Nantais and what grape can also find itself included in small proportions into the Gros Plant du Pays Nantais AOP?

Answer 4

Folle blanche
with up to 10% Colombard authorized

Question 5

Which were the first 3 officially recognized village crus of the Pays Nantais in 2011?

Answer 5

Clisson
Gorges
Le Pallet

Question 6

What are the 4 villages of Muscadet Sèvre et Maine that were granted cru status in 2019?

Answer 6

Goulaine
Château Thébaud
Monnières-Saint-Fiacre
Mouzillon-Tillières

Question 7

What makes the Clisson cru stand out amongst other the other regional crus?

Answer 7

Presence of the fractured “Granite de Clisson” bedrock due to its proximity to a geological fault allows for roots to penetrate deep, contributing to the powerful and rich nature of this cru’s wine.

Question 8

Main bedrock of the Gorges cru (most ancien sector of the Muscadet crus)?

Answer 8

Metamorphic Gabbro

Question 9

What are the 3 soil types of the Le Pallet cru?

Answer 9

Gneiss
Orthogneiss
Mica schist

Question 10

What is the yield restriction that the cru wines of Muscadet Sèvre et Maine are subject to?

Answer 10

45 hl/ha instead of the standard 55 hl/ha for the Muscadet Sèvre et Maine AOP

Question 11

What is the minimum vine age allowed for Muscadet Sèvre et Maine cru production?

Answer 11

6 years old

Question 12

Which 2 crus have a minimum lees ageing requirement that is slightly lower than the other crus?

Answer 12

Goulaine and Le Pallet (both needing to remain on the lees until at least April 1st of the second year following harvest, compared to October 1st for the other crus - more or less 18 months instead of 24)

Question 13

Which is the last born of the crus from Pays Nantais and the only one for the Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOP?

Answer 13

Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire Champtoceaux (best sites on both sides of the Loire between Nantes and Ancenis with min. 18 months lees ageing - like Le Pallet and Goulaine)

Question 14

What are the 2 crus of the Muscadet Sèvre et Maine awaiting official ratification?

Answer 14

Vallet (eastern part of the AOP, north of Clisson)
La Haye Fouassière (western near Nantes and Vertou on the shores of La Sèvre Nantaise)
Both would be 18 months on the lees min. TBC

Question 15

Single AOP found south of Pays Nantais in the Vendée department?

Answer 15

Fiefs Vendéens AOP

Question 16

Main wine style produced in Fiefs Vendéens AOP?

Answer 16

Mostly rosés that are blends of Pinot Noir and Gamay, and reds that are made from Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc blended with Négrette.

Question 17

What are the 5 sub-zones of the Fiefs Vendéens AOP?

Answer 17

Brem
Mareuil
Chantonnay
Pissotte
Vix

Question 18

What is the requirement that requires producers that could otherwise make Fiefs Vendéens AOP to make wines outside of the AOP?

Answer 18

All wines must be blends

Question 19

What is the most common white wine blend that makes up Fiefs Vendéens AOP?

Answer 19

Chenin Blanc + Chardonnay

Question 20

The Pays Nantais and Vendée regions find themselves on which geological massif and why is it named as such?

Answer 20

The Armorican Massif was named after the old Armorica, a Gaul area between the rivers Loire and Seine (it covers Brittany, western Normandy, Pays de la Loire and is connected to Dover on the British side of the English Channel).

Question 21

The Armorican Massif is, alongside the Cantabrian Mountains, a rift shoulder of which famous bay that caused it’s formation?

Answer 21

The Bay of Biscay (Golfe de Gascogne, into the Atlantic, West of Bordeaux)

Question 22

What is the geological composition of the Armorican Massif?

Answer 22

Metamorphic and magmatic rocks

Question 23

Basic Muscadet AOP can add up to 10% of which grape variety to the Melon de Bourgogne?

Answer 23

Chardonnay

Question 24

Difference in maximum yields for basic Muscadet AOP vs other more specific regional AOPs?

Answer 24

Basic Muscadet 70 hl/ha
Others (ex. Muscadet Sèvre et Maine) 55 hl/ha

Question 25

List some Muscadet producers.

Answer 25

Domaine de la Pépière Domaine de l'Écu Jo Landron André-Michel Brégeon Domaine Haute Févrie Pierre Luneau-Papin Vincent Caillé Jean-Baptiste Hardy

Question 26

The soils of Muscadet comprise a highly complex and varied mixture of igneous and metamorphic rocks such as... (name 5)

Answer 26

Gneiss, granite, gabbro, amphibolite, mica schist, etc.

Question 27

Increasing demand from which country led to a considerable increase in plantings of Melon de Bourgogne in Pays Nantais in the 1980s and 1990s?

Answer 27

The UK

Question 28

What is one the main viticultural hazards affecting the Pays Nantais region that led to an average crop loss of 80% across the region in 2021?

Answer 28

Spring frosts

Question 29

What is the traditional vessel used for lees ageing in the Pays Nantais?

Answer 29

Underground glass-lined vats

Question 30

What can be confusing about the "sur lie" mention for Muscadet wines and why is it the case?

Answer 30

The rules state that for a wine to be labeled sur lie, it must spend no more than one winter on lees and may not be bottled before March 1 of the year following fermentation, which equates to between 5 and 14 months of aging, meaning that wines aged for longer on than 14 months sur lie, notably the cru wines, cannot state sur lie on their label, despite the influence of lees certainly being more noticeable.

Question 31

What are the consequences of frequent lees stirring vs not stirring and leaving the wines untouched during lees ageing?

Answer 31

Winemakers who stir lees frequently and age their wines for several years will have richer, creamier, fatter styles because of autolysis and introduction of oxygen into the wine. Leaving the wines untouched will have the reductive effect of the lees protect them from oxygen and while still imparting autolysis character into the wines and perhaps an easier retention mild CO2 spritz.

Question 32

What are the 7 AOPs of the Pays Nantais and Vendée region?

Answer 32

Muscadet Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Gros Plant du Pays Nantais Coteaux d'Ancenis Fiefs Vendéens

Question 33

Pays Nantais' climate: 1. Type of climate? 2. Mean annual temp.? 3. Average annual rainfall? 4. Average annual sunlight hours? 5. Elevation?

Answer 33

1. Maritime 2. 12 C 3. 736 mm 4. 1 954 hrs 5. 16 - 27 m