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Loire · Subregion entry

Pays Nantais

Pays Nantais is the Loire's Atlantic Muscadet zone, built around Melon de Bourgogne. Granite, schist and communal crus help explain why the area reaches beyond its old bargain-wine image.

Place
Pays Nantais, Loire
Wine context
Melon de Bourgogne on granite and schist
Good for
Salty, stony Muscadet from the Loire's Atlantic end
Look for
Muscadet Sèvre et Maine · Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu · Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire · Fiefs Vendéens
Atlas locationPays Nantais · Loire47.17° N · 1.30° W

At the Loire's Atlantic edge around Nantes, Pays Nantais is Muscadet country. Melon de Bourgogne is the grape behind it, especially in Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine. Muscadet long carried a mass-market reputation for cheap, neutral white wine, which sat awkwardly beside serious estates in the appellation. Farming and classification helped change that picture. INAO approved the first communal crus in 2011, including Clisson, Gorges and Le Pallet, giving selected granite and gneiss parcels a formal quality tier.

Elsewhere in Loire

Continue through the region

  1. Anjou-Saumur38 producersAnjou-Saumur covers dry and sweet Chenin Blanc, sparkling Saumur and Cabernet Franc reds. Savennières, Coteaux du Layon, Quarts de Chaume, Saumur and Saumur-Champigny are useful places to begin.
  2. Centre-Loire33 producersCentre-Loire is the Loire's Sauvignon Blanc country. Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume sit on opposite banks of the river, while Menetou-Salon, Reuilly and Quincy add further names to the map.
  3. Touraine43 producersCabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc are central to Touraine. Chinon, Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil sit beside Vouvray and Montlouis-sur-Loire, with other appellations widening the range.

Producer profiles

Producers in Pays Nantais

  • Château de VilleneuveSouzay-Champigny estate farming Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc organically on Middle Turonian tuffeau chalk.
  • Domaine Batard LangelierOrganic Muscadet from Maisdon-sur-Sèvre, where Melon de Bourgogne cuvées are separated by granite, gneiss and gabbro, then bottled unfined and unfiltered.
  • Domaine de la GrenaudièreMuscadet Sèvre et Maine from Melon de Bourgogne, including saline La Grenouille and granitic cru Clisson.
  • Domaine du Haut BourgDomaine du Haut Bourg pairs long lees-aged Muscadet with fruit-focused Gamay and Sauvignon wines from the Loire.
  • Domaine Saint NicolasBrem-sur-Mer domaine led by Thierry Michon, with biodynamic farming, spontaneous fermentation and two red Vin de France wines.
Browse 1 more
  • Vignobles Günther-ChéreauA family Muscadet producer working three Loire estates, from youthful Les Petits Jupons to old-vine, lees-aged Anima Mea.

Keep following the thread

Where to go next

placeReturn to LoireSee how Pays Nantais fits within the wider Loire region.mapSee Pays Nantais in the AtlasKeep its neighbouring areas and producers in view.producerMeet Château de VilleneuveChâteau de Villeneuve is one of the producers placed in Pays Nantais.