2024 Domaine de la Fessardière Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Loire Valley, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

The Domaine de la Fessardière vineyard is located in Vallet, in the west of the Loire Valley in the heart of the Nantes vineyards, 20 minutes from Nantes and 1 hour from the Atlantic Ocean.

Winemaking tradition in this region dates back to the 16th century. Eighty percent of the vines are planted on hillsides in light, stony, clay-siliceous, and shallow soils. The grapes grown here are of the Melon de Bourgogne variety, an emblematic and typical grape of the Nantes vineyards and the Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine appellation. In this terroir, and with respect for this winemaking tradition, we embrace daily innovations that allow us to produce quality wines while respecting the land and its ecosystem. Half of the wine is aged in underground resin epoxy tanks and undergoes malolactic fermentation, while the other 50% is aged in ancient Alsatian foudres with no malolactic fermentation. The grapes are hand harvested and the juice unfined. 

The Domaine de la Fessardière is located in the locality known as "La Fossardière." In the 16th century, the seigneury of La Fessardière was considered the best walled vineyard in the parish. It is therefore possible that the estate's name derives from this seigneury. Today, the average age of the vines is 35 years.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Domaine de la Fessardière has been producing organic wines since 1997; former winemaker Michel Sauvion chose organic viticulture to improve the quality of his Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine appellation wines and to work in harmony with nature.

Jérôme and Emeline, two wine enthusiasts, wanted to settle in the Nantes vineyards to cultivate vines. In 2014, they met Michel Sauvion. He showed them around the estate, introducing them to viticulture and winemaking. Charmed by the vines, the wine, and Michel's work, they immediately wanted to continue producing wine in harmony with the surrounding nature, innovating with natural methods. Since then, these two new winemakers have taken over the Domaine de la Fessardière vineyard and developed a range of Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine wines.

Jérôme is an agronomist by training. After working for 10 years in France and abroad, he now wants to make the most of the land he lives on. He wants to demonstrate its potential to produce healthy and delicious wines, with the rigor and innovative spirit that characterize him. Emeline is also an agronomist. She spent 10 years working with NGOs and agricultural management consulting firms. Her entrepreneurial spirit and love of nature led her and Jérôme to this project of taking over the estate and its vineyards. Less involved in the vineyards than Jérôme, you'll find Emeline more often in the office or on the road, except during the harvest, a convivial time she particularly cherishes. Emeline nevertheless possesses an excellent nose, which brings a feminine touch to the wines produced by the estate. She is the one who introduces the flavors of this wine in France and around the world. Very active on social media, she wants to make the estate's wines accessible to everyone.

Through our work and our wines, we wish to participate in the revaluation of this beautiful Nantes wine appellation, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine, throughout the country and abroad.  To protect the environment, the estate has been committed to organic farming practices since 1997. We have banned all herbicides and use more natural methods such as plowing, which allow our wines to fully express the terroir. Similarly, we have excluded all chemical products from our vineyards, favoring natural products based on copper, sulfur, and plant extracts. Today, all white wines from Domaine de la Fessardière are certified organic by ECOCERT.