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2023 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
Domaine Michel BrégeonLong praised as the ultimate oyster wine—an entirely deserved reputation—Muscadet can be even more than your drink of choice to chase bivalves. Uncommonly full and rich but still sporting the crisp acidity and low alcohol that make it so sessionable, this is a Muscadet to enjoy with oysters as well as alongside seared scallops, warm mussels, or roast chicken.
It fills the mouth with suspicions of honeysuckle and pulpy stone fruits, all while maintaining classic notes of iodine and sea breeze that make this the vinous equivalent of tidepooling.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2023 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Melon de Bourgogne |
Appellation: | Muscadet Sèvre et Maine |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | André-Michel Brégeon |
Winemaker: | Fred Lailler |
Vineyard: | 40 years average, 7.8 ha total |
Soil: | Gabbro |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 11% |
More from this Producer or Region
2022 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
France | Loire
It fills the mouth with suspicions of honeysuckle and pulpy stone fruits, all while maintaining classic notes of iodine and sea breeze that make this the vinous equivalent of tidepooling.
2018 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Gorges”
France | Loire
Gorges boasts an incredible texture and tension imparted by decomposed, blue-green igneous rock, seventy-year-old vines, and years-long aging on the lees.
2020 Saumur Champigny “Outre Terre”
France | Loire
Outre Terre is a tiny production of Cabernet Franc fermented in amphora and aged in barrel.
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Franc de Pied”
France | Loire
This Saumur Champigny is electric and alive, from the first scent of roses on the nose to the juxtaposition of textured tannic grip and sheer weightlessness on the palate.
2020 Vin de France Blanche
France | Loire
This lithe and expressive “orange” wine is an ideal palate-opener with a dry, cleansing finish and a fresh, cooling effect like coastal sage and seaspray.
2021 Vin de France Blanche
France | Loire
This skin-contact wine is redolent of blood orange and hyssop—a perfect apéritif for olives and anchovies.
2022 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale”
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Powerful, cellar-worthy dry Chenin aged in chestnut, oak, and acacia.
2023 Gros-Plant du Pays Nantais
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This racy wine is a perfect match for all types of crustaceans as well all by itself on a sunny afternoon.
2020 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Clisson “La Molette”
France | Loire
A subtly floral nose and textured mouthfeel seal the deal. This is off-the-charts Muscadet.
2021 Saumur Champigny “Terres Chaudes”
France | Loire
Thierry has perfected the art of coaxing this Cabernet Franc’s soulfulness and elusive finesse into bottle.
About The Producer
André-Michel Brégeon
Michel Brégeon is part renegade, part crusader, and full-blown terroirist, ardently defending the Muscadet-Sèvre-et-Maine terroir. Thanks to his deep understanding of the land, he plays the game much differently than the region’s caves cooperatives and negociants, who produce en masse and lose the subtlety of the appellation. He worked for his family’s domaine before setting out on his own in 1975. When his father retired in 1989, he gave his remaining vineyard land to Michel. Today, Michel farms seven hectares of vineyards in clay, silica, and gabbro soils. Gabbro is old, blue-green, volcanic rock, rarely found in vineyard land. Formed by magma eruptions under the ocean floor, it imparts intense complexity to Michel’s wines.
About The Region
Loire
The defining feature of the Loire Valley, not surprisingly, is the Loire River. As the longest river in France, spanning more than 600 miles, this river connects seemingly disparate wine regions. Why else would Sancerre, with its Kimmeridgian limestone terroir be connected to Muscadet, an appellation that is 250 miles away?
Secondary in relevance to the historical, climatic, environmental, and cultural importance of the river are the wines and châteaux of the Jardin de la France. The kings and nobility of France built many hundreds of châteaux in the Loire but wine preceded the arrival of the noblesse and has since out-lived them as well.
Diversity abounds in the Loire. The aforementioned Kimmderidgian limestone of Sancerre is also found in Chablis. Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur boast the presence of tuffeau, a type of limestone unique to the Loire that has a yellowish tinge and a chalky texture. Savennières has schist, while Muscadet has volcanic, granite, and serpentinite based soils. In addition to geologic diversity, many, grape varieties are grown there too: Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne are most prevalent, but (to name a few) Pinot Gris, Grolleau, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, and Folle Blanche are also planted. These myriad of viticultural influences leads to the high quality production of every type of wine: red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert.
Like the Rhône and Provence, some of Kermit’s first imports came from the Loire, most notably the wines of Charles Joguet and Château d’Epiré—two producers who are featured in Kermit’s book Adventures on the Wine Route and with whom we still work today.
More from Loire or France
2023 Cheverny
Domaine du Salvard France | Loire
Sancerre Sampler
6-Bottle Sampler France | Loire
Sampler Includes:
2023 Sancerre • Hippolyte Reverdy $40
2023 Sancerre • Domaine Roger Neveu $33
2023 Sancerre Rosé • Domaine Roger Neveu $31
2023 Sancerre • Daniel Chotard $39
2022 Sancerre Rouge • Daniel Chotard $38
2021 Sancerre “Les Cris” • Daniel Chotard $51
Normally $232.00
SPECIAL SAMPLER PRICE $197.00
(a 15% discount)
2018 Saumur Blanc “Le Clos du Moulin”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Les Mémoires”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Sancerre
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Chinon Rosé
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Savennières
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2022 Coteaux du Loir Rouge “Cuvée du Rosier”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2023 Cheverny
Domaine du Salvard France | Loire
Sancerre Sampler
In this sampler, we’ve included a spectrum of Sancerres from all three of the growers we represent.
2018 Saumur Blanc “Le Clos du Moulin”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Les Mémoires”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Sancerre
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Chinon Rosé
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Savennières
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2022 Coteaux du Loir Rouge “Cuvée du Rosier”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174