On the southwestern edge of the Nantais, Domaine Les Hautes Noelles makes Muscadet with the kind of intensity and salty minerality you would expect from a vineyard within reach of the Atlantic.
Backstory
The family property was created in the 1930s in Saint-Leger-les-Vignes. For years it was the domaine of Serge Batard, a pioneer recognized for his Muscadet Cotes de Grandlieu and for being the first organic estate in the Pays de Retz. In 2020 the property was acquired by Juliane and Jean-Gabriel Tridon, a couple who left careers in maritime commerce for viticulture. Jean-Gabriel was born in the United States and Juliane in Berlin.
The Region
The estate sits in the Cotes de Grandlieu sub-zone of Muscadet, near the lake of Grand-Lieu southwest of Nantes. It now farms around 24 hectares.
Vineyards and Farming
The vineyards have been farmed organically since 2012. The soils are worked throughout the growing season to avoid chemical fertilizers and weed killers, in keeping with the estate's long organic heritage.
Winemaking
Parcels are vinified separately and hand harvested, then blended just before bottling for maximum control. Prolonged lees aging and bottling without racking add texture and richness to the wines.
The Wines
The result is a staggeringly intense Muscadet that keeps the zingy acidity and palpable minerality of this seaside appellation, alongside Gros Plant, Gamay and other Loire bottlings of clarity and verve.
