The
vineyard
It covered 5
hectares in 1946.
We now manage 38 hectares of Muscadet Sèvre et
Maine sur lie, most of which lies in the near vicinity of
the Domaine.
The
terroir is unique. It is granite based (granodiorite with biotites and
hornblende) called "Granit de
Château-Thébaud". This only occurs in one
very localised area (4%) in the Muscadet vineyard. These
granite terroirs, which are extensively weathered
guarantee both an excellent natural drainage and an
perfect rooting environment for the vines. The aspect of
the slopes and hillsides overlooking the Maine river or
along streams is equally favourable, especially from the
thermal viewpoint.
It ensures that the grapes mature in optimum conditions
enabling us to produce excellent quality
wines.
Le
Clos les Montys, its exceptional aspect and
terroir (top soil strewn with sandstone over a bedrock of amphibolite
and metagabbro)
enable the vine to mature very early. Paradoxically, this so-called "green
rock" terroir produces grapes with a thick skin which can
be picked fairly late.
The
vine we
use is the Melon de Bourgogne, and the planting density
is the traditional figure of 7000 plants per hectare.
The
pruning of the vine is very important. We have opted
for the Guyot nantais principle, with three canes and one shoot.
The pruning governs the number of grapes produced, here
it gives a production averaging 45 to 55 hectolitres per
hectare. It should be balanced and reasonable to ensure
the longevity of the plant. Our vines are 45 year old on
average, some are over 90 year old.
