Domaine Batard-Langelier

(Loire, France)

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Jeremie and Claire Batard-Langelier are third generation winemakers working with Jeremie's parents with the desire to elevate their appellation. Located just southeast of Nantes, in the commune of Maisdon sur Sevre, in Muscadet Sevre et Maine between Vertou and Clisson, the vineyards cover approximately 24 hectares are planted upon various soils: sandy loam, gabbros, gneiss and biotite granite. About 95% of their vines (averaging 40 years) are Melon de Bourgogne with the rest made up of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, all trained in "guyot Nantais", a local style of vine training. The estate was created in 1910 by Denis Batard and then in 1982 his son Pascal took over seeking to express the essence of Muscadet. Pascal continued the Nantaise tradition he learned from his father Denis and aware of the growing fragility of the biodiversity turned to lutte raisonee and abandoned chemical fertilizers in 1995. In 2009 Jeremie, after traveling the world, returned to the vineyards with a newfound source of passion. Along with this wife Claire Langelier, who is not from the region, they work the entire estate from vineyard to trade. Claire contributes a unique outsiders perspective, helping to pull Muscadet out of it's box and to express it's unique terroir. In 2014 the estate was in their first year of conversion to organic farming.

The wine making is traditional: light pressing, debourbages and fermentations in underground cement vats typical of the region. The wines are aged on the lees over long periods of time, adapted to each parcel in order to obtain an optimal expression of the different parcels.


 
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Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine, 'Polaris'

100% Melon de Bourgogne

From 10-30 year old vines planted to 20ha of predominantly granite soils, the grapes are hand-harvested in September, de-stemmed and allowed to spontaneously ferment in underground cement vats using ambient yeasts for three weeks with temperature control. Aged for seven months on lees with weekly stirring.


Méthode Traditionelle, ‘Pensées Nocturnes’

70 % Melon de Bourgogne, 30 % Folle blanche

From 50 year old vines planted to 1ha in predominately Gabbro rich soil, the grapes are hand harvested in September, de-stemmed, and direct pressed and cold soaked for 12 hours before heading into an underground concrete tank covered with glass tiles.

The fermentation is started with ambient yeast and lasts 15 days.

Afterwards, the wine spends 4 months on it’s lees aging in concrete tank before disgorgement and bottling where it is aged at minimum another 14 months.

No dosage. Brut Nature.


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Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine, 'Didascalie'

100% Melon de Bourgogne

From 50 year old vines planted to 2.5ha of gabbros and quartz-clay soils, the grapes are hand-harvested on September 10th. The grapes are de-stemmed and pressed, followed by spontaneous fermentation in concrete underground vats with ambient yeasts and temperature control lasting between two weeks and one month. The wine spends 12 months on lees and aged for the same period of time. Unfined & unfiltered.

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Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine, 'Metaphore'

100% Melon de Bourgogne

From 40 year old vines planted to 5ha of gneiss soils, the grapes are hand-harvested in mid-September. After being de-stemmed and pressed, spontaneous fermentation takes place in underground concrete tanks with temperature control lasting three weeks. The wine stays a minimum of seven months on lees with stirring up to twice a week. Aged for seven months minimum. Unfined & unfiltered.