2023 Vincent Caillé Fief Seigneur Muscadet Sèvre et Maine

In the early 1990s, the British were in love with Muscadet.  This lean, green wine that was perfect with seafood was found in every wine bar.  The love affair hit the rocks however when fruity new world wines arrived and consumption of Muscadet fell off a cliff.  The winegrowers of the Pays Nantais on the Atlantic coast of France suffered badly - for a long time.  But a renaissance of Muscadet is in progress.   The comeback can be attributed to the trend for clean, simple white wines.  Muscadet is very good at simplicity.  The other reason is a marked increase in quality of the wines.

Vincent Caillé, who took over the family vineyard in 1986, is part of a new generation of wine-growers who decided to pursue a policy of uncompromising quality. Here in the heart of the appellation Muscadet Sevre et Maine, at le Fay d’Homme near Monnières, where the Caillé family have been winegrowers for 5 generations, he produces Muscadet Sevre et Maine of high expression. On different type of soils (gneiss, gabbro and orthogneiss), he grows Melon de Bourgogne, the grape of Muscadet. Grown organically since 1996, the vines thrive on living soils that have recovered their wild tulips, a protected species affected for a long time by chemical treatments in the region.

On the nose, the Muscadet "Fief Seigneur " is all green apple, fresh citrus and seashells.  On the palate, there is concentration, texture, and creaminess with peach and apple flavours. It has a very well-balanced finish.  Not your average 1990s Muscadet for sure.