Chateau Thébaud 2019

Jérémie is a third-generation winemaker in the Muscadet Sèvre et Maine appellation, located southeast of Nantes. After traveling the world, he returned home and was inspired to craft cleaner, low-intervention wines. In 2014, he began converting to organic viticulture and was certified by 2020. His estate, just 50 km from the Atlantic, offers a unique range of soils that contribute to the character of their wines. He produce five still cuvées, all made from the same grape, Melon de Bourgogne, each sourced from different single vineyard sites, showcasing a variety of soils such as sandy loam, gabbros, clay-siliceous, gneiss, and biotite granite. The varying lees aging—ranging from 6 to 24 months—further enhances the minerality, finesse, and typicity of each cuvée. Winemaking Detail: Manual harvest. Soft pressing as soon as grapes are picked, followed by spontaneous fermentation in underground concrete vats. After malolactic fermentation takes place, the wine is racked and transferred into a new underground concrete vat to be aged on its fine lees for 24 months, with battonage during the first 4 months.

Manual harvest. Soft pressing as soon as grapes are picked, followed by spontaneous fermentation in underground concrete vats. After malolactic fermentation takes place, the wine is racked and transferred into a new underground concrete vat to be aged on its fine lees for 24 months, with battonage during the first 4 months.

More ageing potential than most in Muscadet. It's intensely biscuity and creamy in texture from the extended time on lees. The beeswax and honey comes through straight away followed by a more subtle red and green apple orchard aroma. Develops over time.

Almonds, Goat's Cheese, Oysters

The Loire, France's longest river, is home to many much celebrated and quintessential French grapes. From the once ubiquitous-in-the-UK Melon de Bourgogne by the Atlantic coast, to the home of Sauvignon Blanc in Sancerre, via some of the world's best Chenin and crunchy Cabernet Francs, Gamays and Pinots there is quality all around. Being at the northernly limit for winemaking, the wines are hallmarked by their crisp, fresh, crunchy fruit and high acidity, where reds may sometimes struggle to ripen and whites nearly overdeliver on acidity. The 69 appellations that make up the larger region are grouped into smaller sub-regions with predominantly single variety wines leading the way. As you move east the climate changes markedly from maritime to continental as the soils change from flint and limestone to the hard granite of central France.