Dom. de la Bretonniere, Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie Cru Clisson 2017 Dom. de la Bretonniere

Get to know: Dom. de la Bretonniere, Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie Cru Clisson

Tasting Note

If you love Muscadet you should be all over this wine from Cru Clisson. This is premier region for this Muscadet and the wines from here develop an intense and complex nose displaying a subtle combination of candied fruits, quince and very ripe citrus fruit. On the palate, this is powerful and warm, with flavours of stewed fruit, honey and candied notes. It still has all the character you expect from Muscadet, but the use of extremely ripe fruit and extended lees ageing make this a more powerful expression.

This wine becomes even more expressive if decanted for an hour before serving.

This makes an excellent aperitif. It is also goes brilliantly with sautéed scallops.

Producer Info

Established in the 1900s, the Cormerais family’s winemaking passion and knowledge has been passed down for generations. Today it is Bertrand Cormerais who runs the estate having joined his father in 1994. The father and son team were also joined by Anthony Branger in 2015. 40 hectares of vineyard are divided between Muscadet and IGP Val de Loire. Bertrands philosophy is a very simple one – he starts in the vineyard with great attention to detail to produce the very best grapes he can, while maintaining great respect for the environment.

Officially recognised as a cru communal since 2011, the Clisson appellation is the result of a joint reflection between winegrowers. 

Clisson’s vines grow in patches on knolls that rise from a landscape of prairies and farmland in the southern part of the Muscadet Sèvre et Maine appellation. The area is open and well ventilated, with coarse soils of sand and pebbles that offer excellent drainage and low fertility. The subsoil is mostly composed of identical “Clisson granite” parent rock, a particularity that can be attributed to the presence of a nearby fault line. The fractured parent rock allows roots to run deep.

In order for the wine to show intensity and concentration, only selected plots are eligible for its production and yields are limited. The appellation’s specifications, established by the producers, allow a maximum yield of 45 hectolitres per hectare. Grapes are harvested when slightly overripe, and once fermentation is complete, the wine is aged on lees (sur lie in French).

During this extended lees ageing of at least 24 months, bâtonnage or lees stirring is generally practised; this gives Cru Clisson wines complexity, aromatic subtlety and excellent ageing potential.