Fred Niger and his wife Claire produce award winning wines from their forty-two acre estate in the town of Le Landreau in Brittany on France’s Atlantic coast. This is in the heart of the Sèvre et Maine district, the most reknowned area of Muscadet production. The soils in the estate are mostly made up of three metamorphic rocks: Gneiss, Orthogneiss and Granite with healthy, old vines.
Although they put the same grape varietals through an identical vinification process for each wine, the differences in the final wines are proof of the influence of “terroir.” While standard Muscadet should be consumed quickly (within two/three years of the vintage), the Granite and Orthogneiss Muscadets can be kept well until the tenth year and can age beautifully for 20 years or more. The Gneiss Muscadet is light and fruity.
Joe Appel on Muscadet PP Herald 7-10-13