Domaine Landron-Chartier ‘Melon B’ Muscadet

About Domaine Landron-Chartier Melon B

Domaine Landron-Chartier Melon B is a crispy and mineral-driven Muscadet, wild fermented in concrete tanks. Pure pear, apple, and honeydew flavors. Six months of lees aging adds some toasty notes and subtle textures. Finishes with a saline mineral tinge. Lightly filtered, not fined, and with a very low sulfur dosage.

About Domaine Landron-Chartier

Third-generation winemaker Bernard had been working with his brother Jo in the heart of Muscadet Sevre et Maine area, before moving in 2002 to the lesser-known and therefore cheaper area of Ancenis, (to the north-east of Nantes). Initially, his whole production was sold in bulk, but when eldest son Benoît returned in 2008 after his degree in viticulture and enology, they started to bottle their own wine. Organic conversion began in 2010. They now farm around 25 hectares and moved to a ‘new’ cellar in the town of Oudon for the 2017 harvest. They have a mix of varieties planted, including Melon de Bourgogne, Folle Blanche, Pinot Gris, Gamay, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2013 Benoît started making sparkling wines, producing a selection of lively and bright pet-nats. The climate of the Coteaux de la Loire is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and the Loire River. It is a soft climate; not too cold, not too warm, and a little rainy – with hilly relief to the edge of the Loire. It allows for deep roots, so good ripeness. the moderate temperature in summer allows for freshness in the wine. The ocean winds follow the Loire and reduce the humidity in the air. They make wines with freshness and personality; expressing the diverse mix of soils that Muscadet offers – roundness from gneiss, and more minerality from schist.