Domaine Louis Métaireau Grand Mouton | Pays Nantais
The Louis Métaireau Grand Mouton Domain is located between the Sèvre and Maine rivers, at the heart of the Muscadet Appellation, in the commune of Saint Fiacre sur Maine. Louis daughter, Marie-Luce, joined him in 1982 and together they worked hard to amass adjoining vineyards. They eventually became owners of the entire 57 acre Grand Mouton, meaning 'mound' from the old French term mothon and not 'sheep' as many would assume and are now regarded as one of the leading grower-producers in Muscadet.
Today, Marie-Luce runs the estate with her husband Jean-François Guilbaud who also owns Château La Bretonnerie a nearby estate also praised for its Muscadet. They adopt sustainable agricultural techniques or 'lutte raisonné', which involves minimising the use of chemicals wherever possible. All grapes are picked by hand to help preserve their older vines for many years to come and each plot is vinified separately.
They are also big believers in fermenting their wines 'sur lie' a practice that Louis Métaireau championed, believing it lent the wines greater character and complexity.
